Maxtor Corporation

Seagate Technology Incorporated

Maurice L Schlumberger

Michael M Lee

Serge Shats

Jean-Pierre Ruster

Erhard Theodor Schreck

Don Brunnett

Bernhard Hiller

Bruce C Schardt

Chandra Shaker Buddhavaram

David Chew

Pantelis Alexopoulos

Samuel Richard Duell

Yin Lung Shih

Leroy L Leach

Mike Lee

Eric Kvamme

Richard Sonnenfeld

Claude Camp

Iouri Bagachev

Robert L Kimball

James McGrath

Kathleen Fitzgerald, Legal Representative

Robert Milby

Thierry Chatard

Matt Levy

Yuri Bagashev

Jeff Griffiths

Johanna Hernandez

Methods and structures for limiting the write portion of a local cache memory in one or more disk drives of a storage system such that a storage controller coupled to each may mirror the content and structure of the write portion of each disk drive. The size of the write portion of the local cache memory in a disk drive controller may be controlled by the storage controller or other host device. The size of the write portion may be controlled by switch settings to select among a plurality of predefined sizes or may be programmed by the storage controller or other host device. Programming such a size value may be by setting parameter values in a configuration page of a SCSI disk drive's local memory or may be by a vendor unique command sent by a host device to the disk drive.

Methods and structure for limiting storage device write caching

A system which includes a disk drive or other storage device coupled to a host system provides for reduction of the amount or rate of drive power consumption using procedures which are at least partially executed on the host. The system can be configured to reduce average power draw, maximum power draw, or both. Host-based procedures can be tailored to specific and/or changing environments and can decrease some or all expenses associated with previous attempts to reduce HDD power consumption.

Host-based power savings method and apparatus

A RAID system is provided which can be implemented as a hardware RAID system while avoiding certain shortcomings of previous RAID systems. The RAID system makes it possible to avoid or reduce the number of buffers or processors and can take advantage of drive logic to achieve RAID functions or enhancements. RAID functionality can be provided in a manner to accommodate one or more ATA drive interfaces. To avoid drive replacement problems, host requests for drive serial numbers are responded to with a mirror serial number. In one embodiment, the read address is used to select which drive will perform a read operation.

RAID system and method compatible with improved drive select

A locking data cable () is disclosed. The data cable () includes a data plug () and an associated lock (). When the data plug () is engaged with a data port () of a data storage device (), an actuator () of the locking data cable () may be used to change the lock () from an unlocked position to a locked position.

Data storage device security system

A disk drive includes a disk, a head, an actuator, and a servo controller. The servo controller controls a movement of the actuator based on a super silent seek profile to cause the actuator to perform a super silent seek in which an acoustic output due to the movement of the actuator is imperceptible to human listeners. A maximum jerk of the super silent seek profile may be less than a maximum jerk of a silent seek profile divided by ten. A snap associated with the super silent seek profile may be always less than a particular snap level, such that any change in the jerk associated with the super silent seek profile is gradual. The disk drive may further include a main controller that is configured to receive a command from an operating system, a user, and the like to perform a seek in a super silent seek mode.

Disk drives and methods allowing for super silent seeks

A system and method for caching and managing data streams from a storage media is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of virtual buffers for a plurality of data streams. Each data stream correlates to a virtual buffer. The system also includes a cache memory to store the plurality of virtual buffers. The system also includes a stream manager to assign the plurality of data streams to the plurality of virtual buffers.

System and method for caching data streams on a storage media

A system for the detection and support of data streams is disclosed. The system determines whether new commands comprise a data stream. If a new data stream is detected, the system next determines whether adequate resources are available to launch the new data stream. If the system determines that the data stream can be launched, system resources, particularly cache memory space, are assigned to the data stream to provide the data stream with the necessary amount of data throughput needed to support the data stream efficiently. The data stream's throughput is the amount of data that the stream requires per unit time. The system monitors all supported data streams to determine when a particular data stream has terminated, at which time resources dedicated to the data stream are released and become available to support other data streams. The cache for each supported data stream is maintained at as full a level as possible, with the cache for the 'least full' data stream given priority for refresh. Allocating resources by throughput allows for more efficient resource utilization.

Method and apparatus for detection and management of data streams

Cache history is extended by retaining access history information for storage locations in the underlying level that are no longer represented in the cache. A cache is provided having a plurality of cache entries. Each of the cache entries has cache entry address information. A cache extender is provided having, a plurality of extender entries. Each extender entry has an extender address portion and an extender auxiliary portion. Each extender address portion may have extender entry address information. The cache entry address information of each of the cache entries relates to the extender entry address information of one among the extender address portions, and a storage area of an underlying level of a memory hierarchy is related to the extender entry address information of each of the extender address portions. Additionally, each of the extender auxiliary portions has historical information.

Method and apparatus for extending cache history

Software executing in a hard disk drive's host computer system increases the perceived efficiency and performance of the hard disk drive. The host computer system implements a &ldquo;virtual disk&rdquo; that models physical parameters associated with the actual hard disk drive, such as seek time and physical location of the read/write heads. These parameters are used to implement host based disk drive optimization techniques such as command reordering and read-on-arrival commands.

Host-based virtual disk drive for improving the performance of a hard disk drive's input/output

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Maurice L Schlumberger