Managing data storage space on large capacity record media

In a method of managing data storage space on a record disk;

• the steps of:
• receiving a record disk having a multiplicity of concentric record tracks, each track having a sensible index mark;
• initializing the record disk for data recording by the steps of:
• (a) surface analyzing a predetermined set of a predetermined number of radially-adjacent ones of said tracks, said predetermined number being substantially less than the total number of tracks on the record disk, indicating the location and extent of each detected surface defect;
• (b) recording in each of the surface analyzed tracks, indications of the rotational positions of surface defects in the respective surface analyzed track to convert the analyzed tracks into formatted tracks;
• and
• (c) recording a volume table of contents in a predetermined one of the said record tracks in said predetermined set to contain the address of the tracks in the predetermined set as being free tracks available to be allocated for data storage and an indication that all of said tracks other than said outward set are not available for data storage until formatted.

In a data storage subsystem having a control unit including program means for operating the control unit and the subsystem, a disk recorder operatively coupled to the control unit and having a large capacity disk recording surface;

• the improvement including, in combination:
• operating program means including a program dispatcher in said control unit for effecting subsystem operation which includes recording data onto the large capacity disk surface and reading data recorded on the disk surface;
• formatting program means in the control unit, including surface analysis controlling program means and home address recording program means which records locations of defects in a respective track in a home address record in such track;
• said dispatcher having initialization programming means operative to cause the control unit to check the large capacity disk surface to determine whether or not the disk surface has been initialized, and if not initialized, operative to activate the formatting program means a given plurality of times for surface analyzing and formatting a predetermined number of record tracks at a predetermined radial portion thereof and recording a volume table of contents (VTOC) in a predetermined one of said predetermined set of tracks;
• the dispatcher having further intermediate format initiating program means activated when the large capacity disk surface is not currently being used for recording or supplying readback signals from and to the control unit for activating said formatting program means to format a second predetermined number of said unformatted record tracks, beginning with a radially outwardmost one of the unformatted record tracks;
• and
• said dispatcher cycling through all of its operations such that said intermediate formatted program means is activated as a lower priority one of operations to be performed in the subsystem.

In a machine-sensible and recordable record medium of the rotatable disk type for storing data, the medium having a large multiplicity of addressable data storage tracks which are concentrically arranged on the rotatable medium;

• the improvement including, in combination:
• a volume table of contents (VTOC) recorded on the record medium in a one of said record tracks for indicating the data content and the current status of the record tracks on the medium;
• first machine-sensible indicating data stored in said VTOC for indicating allocated ones of the addressable data storage tracks;
• second machine-sensible indicating data stored in said VTOC for indicating unallocated ones of the addressable data storing tracks;
• and
• fourth machine-sensible indicating data stored in said VTOC for indicating unformatted ones of the addressable data storing tracks that cannot receive data for storage until predetermined format signals are recorded therein such that the record medium is usable for machine-sensing and recording operations without initially formatting the entire record member.

A record storage member having a multiplicity of addressable record storage areas each of which is subject to defects, the improvement including, in combination:

• first machine-sensible control indicia on the storage member for indicating which of the addressable record storage areas have been initialized for identifying the existence of said defects within the respective addressable record storage areas;
• second machine-sensible control indicia on the storage member for indicating which of the addressable record storage areas have not yet been initialized;
• and
• third machine-sensible control indicia on the storage member for indicating which of said initialized addressable record storage areas have been allocated for information-handling operations.

In a machine-effected method of using a storage member having a recording surface subject to defects and capable of having a maximal number of addressable data storage areas, including the machine-executed steps of:

• accessing a storage member which has no addressable data storage areas initialized for data recording,
• initializing, including surface analyzing, a predetermined number of the addressable data storage areas for any ensuing data recording, said predetermined number being less than the number of the addressable data storage areas;
• conducting data processing operations with respect to the storage member which include recording data into the initialized addressable data storage areas;
• and
• when the storage member is not participating in said data processing operations, initializing, including surface analyzing, additional ones of said addressable data storage areas until the storage medium has said maximum number of initialized addressable data storage areas.