Data logging for hard disk data storage systems

An improved hard disk system for use in a host computer, said system comprising:

• a hard disk controller which monitors the frequency of occurrence of data input/output requests by an operating system;
• a conventional hard disk subsystem with at least two hard disks;
• and
• a data log which temporarily stores data for the conventional hard disk subsystem, wherein the hard disk controller stores data in the data log sequentially and linearly, and wherein the data in the data log is transferred to the conventional hard disk subsystem upon a decrease in the frequency of occurrence of input/output requests from the operating system.

An improved hard disk system for use in a computer having an operating system, said system comprising:

• a hard disk controller which monitors the frequency of occurrence of data input/output requests by the operating system;
• a hard disk subsystem having at least two hard disks controlled by the hard disk controller;
• and
• a data log controlled by the hard disk controller which temporarily stores data from consecutive write operations directed by the operating system to the hard disk subsystem, wherein the data is later transferred from the data log to the hard disk subsystem when the hard disk controller determines that the frequency of occurrence of input/output requests from the operating system has decreased, and wherein the data is stored in the data log sequentially in the order received by the operating system.

A method of temporarily logging data intended for a conventional hard disk array onto a data log, wherein the conventional hard disk array is used in a computer with a conventional operating system, said conventional hard disk array and said data log being controlled by a hard disk controller, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a request from the operating system to the hard disk controller to write data to the conventional hard disk array, said data directed to contiguous and non-contiguous disk addresses of the hard disk array;
• sequentially writing the data to the data log and indicating to the operating system that the write is complete;
• waiting for a decrease in the frequency of occurrence of read and write requests by the operating system;
• and
• transferring the data from the data log to the conventional hard disk array.