Methods and systems for accessing disks using forward and reverse seeks

A method of profiling a disk, wherein the disk profiling provides information that allows the selection of different stripe sizes for corresponding different disk zones to thereby improve disk access performance, said method comprising:

• performing a first data access at a first disk location using a first stripe size;
• determining the performance of the first data access;
• performing a second data access at the first disk location using a second stripe size;
• determining the performance of the second data access;
• determining what stripe size should be used for future accesses of the first disk location based at least in part on the performance of the first data access and the second data access;
• performing a third data access at a second disk location using a third stripe size;
• determining the performance of the third data access;
• performing a fourth data access at the second disk location using a fourth stripe size;
• determining the performance of the fourth data access;
• and
• determining what stripe size should be used for future accesses of the second disk location based at least in part on the performance of the third data access and the fourth data access.