Magnetic disk system with selection of sector access mode based on access state
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorTetsuyuki Hishikawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The magnetic disk system in which a disk controller for controlling data reading and writing from and to a plurality of magnetic disk mediums while making magnetic heads seek, said magnetic disk mediums being formatted by a plurality of tracks and sectors into which the tracks are divided in a circumferential direction, includes format selecting means for selecting either a first format of continuing the sector number from a track on a magnetic disk medium to a track on another magnetic disk medium in the same cylinder or a second format of continuing the sector number from a track on a magnetic disk medium to another track on the same recording surface, hence to format the magnetic disk mediums.
Claims13
A magnetic disk system comprising:
- means for supporting and rotating a plurality of magnetic disk mediums having recording surfaces formatted with a plurality of tracks, each track divided into sectors in a circumferential direction;
- magnetic heads respectively positioned on each recording surface of the plurality of magnetic disk mediums, for reading and writing data from and to the magnetic disk mediums;
- means for instructing said magnetic heads to perform a seek operation;
- and
- control means for controlling data reading and writing from and to the magnetic disk mediums while the seek operation is performed,
- said control means including
- determining means for dynamically determining an access state of the magnetic disk mediums by the magnetic heads, and
- access selecting means for selecting either a first sector access mode in which after sectors on a track in a cylinder on a first magnetic disk medium are accessed, sectors on a track on a second magnetic disk medium in the same cylinder are accessed, or a second sector access mode in which after sectors on the track on the first magnetic disk medium are accessed, sectors on another track on the same recording surface of the first magnetic disk medium are accessed, the selection of sector access modes being based on the determined access state, the access selecting means accessing the magnetic disk mediums according to the selected mode.
A magnetic disk system comprising:
- structure for supporting and rotating a plurality of magnetic disk mediums having recording surfaces formatted with a plurality of tracks, each track divided into sectors in a circumferential direction;
- magnetic heads respectively positioned on each recording surface of the plurality of magnetic disk mediums, for reading and writing data from and to the magnetic disk mediums;
- an interface device for instructing said magnetic heads to perform a seek operation;
- and
- a control device for controlling data reading and writing from and to the magnetic disk mediums while the seek operation is performed,
- said control device being programmed for
- dynamically determining an access state of the magnetic disk mediums by the magnetic heads, and
- selecting either a first sector access mode in which after sectors on a track in a cylinder on a first magnetic disk medium are accessed, sectors on a track on a second magnetic disk medium in the same cylinder are accessed, or a second sector access mode in which after sectors on the track on the first magnetic disk medium are accessed, sectors on another track on the same recording surface of the first magnetic disk medium are accessed, the selection of sector access modes being based on the determined access state, the access selecting means accessing the magnetic disk mediums according to the selected mode.
In a magnetic disk system having a plurality of magnetic disk mediums having recording surfaces with a plurality of tracks thereon, each track being divided into sectors in a circumferential direction, each of the recording surfaces associated with a respective magnetic head for reading and writing data from and to the magnetic disk mediums, a method for selecting a sector access mode, the method comprising:
- determining an access state of the magnetic disk mediums;
- and
- selecting either a first sector access mode in which after sectors on a track in a cylinder on a first magnetic disk medium are accessed, a track on a second magnetic disk medium in the same cylinder is accessed, or a second sector access mode in which after sectors on the track on the first magnetic disk medium are accessed, sectors on another track on the same recording surface of the first magnetic disk medium are accessed, the selection of sector access modes being based on the determined access state, the access selecting means accessing the magnetic disk mediums according to the selected mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.