Write once read many media methods
AssigneeGreenTec-USA, Inc.
InventorsStephen E. Petruzzo, Richard E. Detore
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for providing for write once read many (WORM) times from at least some addresses of a storage drive that is otherwise manufactured for multiple writes to individual addresses. In at least one embodiment, a WORM area(s) is defined by a START_LBA and an END_LBA and the method uses a HWM_LBA to determine whether a LBA in the WORM area has been written to previously and to prevent previously written to LBA(s) in the WORM area from being rewritten. In at least one embodiment where there are multiple WORM areas, each WORM area has its own respective START_LBA, END_LBA and HWM_LBA.
Claims33
A method for providing write once read many times media on a storage drive in communication with an external computing system, said method comprising:
- receiving a Write command with a drive controller where the Write command is sent from the external computing system;
- determining with the drive controller whether the Write command is for a LBA within the WORM boundary area on a storage drive media as defined by a START_LBA and an END_LBA;
- when the LBA to be written is not within the WORM boundary area, then the drive controller performs the Write command on the storage drive media;
- when the LBA to be written is within the WORM boundary area, then the drive controller:
- determines whether the LBA to be written to is greater than a HWM_LBA,
- when the LBA to be written to is not greater than the HWM_LBA, the drive controller sends an error condition to the external computing device and the drive controller does not perform the Write command, and
- when the LBA to be written to is greater than the HWM_LBA, the drive controller performs the Write command on the storage drive media and updates the HWM_LBA to equal the last LBA written to as part of the Write command;
- and receiving, by the drive controller, a command other than an instruction to perform a write operation, wherein the command sets the HWM_LBA to a higher value in the WORM area to write protect additional LBAs in the WORM area without writing to those additional LBAs.
A method for providing write once read many times media on a storage drive in communication with an external computing system, said method comprising:
- receiving a Write command with a drive controller where the Write command is sent from the external computing system;
- determining with the drive controller whether the Write command is for a LBA within the WORM boundary area on a storage drive media as defined by a START_LBA and an END_LBA;
- when the LBA to be written is not within the WORM boundary area, then the drive controller performs the Write command on the storage drive media;
- when the LBA to be written is within the WORM boundary area, then the drive controller:
- determines whether the LBA to be written to is less than a HWM_LBA,
- when the LBA to be written to is less than the HWM_LBA, the drive controller does not perform the Write command, and
- when the LBA to be written to is greater than or equal to the HWM_LBA, the drive controller performs the Write command on the storage drive media and updates the HWM_LBA to equal the next LBA after the last LBA written to as part of the Write command;
- and
- receiving, by the drive controller, a command other than an instruction to perform a write operation, wherein the command sets the HWM_LBA to a higher value in the WORM area to write protect additional LBAs in the WORM area without writing to those additional LBAa.
A method for providing write once read many times media on a storage drive in communication with an external computing system, said method comprising:
- receiving a Write command with a drive controller where the Write command is sent from the external computing system;
- determining with the drive controller whether the Write command is for a LBA within the WORM boundary area on a storage drive media as defined by a START_LBA and an END_LBA;
- when the LBA to be written is not within the WORM boundary area, then the drive controller performs the Write command on the storage drive media;
- when the LBA to be written is within the WORM boundary area, then the drive controller:
- determines whether the LBA to be written to is less than a HWM_LBA,
- when the LBA to be written to is less than the HWM_LBA, the drive controller does not perform the Write command, and
- when the LBA to be written to is greater than or equal to the HWM_LBA, the drive controller performs the Write command on the storage drive media and updates the HWM_LBA to equal the next LBA after the last LBA written to as part of the Write command;
- receiving a Set command with a drive controller where the Set command is sent from the external computing system;
- setting the END_LBA to a higher LBA in response to the received Set command thereby changing the size of the WORM area and increasing the number of LBAs subject to the WORM area as the HWM_LBA will remain unchanged;
- and
- receiving, by the drive controller, a command other than an instruction to perform a write operation, wherein the command sets the HWM_LBA to a higher value in the WORM area to write protect additional LBAs in the WORM area without writing to those additional LBAs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.