Storage Medium Formatting with Selective Data Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage medium formatting methods erase all data, making it impossible to recover specific data that users want to protect during the formatting process.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that save management information associated with protected data, format only the management information area, and recover it to allow access to the protected data, enabling selective formatting of storage medium areas without deleting desired data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a formatting operation is performed on a storage medium, then all data stored on the storage medium is erased, but the user cannot recover specific data that needs to be protected
Solution Approach 1:
The storage medium is divided into a management information area and a data area. The management information area contains metadata about data locations, while the data area stores actual user data. By segmenting the formatting operation to only affect the management information area, the patent enables selective formatting that protects specific data while still achieving storage medium preparation.
Solution Approach 2:
Before formatting the management information area, the system saves backup copies of management information that points to protected data. This preliminary backup action allows the system to format the management area while preserving references to protected data, enabling subsequent recovery of the protected data after formatting completes.
2Productivity
If a formatting operation is performed to erase all data, then the storage medium is prepared for new data, but the time required for formatting increases and user convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of performing a complete formatting operation that erases all data and scans the entire storage medium, the patent applies partial formatting only to the management information area. This partial action significantly reduces formatting time and improves productivity while still achieving the goal of preparing the storage medium for new data, as the data area requires no formatting operations.
3Ease of operation
If management information is saved and recovered during formatting, then protected data remains accessible, but the formatting process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a backup storage area as an intermediary component. This backup area temporarily stores copies of management information during the formatting process. The backup area acts as a mediator that enables the system to save, protect, and recover management information without complicating the overall formatting architecture, as it simply provides temporary storage space during the operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for formatting a storage medium. The method includes saving management information associated with data that is to be protected from the formatting, the management information indicating where the data to be protected is stored, formatting a management information area of the storage medium where the management information is stored, and recovering the saved management information to the management information area of the storage medium such that the data to be protected is accessible.