Composite Hard Disk Drive Platter Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hard disk drives face challenges in increasing storage capacity while maintaining performance and reducing the lifetime penalty associated with energy-assisted magnetic recording technologies, which often incur costs and reduce the reliability of write heads due to high energy density and complex recording head designs.
Innovation Solution
A composite hard disk drive design that utilizes multiple platters with different recording technologies (RTs) and write architectures (WAs), allowing for optimized recording heads and media on each platter, eliminating the need for additional media cache zones and thereby reducing latency and write operation access time, and enhancing the number of random write operations per second (Wops).
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If energy assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) technology is used to increase storage capacity, then areal density capability is improved, but recording head complexity increases and lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hard disk drive is divided into multiple independent platters, each using different recording technologies (PMR, SMR, HAMR). This segmentation allows each platter to be optimized independently, avoiding the need for complex EAMR recording heads on all platters while achieving high storage capacity through the combination of multiple platters with different technologies.
2Quantity of substance
If shingled magnetic recording (SMR) write architecture is used to increase storage capacity, then areal density capability is improved, but random write operations per second decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The drive is segmented into multiple platters with different write architectures. Some platters use SMR for high capacity while others use CMR for high-speed random writes. This allows the system to achieve both high storage capacity and high random write performance by directing different types of write operations to appropriate platters.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the write architecture parameter across different platters rather than using a single architecture for all platters. By varying the write architecture parameter (CMR vs. SMR) across the platter array, the system can optimize for different workloads and achieve both high capacity and high random write performance.
3Productivity
If media cache zones are added to balance cost and performance, then random read and write operations are improved, but drive capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of dedicating cache zones on each platter, the system segments the cache function across multiple platters. By using multiple platters with different write architectures, the system can allocate cache space more efficiently across the entire drive capacity, reducing the proportion of capacity lost to caching while maintaining performance benefits.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composite hard disk drive achieves a significant increase in drive capacity and write performance without incurring the performance or lifetime penalties typical of existing technologies, allowing for high-capacity storage with improved reliability and reduced write head stress.
Implementation Method 1
data tracks for the media platters n1 and n2 are written using one of the following: 1) different RT; 2) different WA; or 3) different RT and different WA
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage method, apparatus and system that increase drive capacity, minimize latency, reduce write access time and improve drive lifetime is described in this invention. In one embodiment, the data storage device described here is a composite hard disk drive comprises a number of recording media platters labeled from 1 to n, where n is greater than or equal to 2; wherein there exist two positive integer n1 and n2, where n1 and n2 are between 1 and n; n1 is not equals to n2; wherein the data tracks for the media platters n1 and n2 are written based on one of the following: 1) different RTs; 2) different WAs; or 3) different RTs and different WAs.