Method and apparatus for diagnosing mass storage device anomalies

A computerized method comprising:

• detecting an anomalous condition occurring during a data transfer to or from a mass storage device;
• identifying a first zone near a location of the data transfer;
• executing a first plurality of data transfers from the first zone;
• analyzing a first plurality of results obtained from the first plurality of data transfers;
• determining a likely cause of the anomalous condition based upon the first plurality of results, wherein the first plurality of results indicates more than one likely cause of the anomalous condition;
• identifying a second zone near the location of the data transfer, the second zone not co-extant with the first zone;
• executing a second plurality of data transfers from the second zone;
• analyzing second plurality of results obtained from the second plurality of data transfers;
• and
• distinguishing among the more than one likely cause of the anomalous condition based on the second plurality of results.

A system comprising:

• a programmable processor coupled to a bus;
• a memory coupled to the processor through the bus;
• a plurality of mass storage devices coupled to the processor;
• and
• instructions executed by the processor from the memory to cause the processor to:
• detect an unusual condition of one of the plurality of mass storage devices;
• identify a location associated with the unusual condition;
• define a first neighborhood near the location;
• perform first data transfers from the first neighborhood;
• diagnose a cause of the unusual condition based upon a first plurality of results obtained from the first data transfers from the first neighborhood, wherein the first plurality of results indicates more than one likely cause of the unusual condition;
• define a second neighborhood near the location, the second neighborhood not co-extant with the first neighborhood;
• perform second data transfers from the second neighborhood;
• and
• distinguishing among the more than one likely cause of the unusual condition based on a second plurality of results obtained from the second data transfers from the second neighborhood.

A computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

• detecting an abnormal condition occurring in connection with an I/O operation on a mass storage device;
• selecting a first portion of the mass storage device centered on a location accessed by the I/O operation;
• performing first test input operations on the first portion of the mass storage device;
• collecting a first plurality of results from the first test operations;
• diagnosing a possible fault in the mass storage device based on the first plurality of results, wherein the first plurality of results indicates more than one possible type of fault in the mass storage device;
• selecting a second portion of the mass storage device centered on the location accessed by the I/O operation, the second portion not co-extant with the first portion;
• performing a second test input operations on the second portion of the mass storage device;
• collecting a second plurality of results from the second test operations;
• and
• distinguishing among the more than one possible type of fault in the mass storage device based on the second plurality of results.