Apparatus and method for dynamic multiple actuator drive data access

A data storage system comprising:

• a data storage medium;
• a plurality of actuators for accessing data stored on the data storage medium, the plurality of actuators each being mounted on a different shaft at different locations around a surface of the data storage medium;
• and
• a disk controller configured to:
• receive a data transfer request including at least one data package;
• determine a type of the data transfer request;
• partition the data package into a plurality of data segments, if the data transfer request is a parallel data mode request;
• assign one or more actuator drivers and one or more actuator controllers for the data transfer request;
• initiate a data transfer to or from the data storage medium using one or more of the plurality of actuators corresponding to the one or more assigned actuator controllers;
• store or retrieve an individual data package of the data transfer request to or from the data storage medium wherein the entire data package is wholly accessible to a single actuator, if the data transfer request is a random data mode request;
• and
• store or retrieve an individual data segment of the data transfer request to or from the data storage medium wherein the data package is accessible to the plurality of actuators, if the request is a parallel data mode request.