Seagate Technology Incorporated

Jason Matthew Feist

Steven Scott Williams

Marc Timothy Jones

Praveen Viraraghavan

Robert William Dixon

Hemant Vitthalrao Mane

Mark A Gaertner

Dipeshkumar J Purani

Anil Kashyap

David Jerome Allen

Wei Zhao

Bruce D Emo

Zine Eddine Boutaghou

Michael H Miller

Scott Edward Ryun

Timothy Ted Walker

Siew Kin Chow

Phillip Raymond Colline

Niranjan Anant Pol

Sailaja Venkata Chilaka

Jason Wayne Kinsey

Nicholas Scott Eggert

Wenjuan Wang

Satya V Allumallu

Dallas S Holm, Jr

Apparatus and method for executing controller memory buffer (CMB) based data transfer commands in a distributed data processing environment. In some embodiments, a storage device having a device controller and a main non-volatile memory (NVM) is coupled to a client device via an interface. The client device respectively issues normal data transfer commands and bypass data transfer commands to the storage device. The normal data transfer commands include read and write commands that result in transfer of data between the NVM and the client device using a normal data path through the storage device. The bypass data transfer commands involve an allocated CMB of the storage device directly controlled and accessed by the client device. In this way, write data are directly placed into the CMB for writing to the NVM, and readback data from the NVM are directly recovered from the CMB by the client device.

Secure command memory buffer transfers in a low trust environment

A distributed data storage system can be configured with a host connected to a device and a distribution module. The distribution module identifies a manufacturing origin of the device and diverts a system operation from an upstream component connected to the distribution module to the device in response to the identified manufacturing origin of the device. The manufacturer installed operating parameters of the device are then used to complete the system operation.

Data storage system with distributed operations for known hardware

A distributed data storage system may connect a host to a device and a dedication module. The dedication module can identify a manufacturing origin of the device before dedicating a type of host-generated data access request to the device. The type of host-generated data access request is chosen by the dedication module in response to an operating capability correlated to the device by the dedication module based on the identified manufacturing origin. At least one host-generated request of the dedicated type is then completed with the device.

Distributed data storage system with dedicated processing lane

Apparatus and method for executing hidden computational functions in a distributed data processing environment. In some embodiments, a trust boundary includes a target device such as a storage device, and a source device such as a client device in a computer network. A storage device processor executes a hidden command function (HCF) routine to accumulate HCF output data in a local cache responsive to an HCF command received from the client device over a data interface. The processor further establishes a smaller retention boundary within the trust boundary that includes the storage device and excludes the client device. The HCF output data are stored locally in a non-volatile memory (NVM) of the storage device while not transferring any portion of the HCF output data outside the retention boundary, including to the client device. The HCF routine can update a block-chain ledger or take some other form to provide data security.

Performing remote hidden compute functions in one or more processing devices

A data storage system employing distributed memories can have at least one host connected to a plurality of data storage devices via a network controller. One or more performance bottlenecks through the network controller may be identified with a performance module. A peer group consisting of at least two of the plurality of data storage devices is created with the performance module in response to the identified performance bottleneck so that a task can be assigned by the performance module to the peer group. The task may be chosen to mitigate the performance bottleneck by avoiding involvement of the network controller in the task.

Distributed data storage system with bottleneck mitigation

A distributed data storage system can be configured with a host connected to a first device and an initialization module that performs a default initialization procedure on the first device in response to detecting the first device has an unknown manufacturing origin. Conducting the default initialization procedure may allow the first device to service data access requests from the host. In response to the connection of a second device to the host and initialization module, a manufacturing origin of the second device is identified with the initialization module before the initialization module customizes the default initialization procedure to a custom procedure that is executed to allow the second device to satisfy a background operation prescribed by the initialization module.

Custom initialization in a distributed data storage system

A data storage system may connect a host to a device and a hardware module that are utilized to satisfy at least one host-generated data access request to the device. A portion of the device is set as dormant by the hardware module prior to identifying an origin of the device with the hardware module during the satisfaction of the at least one host-generated data access request. In response to the identified origin, the previously dormant portion of the device is activated and subsequently utilized to execute a task assigned by the hardware module.

Distributed data storage system with dormant hardware activation

Apparatus and method for maintaining real-time coherency between a local cache of a target device and a client cache of a source device during execution of a distributed computational function. In some embodiments, a source device, such as a host computer, is coupled via a network interface to a target device, such as a data storage device. A storage compute function (SCF) command is transferred from the source device to the target device. A local cache of the target device accumulates output data during the execution of an associated SCF over an execution time interval. Real-time coherency is maintained between the contents of the local cache and a client cache of the source device, so that the client cache retains continuously updated copies of the contents of the local cache during execution of the SCF. The coherency can be carried out on a time-based granularity or an operational granularity.

Maintaining real-time cache coherency during distributed computational functions

Zones of a magnetic recording medium are allocated as a respective plurality of distributed media caches arranged in a predetermined order. For each of a plurality of caching events, cache data is written to one or more of the distributed media caches. A next of the media caches in the predetermined order is selected for the next caching event.

Distributed media cache

A data storage device can employ recording surface-level resolution with as part of a computing system where the data storage device has a first recording surface configured with an initial areal density. By monitoring data storage operation of the data storage device with a connected resolution module, a resolution strategy can be generated with the resolution module based on the monitored data storage operation. The initial areal density may then be changed to an altered areal density prescribed by the resolution strategy.

Data storage device with recording surface resolution

Method and apparatus for predicting data storage device failures using adaptive failure prediction modeling. In some embodiments, monitored parameters are used to predict a potential imminent failure of a first data storage device using a first copy of a first failure prediction model (FPM). Data associated with the predicted potential imminent failure are transferred by the device across a computer network to a host device. The host device generates an updated, second FPM responsive to the transferred data as well as from data from at least a second data storage device transmitted across the computer network having a second copy of the first FPM. A first copy of the updated, second FPM is transferred, via the network, for use by the second data storage device.

Adaptive failure prediction modeling for detection of data storage device failures

Zones of a magnetic recording medium are allocated as a respective plurality of distributed media caches arranged in in a predetermined order. For each of a plurality of caching events, cache data is written to one or more of the distributed media caches. A next of the media caches in the predetermined order is selected for the next caching event if the selected caches are not a last in the predetermined order. Otherwise a first media cache is selected in the predetermined order.

Method and apparatus adaptively adjusting power levels of a data transducer in a data storage device. In some embodiments, an initial power value is applied to a powered element of a transducer to write user data from a host device to a rotatable data recording medium. An exception condition is declared responsive to a measured parameter. The transducer is used to read data from an evaluation track using a range of different input power values for the powered element. A different, new power value is selected for the powered element responsive to an error rate associated with each of the range of different input power values, with the new power value being lower than the initial power value. Thereafter, the new power value is applied to the powered element during a subsequent writing of user data to the rotatable data recording medium.

Adaptive field adjustment of transducer power levels

A data storage device, e.g., a disc drive, includes one or more heads including a transducer. Each head also includes a deformable material that allows the spacing adjustments between the transducer and a data storage medium, e.g., a data storage disc, according to each of a plurality of settings. The device calculates a response function of a spacing change to a setting change for each head by measuring a change in the pole tip-data storage medium spacing corresponding to at least two settings. The device also determines an optimal setting. The device may also repeat response function calculations and/or determination of optimal settings to ensure continued optimal performance of the device. In summary, the device sets an optimal setting for each head according to a calculated response function particular to each head.

Transducer-data storage medium spacing adjustment

Various embodiments of the present invention are generally directed to adjusting a fly height of a transducer to enable a first data access with a storage medium rotating at a first speed, rotating the storage medium at a second speed substantially different from the first speed, and adjusting the fly height of the transducer to enable a second data access with the storage medium rotating at the second speed.

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Shakopee, MN, United States of America

Jason Matthew Feist