Method and apparatus for multiple boot environments within a hard disk drive
View Patent ↗This invention includes a method providing at least two boot environments with only one hard disk drive, by using at least two disk surfaces within the hard disk drive. The invention includes the hard disk drives implementing the method. The hard disk drive may include more than two disk surfaces and support more than two boot environments. The invention includes making the hard disk drive, and the product of that process. The invention includes computer systems including at least one of these hard disk drives. The invention also includes removable storage systems which include at least one hard disk drive, and which may communicate via a wireline and/or wireless physical transport with a computer system.
1. A method comprising the step of:
providing by a hard disk drive a first-boot-environment and a second-boot-environment using a first disk surface and a second of said disk surfaces based upon a disk-purpose, both of said disk surfaces and said disk-purpose included in said hard disk drive, comprising the steps of:
accessing by said hard disk drive said first disk surface and hiding said second disk surface when said disk-purpose is a first-boot-environment, further comprising the steps of:
accessing a track at a logical track location on said first disk surface; and
hiding said second disk surface; and
accessing by said hard disk drive said second disk surface and hiding said first disk surface when said disk-purpose is a second-boot-environment, further comprising the steps of:
accessing said track at said logical track location on said second disk surface; and
hiding said first disk surface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of accessing said track at said logical track location on said first disk surface, further comprises the steps of:
writing said track at said logical track location to said first disk surface; and
reading said track at said logical track location from said first disk surface.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of accessing said track at said logical track location on said second disk surface, further comprises the steps of:
writing said track at said logical track location to said second disk surface; and
reading said track at said logical track location from said second disk surface.
4. The hard disk drive, comprising:
a disk-purpose;
means for accessing a first disk surface and hiding a second disk surface when said disk-purpose is a first-boot-environment, further comprising
means for accessing a track at a logical track location on said first disk surface; and
means for hiding said second disk surface; and
means for accessing said second disk surface and hiding said first disk surface when said disk-purpose is a second-boot-environment, further comprising
means for accessing said track at said logical track location on said second disk surface; and
means for hiding said first disk surface.
5. The hard disk drive of claim 4 , wherein at least one of said means includes at least one of: a finite state machine, a computer, a program step residing in a memory accessibly coupled with said computer, and a program system including at least one of said program steps;
wherein said computer includes at least one instruction processor and at least one data processor; wherein each said data processors is directed by at least one of said instruction processors.
6. The hard disk drive of claim 5 ,
wherein said program system comprises the program steps of;
accessing said first disk surface and hiding said second disk surface when said disk-purpose is said first-boot-environment; and
accessing said second disk surface and hiding said first disk surface when said disk-purpose is said second-boot-environment.
7. The hard disk drive of claim 6 , wherein said memory includes at least one non-volatile memory location.
8. The hard disk drive of claim 4 , further comprising a means for setting said disk-purpose.
9. The hard disk drive of claim 8 , wherein said means for setting said disk-purpose includes at least one mechanical switch.
10. The hard disk drive of claim 8 , wherein said means for setting said disk-purpose includes at least one external cable socket.
11. A computer system including at least one hard disk drive comprising:
a disk-purpose;
means for accessing a first disk surface and hiding a second disk surface when e said disk-purpose is a first-boot-environment, further comprising:
means for accessing a track at a logical track location on said first disk surface; and
means for hiding said second disk surface; and
means for accessing said second disk surface and hiding said first disk surface when said disk-purpose is a second-boot-environment, further comprising
means for accessing said track at said logical track location on said second disk surface; and
means for hiding said first disk surface.
12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein said computer system includes at least one of a notebook computer, a desktop computer, a server, a database engine, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, and a simulation accelerator.
13. The computer system of claim 11 , further including a disk-setting cable coupled to an external cable socket included in said hard disk drive; wherein said disk-setting cable is used to at least partly set said disk-purpose.
14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein said disk-setting cable is used to set said disk-purpose to include one of said first-boot-environment, and said second-boot-environment.
15. A removable storage system including at least one hard disk drive comprising:
a disk-purpose;
means for accessing a first disk surface and hiding a second disk surface when said disk-purpose is a first-boot-environment, further comprising:
means for accessing a track at a logical track location on said first disk surface; and
means for hiding said second disk surface; and
means for accessing said second disk surface and hiding said first disk surface when said disk-purpose is a second-boot-environment, further comprising
means for accessing said track at said logical track location on said second disk surface; and
means for hiding said first disk surface.
16. The removable storage system of claim 15 , further including at least one means for communicating with a computing system via a physical transport.
17. The removable storage system of claim 16 , wherein said physical transport includes at least one of a wireless physical transport and a wireline physical transport.
18. The removable storage system of claim 17 , wherein said wireless physical transport includes support for a Bluetooth interface; and wherein said wireless physical transport includes support for at least one of a PCMCIA interface and a USB interface.