Precautionary measures for data storage device environmental conditions
View Patent ↗In preparing to send a write command to store data in at least one Data Storage Device (DSD), a request is sent to the at least one DSD to request environmental information indicating an environmental condition of the at least one DSD. The environmental information is received from the at least one DSD and it is determined whether the environmental information is within a threshold. The write command is sent to the at least one DSD if the environmental information is within the threshold and a precautionary measure is performed if the environmental information is not within the threshold.
1. A host in communication with at least one Data Storage Device (DSD), the host comprising:
an interface for communicating with the at least one DSD; and
a processor configured to:
send a request to the at least one DSD via the interface in preparation for sending a write command to the at least one DSD to store data in the at least one DSD, wherein the request is for environmental information indicating an environmental condition of the at least one DSD that is based on a number of times the at least one DSD has exceeded a write unsafe threshold within a predetermined period of time or an amount of time since the at least one DSD has exceeded the write unsafe threshold, and wherein the write unsafe threshold is a predetermined distance from a center of a track on a disk of the at least one DSD;
receive the environmental information from the at least one DSD via the interface;
determine whether the environmental information is within a threshold;
send the write command to the at least one DSD via the interface if the environmental information is within the threshold; and
perform a precautionary measure if the environmental information is not within the threshold.
2. The host of claim 1 , wherein in performing the precautionary measure the processor is further configured to:
send a test write command to the at least one DSD via the interface, wherein the test write command causes the at least one DSD to write test data on a disk of the at least one DSD; and
receive from the at least one DSD via the interface an indication of whether the test data was successfully written on the disk.
3. The host of claim 1 , wherein in performing the precautionary measure the processor is further configured to delay sending the write command.
4. The host of claim 1 , wherein in performing the precautionary measure the processor is further configured to send an additional request for environmental information to a second DSD of the at least one DSD.
5. The host of claim 1 , wherein in preforming the precautionary measure the processor is further configured redirect the write command to a second DSD of the at least one DSD.
6. The host of claim 1 , wherein the environmental condition includes at least one of a vibration condition of the at least one DSD and a mechanical shock condition of the at least one DSD.
7. The host of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to assign a write safety level from at least three write safety levels to the at least one DSD based on the received environmental information, the at least three write safety levels corresponding to relative likelihoods of encountering an error when storing data in the at least one DSD due to the environmental condition.
8. The host of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
monitor a performance of the at least one DSD in performing a previous write command; and
send the request to the at least one DSD based on the monitored performance of the at least one DSD.
9. The host of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive an indication of an error in storing data to a memory of the at least one DSD; and
send the request to the at least one DSD based on the received indication of the error.
10. The host of claim 1 , wherein in performing the precautionary measure the processor is further configured to cause a change in the environmental condition of the at least one DSD.
11. The host of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to: activate the at least one DSD; and
send the request to the at least one DSD based on the activation of the at least one DSD.
12. The host of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute a file system for writing data in overlapping tracks on a disk of the at least one DSD, and wherein the at least one DSD includes at least one area of overlapping tracks on the disk.
13. A method of preparing to send a write command to at least one Data Storage Device (DSD) to store data in the at least one DSD, the method comprising:
sending a request to the at least one DSD to request environmental information indicating an environmental condition of the at least one DSD that is based on a number of times the at least one DSD has exceeded a write unsafe threshold within a predetermined period of time or an amount of time since the at least one DSD has exceeded the write unsafe threshold, and wherein the write unsafe threshold is a predetermined distance from a center of a track on a disk of the at least one DSD;
receiving the environmental information from the at least one DSD;
determining whether the environmental information is within a threshold;
sending the write command to the at least one DSD if the environmental information is within the threshold; and
performing a precautionary measure if the environmental information is not within the threshold.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the precautionary measure includes:
sending a test write command to the at least one DSD, wherein the test write command causes the at least one DSD to write test data on a disk of the at least one DSD; and
receiving from the at least one DSD an indication of whether the test data was successfully written on the disk.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the precautionary measure includes delaying the sending of the write command.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the precautionary measure includes sending an additional request for environmental information to a second DSD of the at least one DSD.
17. The method of claim 13 , wherein preforming the precautionary measure includes redirecting the write command to a second DSD of the at least one DSD.
18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the environmental condition includes at least one of a vibration condition of the at least one DSD and a mechanical shock condition of the at least one DSD.
19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising assigning a write safety level from at least three write safety levels to the at least one DSD based on the received environmental information, the at least three write safety levels corresponding to relative likelihoods of encountering an error when storing data in the at least one DSD due to the environmental condition.
20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
monitoring a performance of the at least one DSD in performing a previous write command; and
sending the request to the at least one DSD based on the monitored performance of the at least one DSD.
21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving an indication of an error in storing data to a memory of the at least one DSD; and
sending the request to the at least one DSD based on the received indication of the error.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein performing the precautionary measure includes causing a change in the environmental condition of the at least one DSD.
23. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
activating the at least one DSD; and
sending the request to the at least one DSD based on the activation of the at least one DSD.
24. The method of claim 13 , further comprising executing a file system for writing data in overlapping tracks on a disk of the at least one DSD, and wherein the at least one DSD includes at least one area of overlapping tracks on the disk.
25. A Data Storage Device (DSD) in communication with a host, the DSD comprising:
a disk for storing data;
a head for writing data on the disk; and
a controller configured to:
receive a request from the host requesting environmental information indicating an environmental condition of the DSD in preparation for sending a write command to the DSD to store data in the DSD;
obtain the environmental information, wherein the environmental information is based on a number of times the at least one DSD has exceeded a write unsafe threshold within a predetermined period of time or an amount of time since the at least one DSD has exceeded the write unsafe threshold, and wherein the write unsafe threshold is a predetermined distance from a center of a track on the disk; and
send the environmental information to the host.
26. The DSD of claim 25 , wherein the DSD further comprises at least one sensor, and wherein the controller is further configured to obtain additional environmental information from the at least one sensor.
27. The DSD of claim 26 , wherein the at least one sensor includes at least one of a mechanical shock sensor, a vibration sensor, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, and an air pressure sensor.
28. The DSD of claim 25 , wherein the DSD further comprises a servo system for controlling the positioning of the head over the disk, and wherein the controller is further configured to obtain the environmental information from the servo system.
29. The DSD of claim 25 , wherein the disk includes overlapping tracks for storing data.
30. A Data Storage Device (DSD) in communication with a host, the DSD comprising:
a disk for storing data, the disk including a reserved area for writing test data, and the reserved area including tracks at a different track pitch than tracks located elsewhere on the disk;
a head for writing data on the disk; and
a controller configured to:
receive a test write command from the host to test an environmental condition of the DSD;
control the head to write test data in the reserved area in response to the test write command;
determine whether any errors occurred in writing the test data in the reserved area; and
send an indication to the host of whether any errors occurred in writing the test data in the reserved area.
31. A host in communication with at least one Data Storage Device (DSD), the host comprising:
an interface for communicating with the at least one DSD; and
a processor configured to:
send a request to the at least one DSD via the interface in preparation for sending a write command to the at least one DSD to store data in the at least one DSD, wherein the request is for environmental information indicating an environmental condition of the at least one DSD;
receive the environmental information from the at least one DSD via the interface;
determine whether the environmental information is within a threshold;
send the write command to the at least one DSD via the interface if the environmental information is within the threshold; and
perform a precautionary measure including redirecting the write command to a second DSD of the at least one DSD if the environmental information is not within the threshold.
32. A method of preparing to send a write command to at least one Data Storage Device (DSD) to store data in the at least one DSD, the method comprising:
sending a request to the at least one DSD to request environmental information indicating an environmental condition of the at least one DSD;
receiving the environmental information from the at least one DSD;
determining whether the environmental information is within a threshold;
sending the write command to the at least one DSD if the environmental information is within the threshold; and
performing a precautionary measure including redirecting the write command to a second DSD of the at least one DSD if the environmental information is not within the threshold.