Mutable LBA to Physical Sector Mapping in Overlapping Track Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage systems face inefficiencies in mapping logical block addresses to physical blocks, particularly in handling large sequential data requests and updating data in overlapping tracks, which can lead to operational overhead and data loss.
Innovation Solution
The system divides the physical storage space into bands with overlapping tracks, allowing for mutable association of logical block addresses with physical sectors, using map data to manage sector allocation and exploiting spatial and temporal localities in access patterns, enabling quick reallocation and error correction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a one-to-one correspondence between LBAs and physical sectors is established, then data transfer efficiency for sequential requests is improved, but flexibility in handling data updates and reallocation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The physical storage space is divided into multiple bands, each containing multiple tracks. This segmentation allows the system to maintain efficient sequential access within each band while providing flexibility to reallocate data across different bands when updates are needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic LBA-to-physical-sector mapping by allowing LBAs to be reassigned to different physical sectors within the same band. The system maintains mutable associations that can be updated without changing the fundamental band structure, enabling flexible reallocation while preserving access efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If fixed LBA-to-physical-sector mapping is used, then access operations are simplified, but operational overhead during data updates and reallocation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-dividing the storage space into bands with multiple tracks, and maintaining map data structures that track the current LBA-to-physical-sector mappings. This preliminary organization allows for rapid reallocation decisions without performing complex operations during actual data updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces map data as an intermediary structure that mediates between the LBA layer and the physical sector layer. This map data maintains the current mapping relationships, allowing the system to quickly determine physical locations for LBA operations and to efficiently perform reallocation by updating the map rather than searching through the entire storage space.
3Device complexity
If conventional storage mapping is used, then device complexity is minimized, but data integrity and error correction capabilities are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the storage space into bands with multiple tracks, the system creates isolated regions where data can be written to multiple physical locations. This segmentation enables redundant storage of the same LBA data across different tracks within the same band, improving data integrity without significantly increasing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by providing multiple physical sectors within each band that can serve as backup storage locations. When data is written to a physical sector, the system can prepare alternative sectors in advance as cushioning against potential failures, ensuring data integrity without requiring complex real-time error correction operations.
Data Source
AI summary
Method and apparatus for mutably associating logical block addresses to physical blocks. A physical storage space is apportioned into one or more bands. A logical block address (LBA) from a logical space is assigned to one of the bands, and the LBA is mutably associated with a particular physical block (sector) at an associated physical block address (PBA) within the assigned band. Such mutable association preferably includes the writing of user data associated with the LBA to the associated physical sector. During a subsequent operation, user data associated with the LBA can be stored in a second physical sector in the assigned band. The physical storage space preferably comprises a magnetic recording medium, and some or all of the bands preferably utilize overlapping tracks. The logical space is preferably divided into sets of sequential LBAs, with non-adjacent sets assigned to the same band. Map data are used to track sector allocation status in each band.