System and method for improving the performance of high-density data storage media
AssigneeNeXT, Inc.
InventorsJohn K. Seamons, Kevin P. Grundy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a computer system equipped with a magneto-optical disk drive having high data density, and therefore lengthy format times, and also requiring an erase step before each write operation, a system and method for decreasing user waiting time is provided. The system and method format the disk on a continuous basis during "disk-idle" periods rather than all at once. The system and method also erase disk portion belonging to deleted data in advance during disk-idle periods, so they are ready for the next write operation.
Claims30
In computer system having a main memory and having a magneto-optical data storage medium of a type having data subdivisions which must be erased before they can be written on, a system for erasing previously used data subdivisions before they are needed again, said erasing system comprising:
- means for maintaining a table of previously-used, formatted, erased data subdivisions;
- means for maintaining a list of previously-used formatted data subdivisions to be erased;
- means for automatically determining when said computer system is disk-idle;
- means responsive to said disk-idle determining means and to said list maintaining means for automatically selecting from said list one of said previously-used subdivisions to be erased when said computer system is disk-idle;
- and
- means for automatically erasing one of said subdivisions responsive to one of (a) selection by said selecting means of said one of said subdivisions upon a determination by said determining means that said computer system is disk-idle, and (b) a need by said computer system for access to one of said subdivisions when said table maintaining means indicates that no erased subdivisions exist.
For use in a computer system having a main memory and having a magneto-optical data storage medium of a type having data subdivisions which must be erased before they can be written on, a method for erasing previously used data subdivisions before they are needed again, said erasing method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a table of previously-used, formatted, erased data subdivisions;
- maintaining a list of previously-used formatted data subdivisions to be erased;
- automatically determining when said computer system is disk-idle;
- automatically selecting one of said previously-used subdivisions to be erased when said computer system is disk-idle;
- and
- automatically erasing one of said subdivisions responsive to one of (a) selection by said selecting step of said one of said subdivisions upon a determination that said computer system is disk-idle, and (b) a need by said computer system for access to one of said subdivisions when no erased subdivisions exist.
In a computer system having a main memory and having a magneto-optical data storage medium of a type having data subdivisions which must be erased before they can be written on, a system for erasing previously used data subdivisions before they are needed again, said erasing system comprising:
- means for maintaining a list of previously-used formatted data subdivisions to be erased;
- means for automatically determining when said computer system is disk-idle;
- means responsive to said disk-idle determining means and to said list maintaining means for automatically selecting one of said previously-used subdivisions to be erased when said computer system is disk-idle;
- and
- means for automatically erasing one of said subdivisions responsive to selection by said selecting means of said one of said subdivisions upon a determination by said determining means that said computer system is disk-idle.
For use in a computer system having a main memory and having a magneto-optical data storage medium of a type having data subdivisions which must be erased before they can be written on, a method for erasing previously used data subdivisions before they are needed again, said erasing method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a list of previously-used formatted data subdivisions to be erased;
- automatically determining when said computer system is disk-idle;
- automatically selecting one of said previously-used subdivisions to be erased when said computer system is disk-idle;
- and
- automatically erasing one of said subdivisions responsive to selection by said selecting step of said one of said subdivisions upon a determination that said computer system is disk-idle.
In a computer system having a magneto-optical data storage medium of a type having data subdivisions which must be erased before they can be written on, a system for erasing previously used data subdivisions before they are needed again, said erasing system comprising:
- means for maintaining a table of previously-used, formatted, erased data subdivisions;
- means for automatically erasing one of said subdivisions responsive to a need by said computer system for access to one of said subdivisions when said table maintaining means indicates that no erased subdivisions exist.
For use in a computer system having a magneto-optical data storage medium of a type having data subdivisions which must be erased before they can be written on, a method for erasing previously used data subdivisions before they are needed again, said erasing method comprising the steps of:
- maintaining a table of previously-used, formatted, erased data subdivisions;
- and
- automatically erasing one of said subdivisions responsive to a need by said computer system for access to one of said subdivisions when no erased subdivisions exist.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.