Seagate Technology Incorporated

Saegate Technology LLC

Jpmorgan Chase Bank, As Collateral Agent

YongPeng Chng

WeiLoon Ng

Wesley Chan

HuaYuan Chen

Steven TianChye Cheok

CheeSeng Toh

Beng Wee Quak

Bo Wei

Patrick Tai Heng Wong

Wesley Wing Hung Chan

ChweeFern Ee

Jian Qiang

Wei Loon Ng

Patrick TaiHeng Wong

Aik Chuan Lim

Swee Kieong Choo

PohGuat Bay

Steven Tian Chye Cheok

Kay Hee Tang

KokChoon See

SweeKieong Choo

LianYong Tan

Chwee Fern Ee

Jeffrey Soon Beng Sim

YamPheng Tham

Patrick Tai-Heng Wong

KwanYin Chow

KongQun Yang

EngKuan Ooi

TseJen Lee

YingEe Yip

Liza MuiCheng Chia

TeckHock Ng

Kareen C Ee

An intelligent write command routine improves the operational efficiency of a data storage device (DSD) by avoiding media access of the disk when a logical block address (LBA) and the physical sector are unaligned, thus reducing write time. When a write command is received by the DSD from the host, the intelligent write command routine maintains the read data of the read buffer, instead of clearing the read buffer and performing a read of the target sector on the disk per standard protocol. The intelligent write command copies the necessary adjacent sector data from the read buffer as a data patch to the write buffer to splice around the write data received with the write command. Following each write command, the data written to the disk in the write buffer is copied to the read buffer. The read buffer is maintained with the most current data on the disk and does not need to be flushed unless the LBA of the write command is beyond the data ranges stored in the read buffer.

Buffer management for increased write speed in large sector data storage device

A mapping table is modified to match one or more specified storage conditions of data stored in or expected to be stored in one or more logical block address ranges to physical addresses within a storage drive having performance characteristics that satisfy the specified storage conditions. For example, the performance characteristics may be a reliability of the physical location within the storage drive or a data throughput range of read/write operations. Existing data is moved and/or new data is written to physical addresses on the storage media possessing the performance characteristic(s), according to the mapping table. Further, a standard seeding or a seeding override for the re-mapped logical block addresses can prevent read operations from inadvertently reading incorrect physical addresses corresponding to the re-mapped logical block addresses.

Logical block address mapping

A data storage system and associated method of use may generally be directed to a memory cache that stores a plurality of pending read and write requests. A processor can be configured to prioritize the read requests in the memory cache in response to a sensed acoustic or mechanical vibration in a data storage medium.

Request management for rotating data storage media

An apparatus of the present invention includes partition selection circuitry configured to selectably provide individual access to multiple ones of a plurality of partitions of a data storage component by a host device without multiple partition support. The apparatus can also include the data storage component and/or the host device. The partition selection circuitry uses a logical block addressing (LBA) address generated by the host device, and an operating mode indicator indicative of a particular partition, to allow the partitions of the data storage component to be accessed by the host device without multiple partition support. Methods implemented by the apparatus are also disclosed.

Method and data storage system for providing multiple partition support

The disclosure is directed toward systems and methods of defect description of a data storage medium. In a particular embodiment, a method includes determining a first defect of a data storage medium. The method also includes determining a format of an entry of a defect description table based on the first defect and a location of a second defect of the data storage medium. The format is selected from one of a plurality of formats. The method also includes storing a description of the first defect in the entry of the defect description table in the format.

System and method of defect description of a data storage medium

A method and apparatus for receiving data at a non-solid state storage device, which includes a store cache and a storage medium. The received data is written to the store cache and transferred from the store cache to the storage medium. In response to receiving a signal at the storage device that is indicative of a power off condition of a data source device from which the data was received, at least a portion of the data remaining in the store cache is transferred to the storage medium prior to powering off the storage device.

Solid state device pattern for non-solid state storage media

A method of representing a serpentine track accessing format includes obtaining a plurality of head and physical track number pairs in the serpentine track accessing format. Then, each of the head and physical track number pairs are mapped to a unique virtual track number. In some embodiments, the unique the virtual track numbers are in a non-continuous monotonic order. In some embodiments, the unique virtual track numbers are assigned based upon a modulo M which is a function of a maximum number of tracks per physical zone. Translation engines which perform the mapping, as well as data storage systems which include the translation engines, are also disclosed.

Virtual track for serpentine track format

A method to improve drive read performance in a disc drive includes powering-up a disk drive, reading reassigned sectors data from a reassign spare pool, and storing the reassigned sectors data in a reassigned cache segment. This method also includes initiating a read request, detecting a reassigned sector within the read request, and determining whether the requested sector can be located in the reassignment cache. If the reassigned sectors are found in the cache, then the method includes transferring the reassigned sector data from the reassignment cache to the read buffer or directly to the requesting host computer. If the reassigned sectors are not found in the cache, then the method includes seeking to the reassignment spare pool to fetch as much reassigned sectors data as the reassignment cache can hold. In another embodiment, the reassigned sectors data stored in a reassignment cache segment is located in a buffer.

Caching data from a pool reassigned disk sectors

A disc-drive system and method for generating logical zones that each have an approximate number of spare sectors, and that are used to translate logical block addresses. A disc drive includes a disc-drive housing and a disc assembly mounted to rotate within the housing. A transducer is positionable to transduce data to and from first, second and third zones. An address translator translates a logical block address to a position address. A controller is operable to control positioning of the transducer based on the position address, wherein a first predetermined number of spare sectors are allocated to the first zone, and a second predetermined number of spare sectors are allocated to the second zone and third zone combined. Some embodiments further include a logical zone table, wherein each logical zone includes one or more zones based on a number of defects found in each zone, in order that each logical zone includes a similar number of defects.

Logical zone table generation process and apparatus

In one embodiment of the present invention, systems and methods are provided through which the capacity of a defect buffer in a microcontroller of a mass storage device is determined without regard for the quantity of defects on a recording medium. The capacity of the defect buffer is determined in varying examples, based on the amount of available buffer space and/or the application of the storage device. In one embodiment, the capacity of the defect buffer is less than the quantity of defects on the recording medium, wherein entries in a defect table on the recording medium are swapped in and out of the defect buffer as needed, such as using a most-recently-used scheme. In another embodiment of the present invention, systems and methods are provided through which the defect table is partitioned into a plurality of segments that are physically distributed throughout the recording medium.

System and method for adaptive storage and caching of a defect table

There is provided a method and system of maintaining partition information relating a computer disc drive. The method includes detecting partition information which is located in the first sector of a partition of a disc drive and determining if it is valid, and comparing the valid partition information with a corresponding duplicate of the partition information which is located in a reserved area. For valid partition information which is the same as the corresponding duplicate of the partition information, a standard booting procedure for the computer is allowed to continue. For valid partition information which is not the same as the corresponding duplicate partition information, valid partition information is stored in the reserved area. For partition information which is not valid, the invalid partition information is replaced with corresponding duplicate partition information which is valid.

Partition recovery method

A method and apparatus for retrieving a single complete copy from multiple stored copies is provided. Information of each of the multiple stored copies is contained in a different set of sectors on disc surfaces in a disc storage system. Each different set of sectors can include at least one defective sector from which information is not recoverable. One copy from the multiple stored copies from which information is recoverable is selected. Defective sectors in the selected copy are identified. Replacement sectors are located from the multiple stored copies other than the selected copy. Information from the selected copy is merged with information from the replacement sectors to form the single complete copy.

Retrieval of a single complete copy from multiple stored copies of information

A disc drive includes a base and a disc rotatably attached to the base. The disc drive is formatted by obtaining a list of defective sector entries, determining a first location of selected information based on skipping the defective sectors within the list of defective sector entries, and calculating a second location for selected information. At least one sector to skip is added before the second location of selected information to move the selected information from the first position to the second position. The added sectors may be designated as defective sectors. By adding the at least one sector to skip, the second position of the information is moved or slipped.

Disc drive with fake defect entries

A disc drive storage system and device for use with a host computer is provided in which information contained on the disc drive can be write protected with an ATA compatible write protection scheme. The system includes at least one rotatable disc having a disc surface with a plurality of physical memory locations referenced by the host computer through logical block addresses. The physical memory locations include data storage locations and attribute storage locations that store protection status information corresponding to the data storage locations. A disc controller receives write protection commands that are compatible with an ATA data exchange protocol from the host. These write protection commands relate to the write protection status information of at least one logical block address. The controller executes the write protection commands to thereby implement a write protection scheme compatible with the ATA data exchange protocol.

Advanced technology attachment compatible disc drive write protection scheme

A method of writing to a disc in a disc drive includes receiving data to be written to a designated area of the disc wherein the designated area has a beginning, an end, and contains a defective portion. The data is written to the disc starting from the beginning of the designated area and proceeding toward the end of the designated area. The data is written to a temporary buffer, external to the disc, upon reaching the defective portion of the designated area. Writing is then resumed, writing data to the designated area of the disc, upon passing the defective portion of the designated area.

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Singapore, Singapore

YongPeng Chng