Disk drive using defect list to perform uninterrupted writing of non-relocated data blocks and caching of relocated data blocks for deferred writing

Abstract

A disk drive is disclosed for receiving a write command from a host computer, the write command comprising a plurality of logical block addresses (LBAs) and a plurality of data blocks. The plurality of data blocks comprises at least one non-relocated data block (NRDB) and at least one relocated data block (RDB), and at least one of the LBAs corresponds to the NRDB and at least one of the LBAs corresponds to the RDB. The disk drive comprises a disk comprising a plurality of first disk locations each having a defect, a plurality of second disk locations for storing NRDBs, and a plurality of spare disk locations for storing RDBs. A defect list is used to map LBAs from the plurality of first disk locations to the plurality of spare disk locations. A cache is logically partitioned into a first set of memory locations managed using a first cache data structure, and a second set of memory locations managed using a second cache data structure. A disk control system uses the first cache data structure to store the NRDB in a first memory location selected from the first set of memory locations. The disk control system evaluates the defect list using the LBAs to identify the RDB and using the second cache data structure stores the RDB in a second memory location selected from the second set of memory locations. During a first time interval established for writing NRDBs, the disk control system uses the first cache data structure to write the NRDB to one of the second disk locations. During a second time interval established for writing RDBs, the disk control system uses the second cache data structure to write the RDB to one of the spare disk locations.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.