Method and apparatus for facilitating in-situ vibration testing of disk drives
View Patent ↗A system that generates vibrations within a computer system. During operation, the system receives a desired vibration profile. Next, the system determines a sequence of disk operations for one or more disk drives within the computer system that generates vibrations which substantially matches the desired vibration profile. The system then performs the sequence of disk operations on the one or more disk drives to generate the vibrations.
1. A method for generating vibrations within a computer system, comprising:
receiving a desired vibration profile;
determining a sequence of disk operations for one or more disk drives within the computer system that generates vibrations which substantially matches the desired vibration profile;
generating the vibrations by performing the sequence of disk operations on the set of disk drives;
monitoring performance parameters associated with the one or more disk drives while the vibrations are taking place; and
determining whether the monitored performance parameters indicate that a disk drive under test is at the onset of degradation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desired vibration profile can include:
a waveform for a vibration signal produced by the vibrations; and
an amplitude of the vibration signal.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the waveform for the vibration signal can include:
a sinusoidal waveform;
a square waveform;
a saw toothed waveform; or
any other type of waveform.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sequence of disk operations can include:
outer track disk operations;
inner track disk operations;
alternating inner track disk operations and outer track disk operations;
random access disk operations; or
a combination of disk operations.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the disk operations are only read operations.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the disk operations can include write operations.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a remedial action if the monitored performance parameters indicate that a disk drive under test if at the onset of degradation.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the sequence of disk operations involves determining a sequence of disk operations for a subset of the one or more disk drives within the computer system which does not include a disk drive under test.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises removing at least one disk drive from the computer system during the monitoring process.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method further comprises substituting higher capacity disk drives for at least one disk drive in the computer system during the monitoring process.
11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for generating vibrations within a computer system, wherein the method comprises:
receiving a desired vibration profile;
determining a sequence of disk operations for one or more of disk drives within the computer system that generates vibrations which substantially matches the desired vibration profile;
performing the sequence of disk operations on the one or more disk drives to generate the vibrations;
monitoring performance parameters associated with the one or more disk drives while the vibrations are taking place; and
determining whether the monitored performance parameters indicate that a disk drive under test is at the onset of degradation.
12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the desired vibration profile can include:
a waveform for a vibration signal produced by the vibrations; and
an amplitude of the vibration signal.
13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the waveform for the vibration signal can include:
a sinusoidal waveform;
a square waveform;
a saw toothed waveform; or
any other type of waveform.
14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the sequence of disk operations can include:
outer track disk operations;
inner track disk operations;
alternating inner track disk operations and outer track disk operations;
random access disk operations; or
a combination of disk operations.
15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the disk operations are only read operations.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the disk operations can include write operations.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises performing a remedial action if the monitored performance parameters indicate that a disk drive under test if at the onset of degradation.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein determining the sequence of disk operations involves determining a sequence of disk operations for a subset of the one or more disk drives within the computer system which does not include a disk drive under test.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises removing at least one disk drive from the computer system during the monitoring process.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises substituting higher capacity disk drives for at least one disk drives in the computer system during the monitoring process.
21. An apparatus that generates vibrations within a computer system, comprising:
a receiving mechanism configured to receive a desired vibration profile; and
a load generation mechanism configured to:
determine a sequence of disk operations for one or more of disk drives within the computer system that generates vibrations which substantially matches the desired vibration profile;
perform the sequence of disk operations on the one or more disk drives to generate the vibrations;
monitor performance parameters associated with the one or more disk drives while the vibrations are taking place; and to
determine whether the monitored performance parameters indicate that a disk drive under test is at the onset of degradation.