Method of managing defective sectors in a disk-shaped information recording medium and an apparatus for performing the same

An apparatus for recording and reproducing information using a disk-shaped information recording medium in which the recording and reproducing of information are conducted in units of a sector, each sector being divided into one or more partitions, the file management being conducted in units of partition, comprising

• a means for allocating at least one primary alternative zone in said information recording medium, said alternative zone comprising:
• a prime area for recording user data, said prime area having a variable capacity which corresponds to the occurrence rate of defective sectors and to a user capacity allocated to a partition;
• a primary spare area for recording alternative sectors which substitute for defective sectors;
• and a primary defect list area for recording a primary defect list of a fixed length, said primary defect list holding the relationship between defective sectors and alternative sectors,
• a means for managing defective sectors in units of an alternative zone by substituting the defective sectors detected in said prime area with alternative sectors in said primary spare area, and by registering the defective sectors in said primary defect list,
• a means for allocating a secondary alternative zone in said information recording medium, said secondary alternative zone comprising:
• a secondary spare area for recording alternative sectors for substituting for defective sectors which overflow from said at least one primary alternative zone;
• and a secondary defect list area for recording a secondary defect list which holds the relationship between defective sectors and alternative sectors in said secondary spare area,
• a means for managing hierarchically defective sectors by substituting defective sectors which overflow from said at least one primary alternative zone, with alternative sectors in said secondary alternative zone, and by registering the defective sectors in said secondary defect list, and
• a means for managing all areas formed in the volume of said information recording medium by allocating a volume control area in said information recording medium, and by recording volume control data in said volume control area, said volume control data including control data of said at least one primary alternative zone, said partitions, said secondary alternative zone and an unused area.