Data Storage Device Last Resort Zone Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Data stored on data storage devices is susceptible to corruption or loss due to mechanical shocks, contaminants, and surface defects, particularly in the last resort zone of magnetic disks, which is more vulnerable to damage.
Innovation Solution
A Data Storage Device (DSD) system that includes a controller to manage data by reserving a last resort zone as unavailable initially and only setting it as available when the storage capacity and environmental conditions reach a threshold, using a translation table to map logical block addresses to physical locations, and adjusting write settings to reduce the risk of data loss or corruption in this zone.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If data is stored in the last resort zone of magnetic disks, then storage capacity is increased, but data reliability deteriorates due to mechanical shocks and surface defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of different disk zones. The last resort zone is specifically identified as having higher vulnerability to mechanical shocks and surface defects, while other zones are treated as having normal reliability characteristics. This allows the system to allocate storage capacity strategically, placing critical data in more reliable zones when possible while accepting the higher risk in the last resort zone only when necessary to meet storage capacity requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-identifying the last resort zone as a high-risk area before data storage operations. The controller is configured to recognize this zone's vulnerability to mechanical shocks and surface defects in advance, allowing it to take preventive measures such as avoiding write operations in this zone unless absolutely necessary, thereby preventing data loss before it occurs.
2Quantity of substance
If the last resort zone is made available for data storage, then storage capacity is increased, but the risk of data loss increases due to mechanical shocks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by configuring the controller to prevent write operations in the last resort zone unless specific conditions are met. This preemptive protective measure counteracts the harmful effect of mechanical shocks before they can cause data loss. The system anticipates the vulnerability of this zone to mechanical shocks and implements protective restrictions in advance, only allowing data to be written here when absolutely necessary and when the drive is in a safe operational state.
3Reliability
If write settings are optimized for the last resort zone, then data loss risk is reduced, but storage performance may be impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing zone-specific write settings that are optimized for the last resort zone's characteristics. Rather than using uniform write parameters across the entire disk, the system tailors write settings specifically for this high-risk zone, adjusting parameters such as write speed, error correction levels, and buffer management to minimize data loss risk while maintaining acceptable performance levels for this particular zone.
Data Source
AI summary
A data storage device (DSD) includes a non-volatile memory (NVM) media for storing data. A last resort zone of the NVM media is associated with a higher risk of data loss or data corruption than other portions of the NVM media and is reserved as unavailable for storing data. It is determined whether a current data storage capacity and/or an environmental condition for the NVM media has reached a threshold. The last resort zone is set as available for storing data if it is determined that the threshold has been reached and data is written in the last resort zone.