Storage device and storage system

Abstract

The invention discloses storage equipment and a storage system, and relates to the field of computers. The storage device comprises a storage medium and a magnetic head, the storage medium comprises a plurality of data magnetic tracks, a plurality of servo areas arranged at intervals are arranged on part of the data magnetic tracks in the data magnetic tracks, and the servo areas on the data magnetic tracks are arranged at intervals. The distance between the data magnetic tracks containing the servo area is related to the distance between the first read heads used for reading the servo area in the magnetic head, the data magnetic tracks are used for recording data, and the servo area is used for recording the addresses of the data magnetic tracks; and the magnetic head is used for executing read operation on the servo area and executing read operation or write operation according to the data magnetic track corresponding to the address indicated by the servo area. Compared with a parallel servo format scheme, the method has the advantages that the servo area is embedded into part of the data magnetic tracks, and the area occupied by the servo area in the storage medium is reduced, so that the utilization rate of the storage medium is effectively improved, and the capacity density of the storage medium is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computers, and in particular to a storage device and a storage system. Background Art

[0002] At present, tape drives based on Linear Tape Open (LTO) tape storage technology use a parallel servo format, that is, the servo band and the data band are arranged in parallel. For example, along the width direction of the tape body, the tape body is distributed with five servo bands and four data bands sandwiched between the servo bands. The head group includes a servo head and a read / write head. The servo head is used to read the position data in the servo band, and the read / write head is used to read the data in the data band or write data to the data band. Therefore, since the servo band occupies a large area of ​​the storage medium, the storage capacity of the storage medium is low. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present application provides a storage device and a storage system, thereby improving the capacity density of the storage medium by improving the utilization rate of the storage medium in the storage device.

[0004] In a first aspect, a storage device is provided, including a storage medium and a magnetic head, wherein the storage medium includes a plurality of data tracks, and some of the data tracks include a plurality of servo areas, wherein the servo areas included in some of the data tracks are arranged at intervals, and the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at intervals, and the distance between the data tracks including the servo areas is related to the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo areas, the data tracks are used to record data, and the servo areas are used to record servo information of the data tracks; the magnetic head is used to perform a read operation on the servo area, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data track corresponding to the servo information indicated by the servo area.

[0005] Compared with the parallel servo format, that is, the scheme in which the servo tracks and the data tracks are arranged in parallel, the scheme provided by the present application is to deploy multiple servo areas on some of the data tracks among the multiple data tracks, and the multiple servo areas are arranged at intervals on the data tracks, and the data tracks containing the servo areas are arranged at intervals, that is, the servo areas are embedded in some of the data tracks among the multiple data tracks, and the area occupied by the servo areas in the storage medium is reduced, thereby effectively improving the utilization rate of the storage medium and improving the capacity density of the storage medium.

[0006] The storage device described in the present application may be a magnetic tape or a mechanical hard disk. The present application does not limit the specific form of the storage medium.

[0007] In a possible implementation, data tracks containing servo areas are arranged in intervals with data tracks not containing servo areas.

[0008] Since the data tracks where the servo areas are deployed are spaced apart from the data tracks where the servo areas are not deployed, that is, the servo areas are deployed between a certain number of data tracks where the servo areas are not deployed, the area occupied by the servo areas in the storage medium is reduced, the utilization rate of the storage medium is improved, and the capacity density of the storage medium is improved.

[0009] In another possible implementation, the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at equal intervals, and the distance between the data tracks including the servo areas is the same as the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo areas.

[0010] Thus, the same number of data tracks without servo areas are spaced between data tracks with servo areas, so as to control the magnetic head to perform a read operation on the servo areas, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data tracks without servo areas corresponding to the addresses indicated by the servo areas.

[0011] In another possible implementation, a plurality of adjacent data tracks including servo areas and a plurality of adjacent data tracks not including servo areas are alternately arranged in sequence.

[0012] In another possible implementation, multiple data tracks are divided into multiple data bands, and data tracks not including servo areas are located between servo areas on different data tracks in the same data band, and data tracks including servo areas belonging to different data bands are adjacent.

[0013] In another possible implementation, a plurality of servo areas are arranged at equal intervals on a data track including the servo areas.

[0014] Thus, the servo areas are regularly arranged on the data tracks, and the servo areas are embedded in some of the data tracks in the multiple data tracks. By reducing the area occupied by the servo areas in the storage medium, the utilization rate of the storage medium is effectively improved, the capacity density of the storage medium is improved, and it is convenient for the magnetic head to read and write the servo areas and data tracks on the storage medium.

[0015] In another possible implementation, the first read head is further used to read data recorded on a data track including a servo area.

[0016] In another possible implementation, the first reading head is located at two ends of the magnetic head.

[0017] The storage medium in the embedded servo format provided by the present application effectively reduces the area occupied by the servo zone in the storage medium and improves the capacity density of the storage medium. Compared with a magnetic head including a servo head, the servo information and data are read by a time-sharing multiplexing read head, thereby meeting the requirements of the position positioning of the storage medium and the detection of the deformation of the tape body, and effectively reducing the manufacturing cost of the magnetic head by reducing the servo head.

[0018] In another possible implementation, the magnetic head further includes a second read head and a write head; the read head is used to read data on a data track that does not include a servo area, and the write head is used to write data on the data track.

[0019] In another possible implementation, the storage device further includes a controller; the controller is configured to control the movement of the magnetic head according to the control signal, perform a read operation on the servo area, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data track corresponding to the servo information indicated by the servo area.

[0020] In another possible implementation, the controller is specifically configured to control the first read head to read the servo information on the servo area and read the data recorded on the data track including the servo area according to the control signal.

[0021] In another possible implementation, the controller is specifically configured to control the second read head to read data on the data track according to the servo information.

[0022] In another possible implementation, the controller is further configured to control the write head to write data on the data track according to the servo information.

[0023] In a second aspect, a storage medium is provided, comprising a plurality of data tracks, wherein a plurality of servo areas are deployed on some of the data tracks, wherein the servo areas contained in some of the data tracks are arranged at intervals, the data tracks containing the servo areas are arranged at intervals, the distance between the data tracks containing the servo areas is related to the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo areas, the data tracks are used to record data, and the servo areas are used to record the addresses of the data tracks.

[0024] In a possible implementation, data tracks containing servo areas are arranged in intervals with data tracks not containing servo areas.

[0025] In another possible implementation, the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at equal intervals. For example, the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at equal intervals from the data tracks not including the servo areas. The distance between the data tracks including the servo areas is the same as the distance between the first read heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo areas.

[0026] In another possible implementation, a plurality of adjacent data tracks including servo areas and a plurality of adjacent data tracks not including servo areas are alternately arranged in sequence.

[0027] In another possible implementation, multiple data tracks are divided into multiple data bands, servo areas on different data tracks in the same data band separate the data tracks, and servo areas on adjacent data tracks belonging to different data bands do not separate the data tracks.

[0028] In another possible implementation, multiple data tracks are divided into multiple data bands, and data tracks not including servo areas are located between servo areas on different data tracks in the same data band, and data tracks including servo areas belonging to different data bands are adjacent.

[0029] In another possible implementation, a plurality of servo areas are arranged at equal intervals on a data track including the servo areas.

[0030] In a third aspect, a storage system is provided, which includes a processor and a storage device as described in the first aspect or any possible implementation of the first aspect, wherein the storage device is used to store data processed by the processor.

[0031] The technical effects brought about by any design method in the second aspect to the third aspect can refer to the technical effects brought about by the first aspect or different possible implementation methods of the first aspect, and will not be repeated here.

[0032] Based on the implementations provided in the above aspects, the present application can be further combined to provide more implementations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a belt body in a parallel servo format provided by the prior art;

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a servo format of a belt body provided in this application;

[0035] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of another servo format of a belt body provided by the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a servo format of a mechanical hard disk provided in this application;

[0037] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure of a storage device provided for this application;

[0038] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of reading and writing a tape body in an embedded servo format provided by the present application;

[0039] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the structure of a storage system provided in this application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] To facilitate understanding, the main terms involved in this application are first explained.

[0041] Magnetic recording: refers to the method of recording information by using the properties of magnetism. When storing and using information, special methods are used to input and read information, so as to achieve the purpose of storing and reading information.

[0042] Data storage medium: It is the carrier and basis of data storage. For example, data storage medium can be a removable hard disk, flash memory card or magnetic tape. Data storage medium can also be called storage medium. Among them, magnetic media is widely used in production and life, and the main application product forms include mechanical hard disk (HDD) and magnetic tape.

[0043] Tape storage: A persistent storage method that uses magnetic tape as a data storage device.

[0044] Tape: A non-volatile storage medium, a strip of material with a magnetic layer used to record sound, images, numbers, text or other signals. Usually, the tape is packaged in a rolled-up state. Due to the sequential access characteristics of the tape, the tape is used in traditional storage and backup, as well as sequential reading and writing of large amounts of data. The tape can also be called a tape body. Optionally, the tape can also be a device including a tape body and a tape reel around which the tape body is wound.

[0045] Tape header: refers to the component that reads and writes the magnetic medium on the tape body based on the magnetic principle. The tape head includes a write head and a read head. The write head records data by magnetizing and changing the magnetic field of the magnetic medium. The read head reads the data on the magnetic medium by sensing the magnetic field of the magnetic medium.

[0046] Magnetic powder: It is a kind of hard magnetic single-domain particle. Magnetic powder is made into magnetic slurry with adhesive, solvent, etc., and coated on the surface of plastic or metal substrate (support), and then it can be made into magnetic recording materials such as magnetic tape, disk, magnetic card, etc. Magnetic powder is the core component of magnetic coating and the main factor that determines the magnetic properties of magnetic recording media. Magnetic powder affects the properties of magnetic recording materials. Commonly used magnetic powders are oxide magnetic powders and metal magnetic powders.

[0047] Tape drive: refers to an economical, reliable, large-capacity, and fast storage device, which is the core of data writing and reading in the storage system. The tape drive uses high error correction capability encoding technology and write-and-read channel technology to improve the reliability of data backup. According to the tape loading method, tape drives are generally divided into manual loading tape drives and automatic loading tape drives. According to the shape of the tape drive, tape drives are generally divided into consumer-grade tape drives and commercial-grade tape drives. According to the height of the tape drive, it is divided into half-height tape drives and full-height tape drives. The height of a full-height tape drive is generally 60 mm (millimeter, mm). The size of a half-height tape drive is generally 40 mm.

[0048] A tape drive is a single-drive product. It includes a tape drive, a magnetic head, and a tape body. The tape drive is used to drive the tape body to move, so that the magnetic head reads and writes the magnetic medium on the tape body, thus realizing the read and write operations on the tape body.

[0049] Tiny magnetic particles on the magnetic medium form a specific data bit, which represents 0 or 1. The magnetic head reads data bits from the magnetic medium based on the magnetoelectric mechanism and writes data bits to the magnetic medium based on the electromagnetism mechanism. Since there are many data bits distributed on the magnetic medium, a certain arrangement format is required to represent the specific location information of each data bit. For example, the magnetic medium adopts Figure 1 The arrangement of position + data shown in (a) above realizes data reading and writing. The position is used to indicate the specific location information of the data behind the position on the magnetic medium. The servo format is used to describe the arrangement of this data. The servo format affects the arrangement of data on the magnetic medium. From the user's perspective, the position information occupies the space used by the data.

[0050] For example, Figure 1 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , it is a schematic diagram of a tape body in a parallel servo format provided by the prior art. Figure 1 As shown, the tape body 100 includes a servo band 110 and a data band 120. Five servo bands and four data bands sandwiched between the servo bands are distributed along the width direction of the tape body. The data band includes a plurality of data tracks. For example, when performing reading and writing on data band 4, two servo read heads 111 located at both ends of the magnetic head 110 read the servo position from servo band 0 and servo band 1 respectively, and the read head 112 performs a read operation based on the position determined by the center line determined by the two servo positions, or the write head 113 performs a write operation based on the position determined by the center line determined by the two servo positions.

[0051] Assuming that the width of the servo band is 186 μm and the width of the band body is 12.6 mm, the occupancy rate of the area of ​​the five servo bands to the area of ​​the band body is: 5*186 μm / 12.6 mm=7.4%.

[0052] In order to solve the problem that the storage capacity of the storage medium is low due to the large area occupied by the servo band, the present application provides a storage device, including a storage medium and a magnetic head in an embedded servo format, which can improve the utilization rate of the storage medium, increase the storage capacity per unit projection area of ​​the storage medium, and provide an architectural innovation for the multiple-level improvement of the capacity density of the storage device. Among them, the storage medium includes multiple data tracks, multiple servo areas are deployed on some of the data tracks in the multiple data tracks, the servo areas included in the some data tracks are arranged at intervals, the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at intervals, the distance between the data tracks including the servo areas is related to the distance between the first reading heads used to read the servo areas in the magnetic head, the data tracks are used to record data, and the servo areas are used to record the addresses of the data tracks; the magnetic head is used to perform a read operation on the servo area, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data track corresponding to the address indicated by the servo area. Compared with the parallel servo format, that is, the scheme in which the servo tracks and the data tracks are arranged in parallel, multiple servo areas are deployed on some of the data tracks among the multiple data tracks, that is, the servo areas are embedded in some of the data tracks among the multiple data tracks. By reducing the area occupied by the servo areas in the storage medium, the utilization rate of the storage medium is effectively improved, and the capacity density of the storage medium is improved.

[0053] The storage device described in this application may be a magnetic tape or a mechanical hard disk. This application does not limit the specific form of the storage medium.

[0054] The implementation of the storage medium provided in the present application is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] The present application provides a storage medium, which includes a plurality of data tracks and a servo area. The data tracks are used to record data. The servo area is used to record servo information of the data tracks.

[0056] Part of the data tracks include servo areas, the servo areas included in the part of the data tracks are arranged at intervals, the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at intervals, and the distance between the data tracks including the servo areas is related to the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo areas.

[0057] It can be understood that some of the multiple data tracks have servo areas disposed thereon, and some of the data tracks do not have servo areas disposed thereon. Data tracks with servo areas disposed thereon are spaced apart from data tracks with no servo areas disposed thereon.

[0058] In some embodiments, data tracks with servo areas and data tracks without servo areas are arranged alternately, that is, data tracks with servo areas, data tracks without servo areas, data tracks with servo areas, and data tracks without servo areas are arranged in a regular pattern.

[0059] The data tracks with servo areas may include a plurality of continuous data tracks, and the data tracks without servo areas may include a plurality of continuous data tracks. Servo areas are deployed on a plurality of adjacent data tracks, servo areas are not deployed on a plurality of adjacent data tracks, and a plurality of adjacent data tracks with servo areas are spaced apart by a plurality of adjacent data tracks without servo areas. The plurality of adjacent data tracks with servo areas and the plurality of adjacent data tracks without servo areas are alternately arranged in sequence.

[0060] The positions of the servo areas in the multiple adjacent data tracks where the servo areas are deployed are the same. The servo areas are deployed at corresponding positions on the multiple adjacent data tracks, or the servo areas are deployed at the same positions on the multiple adjacent data tracks. The same number of servo areas are deployed on the multiple adjacent data tracks, and the positions of the servo areas deployed on the multiple adjacent data tracks are the same.

[0061] In some other embodiments, data tracks including servo areas are arranged at equal intervals, and data tracks with servo areas and data tracks without servo areas are alternately arranged at equal intervals.

[0062] It can be understood that the number of data tracks with servo areas disposed therebetween is the same as the number of data tracks without servo areas disposed therebetween, or the distances between data tracks with servo areas disposed therebetween are the same.

[0063] For example, servo areas are deployed on N adjacent data tracks, separated by M adjacent data tracks without servo areas, and then servo areas are deployed on N adjacent data tracks. That is, between every N adjacent data tracks with servo areas deployed, there are M adjacent data tracks without servo areas deployed. M and N are both positive integers, and M is greater than or equal to N.

[0064] For example, it is assumed that servo areas are arranged every 3 data tracks on 9 data tracks. Servo areas are arranged on data track 1, data track 5, and data track 9. Servo areas are not arranged on data track 2, data track 3, data track 4, data track 6, data track 7, and data track 8.

[0065] It should be noted that the distance between the data tracks including the servo area is related to the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo area. For example, the distance between the data tracks including the servo area is the same as the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo area, so that the first reading head in the magnetic head for reading the servo area can read the servo information recorded in the servo area, and the magnetic head determines the position of the data track based on the servo information and performs read and write operations on the data track.

[0066] Optionally, the distance between the first read heads for reading the servo areas can be adjusted according to the distance between the data tracks containing the servo areas, so that the first read heads for reading the servo areas can read the servo information recorded in the servo areas.

[0067] In other embodiments, the plurality of data tracks may be divided into a plurality of data bands. Each data band may contain the same number of data tracks. The number of data tracks with servo regions deployed and the number of data tracks without servo regions deployed contained in each data band may be the same or different. The number of data tracks with servo regions deployed in any two data bands among the plurality of data bands may be the same, and the number of data tracks without servo regions deployed may be the same.

[0068] For example, each data band includes N adjacent data tracks with servo areas and M adjacent data tracks without servo areas. In adjacent data bands, N adjacent data tracks with servo areas are separated by M adjacent data tracks without servo areas.

[0069] In some other embodiments, the servo area intervals on different data tracks in the same data band do not include data tracks with servo areas, and the data tracks containing servo areas in different data bands are adjacent. Or, alternatively, the servo area intervals on different data tracks in the same data band do not include data tracks with servo areas; and the servo areas on different data tracks in different data bands that are adjacent do not separate data tracks.

[0070] It can be understood that, in each data band, a plurality of adjacent data tracks with servo regions disposed therein are spaced apart from a plurality of adjacent data tracks with no servo regions disposed therein. Servo regions are disposed on adjacent data tracks between adjacent data bands.

[0071] For example, the arrangement pattern of the data tracks in each data band is such as n adjacent data tracks with deployed servo areas, M adjacent data tracks without deployed servo areas, and n adjacent data tracks with deployed servo areas. Servo areas are deployed in the first n data tracks, and in the last n data tracks. Servo areas are not deployed in the middle M adjacent data tracks. Two adjacent data bands are located on different data tracks, and the adjacent servo areas do not separate the data tracks. In the data band, n adjacent data tracks with deployed servo areas are separated by M adjacent data tracks without deployed servo areas.

[0072] In addition, multiple servo areas deployed on the same data track are arranged at intervals.

[0073] In some embodiments, a plurality of servo areas are arranged at equal intervals on a data track including the servo areas, so that the servo areas are regularly arranged on the data track, so that the magnetic head can read and write the servo areas and the data track.

[0074] It is understandable that the multiple servo areas deployed on the same data track are arranged at equal intervals. The multiple servo areas deployed on the same data track are separated by a portion of the data track. In some embodiments, the distances between adjacent servo areas in the multiple servo areas deployed on the same data track are the same.

[0075] For example, it is assumed that servo areas are deployed every 3 data tracks on 9 data tracks. Servo areas are deployed on data track 1, data track 5, and data track 9. Servo areas are not deployed on data track 2, data track 3, data track 4, data track 6, data track 7, and data track 8. The servo areas deployed on data track 1, data track 5, and data track 9 are arranged at equal intervals with 6 servo areas.

[0076] Optionally, the distances between different servo areas on the data track where the servo areas are deployed may also be different.

[0077] Understandably, some of the data tracks in the plurality of data tracks include servo areas, which may mean that some of the data tracks in the plurality of data tracks have servo areas, while some of the data tracks do not have servo areas, data tracks including servo areas are arranged in intervals with data tracks not including servo areas, and servo areas on data tracks with servo areas may be arranged at equal intervals. Thus, the area occupied by the servo areas in the storage medium is reduced, thereby effectively improving the utilization rate of the storage medium and the capacity density of the storage medium.

[0078] The following uses a magnetic tape as an example of a storage device to explain the tape body in the magnetic tape. Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a servo format of a tape body provided in the present application.

[0079] like Figure 2As shown, the tape body includes a plurality of data tracks, and the plurality of data tracks are divided into four data bands, namely, data band 0, data band 1, data band 2 and data band 3.

[0080] Each data band includes a data track 210 with a servo area 230 and a data track 220 without a servo area 230. The data track 210 with a servo area and the data track 220 without a servo area are arranged at equal intervals.

[0081] Along the width direction of the tape, data tracks 220 without servo areas are spaced between data tracks 210 with servo areas. The number of data tracks 220 without servo areas spaced between data tracks 210 with servo areas is the same.

[0082] Therefore, along the width direction of the tape body, the servo areas are arranged at intervals of a certain number of data tracks, thereby reducing the area occupied by the servo areas in the tape body and improving the capacity density of the tape body.

[0083] A plurality of adjacent data tracks 210 where servo regions are disposed are spaced apart from a plurality of adjacent data tracks 220 where no servo regions are disposed.

[0084] Optionally, a plurality of adjacent data tracks 210 with servo regions deployed therein are spaced apart by a plurality of adjacent data tracks 220 without servo regions deployed therein in the same number.

[0085] Thus, the servo areas are regularly arranged on the data track, so that the position of the data track in the data band can be determined based on the servo information indicated by the servo areas in the two data bands, and the read and write operations can be performed on the data track.

[0086] The positions of the servo areas in the plurality of adjacent data tracks 210 where the servo areas are deployed are the same. Alternatively, the servo areas are deployed at corresponding positions on the plurality of adjacent data tracks 210. Then, the same number of servo areas are deployed on the plurality of adjacent data tracks 210, and the positions of the servo areas deployed on the plurality of adjacent data tracks 210 are the same.

[0087] Along the length direction of the tape, a plurality of servo areas are arranged at equal intervals on the data track 210. The width direction of the tape is perpendicular to the length direction of the tape.

[0088] It can be understood that, along the length direction of the tape body, the intervals between adjacent servo areas on the data track where the servo areas are deployed are the same.

[0089] like Figure 2 As shown, the distance L1 between the i-th servo area and the i+1-th servo area is equal to the distance L2 between the i+1-th servo area and the i+2-th servo area.

[0090] Therefore, along the width direction of the tape, the servo areas are arranged at intervals of a certain number of data tracks, reducing the area occupied by the servo areas in the tape and improving the capacity density of the tape. Compared with the parallel servo format, that is, the solution in which the servo tracks and the data tracks are arranged in parallel, the servo areas are deployed in some data tracks, which effectively reduces the area occupied by the servo areas in the tape, thereby improving the capacity density of the tape by improving the utilization rate of the tape.

[0091] In other embodiments, Figure 3 As shown, along the width direction of the tape body, each data tape includes data tracks 210 with servo areas and data tracks 220 without servo areas, and the two parts of data tracks 210 with servo areas are separated by data tracks 220 without servo areas. The data tracks 210 with servo areas in adjacent data tapes are not separated by data tracks 220 without servo areas.

[0092] For example, the first five data tracks 210 in data band 0 are provided with servo areas, and the last five data tracks 210 are provided with servo areas. The first five data tracks 210 in data band 1 are provided with servo areas, and the last five data tracks 210 are provided with servo areas. There is no data track 220 without servo areas between the last five data tracks 210 in data band 0 and the first five data tracks 210 in data band 1.

[0093] Thus, the position of the data track within the data band is determined based on the servo information indicated by the servo area within the data band, and a read and write operation is performed on the data track.

[0094] In another possible implementation, the storage device is a mechanical hard disk. The mechanical hard disk may include multiple concentric data tracks. Servo areas may be deployed on some of the multiple data tracks, that is, servo areas may be deployed on some of the multiple data tracks, while servo areas may not be deployed on some of the multiple data tracks. Data tracks containing servo areas are arranged in intervals with data tracks not containing servo areas, and servo areas on data tracks with servo areas may be arranged at equal intervals. For example, Figure 4 As shown, the storage medium includes a data track 410 with a servo area 430 deployed and a data track 420 without a servo area 430 deployed. The data tracks 210 with servo areas deployed are separated by data tracks 220 without servo areas deployed. A plurality of servo areas arranged at equal intervals are deployed on the data track 410. It should be noted that the storage device may also include a first read head for reading the servo area, and the distance between the data tracks including the servo area is related to the distance between the first read heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo area. The specific deployment scheme of the servo area can refer to the above description.

[0095] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a storage device provided by this application. Figure 5 As shown, the storage device 500 includes a storage medium 510 , a magnetic head 520 , a magnetic head driver 530 , and a controller 540 .

[0096] The storage medium 510 includes a plurality of data tracks. Some of the data tracks include servo areas. The data tracks are used to record data, and the servo areas are used to record servo information of the data tracks. For the explanation of the storage medium, please refer to the description of the above embodiment.

[0097] The magnetic head 520 is used to perform a read operation on the servo area, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data track corresponding to the servo information indicated by the servo area.

[0098] The magnetic head driver 530 is used to drive the magnetic head to move and perform a read operation or a write operation on the storage medium.

[0099] The controller 540 is used to control the movement of the head driver according to the control signal, drive the head to move, and make the head perform a read operation on the servo area, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data track corresponding to the servo information indicated by the servo area.

[0100] For example, Figure 5 As shown in (a) of FIG. 5 , the storage device 500 is described by taking the storage medium 510 as a magnetic tape as an example. The storage device 500 may further include a support member 550, a reel 560, and a tape body 511. When the storage medium 510 is loaded into the storage device 500, the support member 550 supports the tape body 511, and the reel 560 rotates to drive the tape body 511 in the storage medium 510 to be rolled into the reel 560. During the movement of the tape body 511, the head driver 530 drives the magnetic head 520 to perform a read operation or a write operation on the tape body 511.

[0101] like Figure 5 As shown in (b) of FIG. 5 , the storage device 500 is described by taking the storage medium 510 as a mechanical hard disk as an example. For example, the storage device 500 may include two magnetic heads 520 for reading servo information of the servo area, so as to determine the position of the data track based on the servo information indicated by the two servo areas, and perform read and write operations on the data track.

[0102] The magnetic head may include a plurality of read heads and a plurality of write heads. The first read head is used to read the servo information of the servo area and read the data recorded on the data track containing the servo area. The second read head is used to read the data on the data track. For example, the second read head is used to read the data on the data track where the servo area is not deployed. The write head is used to write data on the data track. The first read head may be located at both ends of the magnetic head. It should be noted that the first read head is prohibited from writing data on the servo area.

[0103] The present application does not limit the number of magnetic heads, including the number of read heads and the number of write heads, and the arrangement of the read heads and the write heads.

[0104] In some embodiments, the storage device may include a plurality of magnetic heads, and the plurality of magnetic heads form a magnetic head group, which performs a read operation or a write operation on the storage medium.

[0105] For example, Figure 5 As shown in (c) of FIG. 5 , the magnetic head 520 includes two read heads 521, two read heads 522, and two write heads 523. The two read heads 521 are located at two ends of the magnetic head 520. The two read heads 522 and the two write heads 523 are distributed between the two read heads 521 located at two ends of the magnetic head 520.

[0106] Compared with the magnetic head including the servo head, the servo information of the servo area and the data stored in the data track are read by time-division multiplexing of the read head, and the manufacturing cost of the magnetic head is effectively reduced by reducing the servo head. If the storage medium is a tape body, the position positioning and deformation detection requirements of the tape body can also be met.

[0107] In some embodiments, the controller is specifically used to control the read heads located at both ends of the magnetic head to read the servo information on the servo area according to the control signal, and to control the read head (such as the first read head or the second read head) to read the data on the data track according to the servo information; or, to control the write head to write data on the data track according to the servo information. The control signal can be a gate signal or a square wave pulse signal.

[0108] For example, the controller controls the head driver to move the head according to the high level of the control signal, so that the read heads at both ends of the head read the servo information on the servo area. The controller controls the head driver to move the head according to the low level of the control signal and the read servo information, so that the read head between the two ends of the head reads the data on the data track; or, the controller controls the head driver to move the head according to the low level of the control signal and the read servo information, so that the write head writes data on the data track.

[0109] It should be noted that the distribution pattern of the high level and the low level in the control signal can be set according to the arrangement mode or distribution characteristics of the servo areas on the data track in the above embodiment. That is, the interval between the high level and the low level in the control signal is the same as the interval between adjacent servo areas on the data track. Therefore, the controller controls the movement of the magnetic head according to the control signal, so that the read head located at both ends of the magnetic head reads the servo information on the servo area, and the read head located between the two ends of the magnetic head reads the data on the data track, or the read head located between the two ends of the magnetic head reads the data on the data track, or the write head writes data on the data track.

[0110] It can be understood that when the read heads at both ends of the magnetic head move to the servo area, the servo information on the servo area can be read. When the read heads at both ends of the magnetic head move to the data track, the data on the data track can be read. When the read head located between the two ends of the magnetic head moves to the data track, the data on the data track can be read. When the write head located between the two ends of the magnetic head moves to the data track, data can be written to the data track.

[0111] The servo information or servo location information in the servo area corresponds one to one with the data track or data band.

[0112] In some embodiments, the storage medium is coated with magnetic particles, which may include a south pole and a north pole. The arrangement of the south pole and the north pole of the magnetic particles in the servo area and the arrangement of the south pole and the north pole of the magnetic particles in the data track may be different, thereby distinguishing the servo area from the data track. After the controller obtains the servo information from the servo area, it decodes the servo information according to the arrangement of the south pole and the north pole of the magnetic particles in the servo area, and determines the position of the data track where a read operation or a write operation needs to be performed. After the controller obtains the data from the data track, it decodes the data according to the arrangement of the south pole and the north pole of the magnetic particles in the data track, and the data to be obtained can be obtained.

[0113] For example, Figure 6 As shown, the storage device 600 includes a storage medium 610 and a magnetic head 620. The storage medium 610 includes four data bands. In each data band, the first five data tracks are deployed with servo areas, and the last five data tracks are deployed with servo areas. The servo areas deployed on the same data track are arranged at equal intervals.

[0114] When reading data on the data track of data band 0, the two read heads 621 located at both ends of the magnetic head 620 are located in the servo area, and read the servo information at their respective positions according to the high level of the control signal. The two read heads 621 located at both ends of the magnetic head 620 are located in the data track, and read the data on the data track according to the low level of the control signal. The read head 622 in the magnetic head 620 reads data throughout the data track determined according to the servo information obtained by the read head 621.

[0115] When writing data to the data track of data band 0, the two read heads 621 located at both ends of the magnetic head 620 are located in the servo area, and read the servo information at their respective positions according to the high level of the control signal. The write head 623 located between the two ends of the magnetic head 620 is located in the data track, and writes data to the data track according to the low level of the control signal. However, the write head 623 is prohibited from writing data to the servo area.

[0116] Regarding the addressing scheme for the magnetic head to read and write data on the storage medium, reference can be made to traditional addressing technology and will not be elaborated here.

[0117] The servo area of ​​the tape body in the servo format provided by the present application may have the following occupancy rates of the tape body: when there are 16 heads in the head group used for parallel reading and writing: 10%*2 / 16=1.25%; when there are 32 heads in the head group used for parallel reading and writing: 10%*2 / 32=0.625%.

[0118] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of a storage system 700 provided in this application. Figure 7 As shown, the storage system 700 includes a processor 710 and a storage device 720. The processor 710 is used to generate data. The storage device 720 is used to store the data generated by the processor 710.

[0119] In some embodiments, the storage device 720 includes a magnetic head and a storage medium. The processor 710 may also control the magnetic head in the storage device 720 to perform a read operation or a write operation on the storage medium according to a control signal.

[0120] For explanations about the storage device, storage medium, magnetic head, control signal, etc., reference may be made to the description of the above embodiments and will not be elaborated herein.

[0121] The processor 710 may be a CPU, or other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSP), ASICs, FPGAs or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0122] The processor may also be a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural network processing unit (NPU), a microprocessor, an ASIC, or one or more integrated circuits for controlling the execution of the program of the present application.

[0123] As an example, the storage system 700 may include multiple processors. The processor may be a multi-core (multi-CPU) processor. The processor here may refer to one or more devices, circuits, and / or computing units for processing data (e.g., computer program instructions).

[0124] It is worth mentioning that Figure 7In the example, a storage system 700 including one processor 710 and one storage device 720 is taken. Here, the processor 710 and the storage device 720 are respectively used to indicate a type of device or equipment. In a specific embodiment, the number of each type of device or equipment can be determined according to business requirements.

[0125] The storage device 720 may be a disk, such as a mechanical hard disk or a solid-state disk, or a magnetic tape drive including a tape body in an embedded servo format.

[0126] In the above embodiments, it can be implemented in whole or in part by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. When implemented by software, it can be implemented in whole or in part in the form of a computer program product. The computer program product includes one or more computer programs or instructions. When the computer program or instruction is loaded and executed on a computer, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is executed in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, a network device, a user device or other programmable device. The computer program or instruction may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium, for example, the computer program or instruction may be transmitted from one website site, computer, server or data center to another website site, computer, server or data center by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or data center that integrates one or more available media. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape; it may also be an optical medium, for example, a digital video disc (DVD); it may also be a semiconductor medium, for example, a solid state drive (SSD). The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A storage device, characterized in that: include: A storage medium, comprising a plurality of data tracks, wherein some of the data tracks include servo areas, wherein the servo areas included in the some of the data tracks are arranged at intervals, and the data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at intervals, and the distance between the data tracks including the servo areas is related to the distance between the first reading heads in the magnetic head for reading the servo areas, the data tracks are used to record data, and the servo areas are used to record servo information of the data tracks; The magnetic head is used to perform a read operation on the servo area, and to perform a read operation or a write operation on a data track corresponding to the servo information indicated by the servo area.

2. The storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that The data tracks including the servo areas are spaced apart from data tracks not including the servo areas.

3. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The data tracks including the servo areas are arranged at equal intervals.

4. The storage device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A plurality of adjacent data tracks including servo areas and a plurality of adjacent data tracks not including servo areas are alternately arranged in sequence.

5. The storage device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The multiple data tracks are divided into multiple data bands. In the same data band, the servo area intervals on different data tracks do not include data tracks with servo areas, and the data tracks with servo areas belonging to different data bands are adjacent.

6. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A plurality of servo areas are arranged at equal intervals on the data track including the servo area.

7. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The first reading head is also used to read the data recorded on the data track including the servo area.

8. The storage device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first reading head is located at two ends of the magnetic head.

9. The storage device according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that: The magnetic head also includes a second read head and a write head; The second reading head is used for reading data on the data track; The write head is used for writing data on the data track.

10. The storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The storage device also includes a controller; The controller is used to control the movement of the magnetic head according to the control signal, perform a read operation on the servo area, and perform a read operation or a write operation on the data track corresponding to the servo information indicated by the servo area.

11. The storage device according to claim 10, characterized in that: The controller is specifically used to control the first reading head to read the servo information on the servo area and read the data recorded on the data track containing the servo area according to the control signal.

12. The storage device according to claim 11, characterized in that: The controller is specifically used to control the second read head to read the data on the data track according to the servo information.

13. The storage device according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that: The controller is further used to control the write head to write data on the data track according to the servo information.

14. A storage system, characterized in that: The storage system comprises a processor and a storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the processor is used to generate data, and the storage device is used to store the data.

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