Disk drive device and a method for controlling the same

A method for controlling a disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes K queue entries, wherein, K is an integer for storing data sent from a host processor comprising:

• (a) detecting that at least one queue entry in said cache memory stores said data,
• (b) writing said data stored in said queue entry into said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) detecting an occurrence of error at said writing of said data,
• (d) performing one of error recovery steps for said data, and rewriting said data into said rotating data recording disk,
• (e) detecting that an error rate at said rewriting of said data into said rotating data recording disk exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (f) decreasing said K queue entries by a predetermined number X, wherein X is equal to or less than K−N, N is the number of queue entries into which said data are stored, and N and X are integer.

A method for controlling a disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes a plurality of queue entries for storing data sent from a host processor, to operate in a write cache mode comprising:

• (a) detecting that at least one queue entry in said cache memory stores said data,
• (b) writing said data stored in said queue entry into a target sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) detecting an occurrence of error at said writing of said data into said target sector,
• (d) performing one of error recovery steps for said data and rewriting said data into said target sector,
• (e) detecting that all error recovery steps are performed for said data, and that said rewriting of said data into said target sector fails,
• (f) writing said data into an alternative sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (g) detecting that said writing of said data into said alternative sector succeeds,
• (h) detecting that Non Repeatable Run Out or Repeatable Run Out of said rotating data recording disk exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (i) informing said host processor of that a status of said disk drive device is switched to a status in which said disk drive device does not operate in said write cache mode.

A method for controlling a disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes a plurality of queue entries for storing data sent from a host processor, to operate in a write cache mode comprising:

• (a) detecting that at least one queue entry in said cache memory stores said data,
• (b) writing said data stored in said queue entry into a target sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) detecting an occurrence of error at said writing of said data in said target sector,
• (d) performing one of error recovery steps for said data and rewriting said data into said target sector,
• (e) detecting that all error recovery steps are performed for said data, and that said rewriting of said data into said target sector fails,
• (f) writing said data into an alternative sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (g) detecting that said writing of said data into said alternative sector fails,
• (h) rewriting said data into said target sector,
• (i) detecting that said rewriting of said data into said target sector in said rewriting succeeds and
• (j) informing said host processor of that a status of said disk drive device is switched to a status in which said disk drive device does not operate in said write cache mode.

A disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes K queue entries (K is an integer) for storing data sent from a host processor comprising:

• (a) a detector for detecting that N queue entries in said cache memory store said data (wherein N is equal to or smaller than K, and N is an integer),
• (b) a write circuit for successively writing said data stored in said N queue entries into said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) an error rate detector for detecting that an error rate at said writing of said data exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (d) a subtractor for decreasing said K queue entries by a predetermined number X, wherein X is equal to or less than K−N, and X is an integer.

A disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes K queue entries, wherein K is an integer, for storing data sent from a host processor comprising:

• (a) a detector for detecting that at least one queue entry in said cache memory stores said data,
• (b) a write circuit for writing said data stored in said queue entry into said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) an error detector for detecting an occurrence of error at said writing of said data,
• (d) an error recovery device for performing one of error recovery steps for said data, and rewriting said data into said rotating data recording disk,
• (e) an error rate detector for detecting that an error rate at said rewriting of said data into said rotating data recording disk exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (f) a subtractor for decreasing said K queue entries by a predetermined number X, wherein X is equal to or less than K−N, N is the number of queue entries into which said data are stored, and N and X are integer.

A disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes a plurality of queue entries for storing data sent from a host processor, to operate in a write cache mode comprising:

• (a) a detector for detecting that at least one queue entry in said cache memory stores said data,
• (b) a write device for writing said data stored in said queue entry into a target sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) a error detector for detecting an occurrence of error at said writing of said data into said target sector,
• (d) an error recovery circuit for performing one of error recovery steps for said data and rewriting said data into said target sector,
• (e) an error recovery detector for detecting that all error recovery steps are performed for said data, and that said rewriting of said data into said target sector fails,
• (f) an alternative writing device for writing said data into an alternative sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (g) an alternative detector for detecting that said writing of said data into said alternative sector succeeds,
• (h) a threshold detector for detecting that Non Repeatable Run Out or Repeatable Run Out of said rotating data recording disk exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (i) a sensor for informing said host processor of that a status of said disk drive device is switched to a status in which said disk drive device does not operate in said write cache mode.

A disk drive device containing a rotating data recording disk and a cache memory which includes a plurality of queue entries for storing data sent from a host processor, to operate in a write cache mode comprising:

• (a) a detector for detecting that at least one queue entry in said cache memory stores said data,
• (b) a write circuit for writing said data stored in said queue entry into a target sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (c) a error detector for detecting an occurrence of error at said writing of said data in said target sector,
• (d) a error recovery circuit for performing one of error recovery steps for said data and rewriting said data into said target sector,
• (e) an error recovery detector for detecting that all error recovery steps are performed for said data, and that said rewriting of said data into said target sector fails,
• (f) an alternative write device for writing said data into an alternative sector of said rotating data recording disk,
• (g) an alternative detector for detecting that said writing of said data into said alternative sector fails,
• (h) a rewrite device for rewriting said data into said target sector,
• (i) a rewrite detector for detecting that said rewriting of said data into said target sector in said step (h) succeeds, and
• (j) a sensor for informing said host processor of that a status of said disk drive device is switched to a status in which said disk drive device does not operate in said write cache mode.

A method for controlling a memory device containing a data recording medium and a cache memory which includes K queue entries, wherein K is an integer for storing data sent from a host processor comprising:

• (a) detecting that N queue entries in said cache memory store said data, wherein N is equal to or smaller than K, and N is an integer,
• (b) successively writing said data stored in said N queue entries into said data recording medium,
• (c) detecting that an error rate at said writing of said data exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (d) decreasing said K queue entries by a predetermined number X, wherein X is equal to or less than K−N, and X is an integer.

A memory device containing a data recording medium and a cache memory which includes K queue entries (K is an integer) for storing data sent from a host processor comprising:

• (a) a detector for detecting that N queue entries in said cache memory store said data, wherein N is equal to or smaller than K, and N is an integer,
• (b) a write circuit for successively writing said data stored in said N queue entries into said data recording medium,
• (c) an error rate detector for detecting that an error rate at said writing of said data exceeds a predetermined level, and
• (d) a subtractor for decreasing said K queue entries by a predetermined number X, wherein X is equal to or less than K−N, and X is an integer.