Apparatus, system, and method for preventing shock-induced hard drive damage

1. A shock-sensor apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to detect a positional state of a hard-drive drawer relative to a chassis dimensioned to hold the hard-drive drawer;

a mounting component coupled to the sensor and configured to mount the sensor in a location to monitor the positional state of the hard-drive drawer relative to the chassis; and

a computing module, electronically coupled to the sensor, that analyzes sensor data provided by the sensor to:

predict a shock event of the hard-drive drawer during operation of at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer as the hard-drive drawer is opened or closed; and

send, in response to predicting the shock event, a signal to the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer to prevent damage to the at least one hard drive during the predicted shock event.

2. The shock-sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of:

a relative location of the hard-drive drawer; or

a relative velocity of the hard-drive drawer.

3. The shock-sensor apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the computing module is configured to predict the shock event of the hard-drive drawer based on the relative location of the hard-drive drawer and the relative velocity of the hard-drive drawer indicated by the sensor data.

4. The shock-sensor apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the computing module is configured to predict a time during which the shock event of the hard-drive drawer will occur based on the relative location of the hard-drive drawer and the relative velocity of the hard-drive drawer indicated by the sensor data.

5. The shock-sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mounting component mounts the sensor to at least one of:

a side of the hard-drive drawer;

a handle of the hard-drive drawer;

an extension rail of the hard-drive drawer;

the chassis;

a printed circuit board in the hard-drive drawer; or

the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer.

6. The shock-sensor apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing module is electronically coupled to the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer such that the computing module sends the signal to the at least one hard drive.

7. A hard-drive rack comprising:

a rack dimensioned to hold computing hardware;

a chassis coupled to the rack and dimensioned to hold a hard-drive drawer;

at least one hard drive dimensioned to removably fit in the hard-drive drawer; and

at least one sensor apparatus configured to:

detect a positional state of the hard-drive drawer relative to the chassis;

predict a shock event of the hard-drive drawer during operation of the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer as the hard-drive drawer is opened or closed; and

send, in response to predicting the shock event, a signal to the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer to prevent damage to the at least one hard drive during the predicted shock event.

8. The hard-drive rack of claim 7 , wherein the hard-drive drawer is dimensioned to extend from the chassis on at least one extension rail.

9. The hard-drive rack of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hard drive comprises:

a hard-drive disk configured to store digital data; and

a non-volatile memory cache configured to store additional digital data.

10. The hard-drive rack of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hard drive is removably installed in the hard-drive drawer such that:

opening the hard-drive drawer exposes the at least one hard drive; or

the at least one hard drive is loaded to a front of the hard-drive drawer.

11. The hard-drive rack of claim 7 , wherein the at least one hard drive is coupled to a read/write head that performs read/write operations on the at least one hard drive with a heating element.

12. The hard-drive rack of claim 11 , wherein the sensor apparatus is electronically coupled to the at least one hard drive such that the sensor apparatus sends the signal to adjust a behavior of the read/write head.

13. The hard-drive rack of claim 7 , wherein the sensor apparatus is mounted to at least one of:

a side of the hard-drive drawer;

a handle of the hard-drive drawer;

an extension rail of the hard-drive drawer;

the chassis;

a printed circuit board in the hard-drive drawer; or

the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer.

14. A method comprising:

detecting, by at least one sensor apparatus, a positional state of a hard-drive drawer relative to a chassis dimensioned to hold the hard-drive drawer;

predicting a shock event of the hard-drive drawer during operation of the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer as the hard-drive drawer is opened or closed; and

sending, based on the predicted shock event, a signal to the at least one hard drive in the hard-drive drawer to prevent damage to the at least one hard drive during the predicted shock event.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one sensor apparatus comprises:

a sensor configured to detect the positional state of the hard-drive drawer;

a mounting component coupled to the sensor and configured to mount the sensor to monitor the positional state of the hard-drive drawer; and

a computing module, electronically coupled to the sensor, that analyzes sensor data provided by the sensor.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein predicting the shock event of the hard-drive drawer comprises predicting at least one of:

a time of impact of the hard-drive drawer;

an amount of shock caused by an impact to the hard-drive drawer; or

a type of the shock event.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein sending the signal to the hard drive comprises sending the signal within a minimum timeframe before the time of impact of the predicted shock event.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein sending the signal to the hard drive comprises sending the signal to a read/write head that performs read/write operations on the hard drive with a heating element.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the signal comprises a command to perform at least one of:

delaying a read/write process during the shock event;

preventing the read/write process during the shock event;

adjusting a distance of the read/write head from the hard drive;

temporarily writing data to a non-volatile memory cache;

parking the read/write head during the shock event; or

turning off the heating element of the read/write head during the shock event.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising at least one of:

detecting an end of the shock event;

sending an additional signal to the hard drive in the hard-drive drawer; or

resuming a normal read/write operation on the hard drive.