CN111670428B

CN111670428B - Information processing apparatus

Info

Publication number: CN111670428B
Application number: CN201980011112.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 柳野麻理子
Original assignee: Toshiba Corp; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems and Solutions Corp
Current assignee: Toshiba Corp; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems and Solutions Corp
Priority date: 2018-11-22
Filing date: 2019-04-02
Publication date: 2023-07-28
Anticipated expiration: 2039-04-02
Also published as: JP6668445B1; WO2020105202A1; TW202020650A; TWI715040B; SG11202008730UA; JP2020086863A; KR20210002571A; CN111670428A

Abstract

The information processing apparatus includes an area setting unit, an information acquisition unit, a copy processing unit, and an output unit. The area setting unit sets at least one auxiliary area corresponding to the capacity of the 1 st area in an unused 2 nd area other than the 1 st area for a hard disk drive that performs data read/write processing with a replacement of a sector when the data read/write processing in the 1 st area fails. The information acquisition unit acquires history information recorded with the number of replacement sectors generated in the 1 st area. When the number of the replacement sectors added in the read/write process is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the copy processing unit copies the data in the 1 st area to any one of the auxiliary areas that is not used, and uses the copied auxiliary area as the 1 st area to cause the hard disk drive to execute the read/write process. The output unit outputs utilization information indicating the utilization state of the auxiliary area.

Description

Information processing apparatus

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to an information processing apparatus.

Background

Conventionally, in a hard disk drive, for example, when there is a region where data is difficult to read, adjustment of start timing of read processing, adjustment of bias current (bias current) of a magnetic head, and the like are performed, and data is read by retrying a plurality of times. When the data can be read, the data is written by creating a replacement sector in an unused area, thereby avoiding data loss. In addition, a technique for predicting a failure of a hard disk drive and a technique for automatically mirroring data to avoid data loss are proposed.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2017-37626

Patent document 2: japanese patent laid-open No. 2000-20248

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, if the reason for the difficult data reading area is that the magnetic material of a disk (disk) of a hard disk drive is peeled off or foreign matter adheres, the damage may be enlarged if the operation is continued in a normal difficult data reading state. If the number of replacement sectors is increased by the continuous operation, the processing operation may be slowed down by exceeding the allowable amount of the replacement area, or an error may frequently occur, or a cause such as freezing or abnormal noise may occur. In the case of a hard disk drive, the use method is not generally performed in which the entire capacity is used from the beginning, but the unused area is used in a state where the unused area is reserved, and the unused area is gradually used. Therefore, if an information processing apparatus capable of managing data using an unused area of a hard disk drive can be provided, it is advantageous to be able to effectively avoid data loss, prevent the expansion of damage, and improve the reliability as a hard disk drive.

Means for solving the problems

An information processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes an area setting unit, an information acquisition unit, a copy processing unit, and an output unit. The area setting unit generates a replacement sector for moving the data to an unused area in the 1 st area when the read/write process of the data in the 1 st area fails while performing the read/write process of the data in the 1 st area, and sets at least one auxiliary area corresponding to the capacity of the 1 st area in an unused 2 nd area other than the 1 st area. The information acquisition unit acquires history information in which the number of the replacement sectors generated in the 1 st area is recorded. And a copy processing unit configured to copy data in the 1 st area to one of the auxiliary areas that is not used when the number of the replacement sectors added in the read/write process is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and to cause the hard disk drive to execute the read/write process with the copied auxiliary area as the 1 st area. The output unit outputs utilization information indicating the utilization state of the auxiliary area.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating and schematically a hard disk drive and a built-in disk to which an information processing apparatus according to the embodiment is applicable.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating and schematically showing details of the structure of the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 3 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a flow of processing at the time of setting the auxiliary area in the information processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

Fig. 4 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a flow of processing including warning processing in the information processing apparatus of the related embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a detailed exemplary flowchart illustrating the area switching process in the flowchart of fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating details of another area switching process in the flowchart of fig. 4.

Detailed Description

The embodiments are described below based on the drawings. The configuration of the embodiment described below and the actions and results (effects) caused by the configuration are merely examples, and are not limited to the following descriptions.

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a hard disk drive 10 (hereinafter referred to as HDD 10) and a built-in disk 12 to which the information processing apparatus of the related embodiment is applicable. The disk 12 is a storage medium member in which fine magnetic materials are uniformly coated or deposited on the surface of a disk-like substrate made of an aluminum alloy, glass, ceramic, or the like. The support hole 12a formed in the center of the disk 12 is fixed to a rotary shaft (spindle), not shown, and is rotated at a high speed by the rotary drive of the rotary shaft. The disk 12 is accommodated in a sealed state in a case 10a of the HDD10 together with a swing arm (swing arm) 14 having a magnetic head 14a at the front end and a drive mechanism having a spindle. The magnetic head 14a performs a writing operation and a reading operation of data with respect to the disk 12 in a state of being lifted up by several nm from the disk 12 rotating at a high speed. In order to increase the storage capacity, the HDD10 may have a multilayer structure in which recording layers are formed on the front and back surfaces of the disk 12 or in which a plurality of disks 12 are arranged with a gap therebetween in the rotation axis direction. In this case, the magnetic head 14a (the swing arm 14) is arranged for each recording layer.

The HDD10 performs, in the disk 12, read-write processing of data of the 1 st area in which accessible data has been recorded in the full storage area. Further, the HDD10 may repeat reading and writing of data with the operation, and as a result, there may be a region in which reading of data is difficult in the 1 st region. In this case, the HDD10 performs adjustment of the start timing of the reading process and adjustment of the bias current of the magnetic head 14a, and performs retry a plurality of times, thereby reading data. When the read-in is successful as a result of the retry after the data read-write process fails, the HDD10 generates a replacement sector of the mobile data in an unused area in the 1 st area. The HDD10 further prevents data loss by continuing the data reading/writing process with the replacement sector. However, even when the data is moved to the replacement sector and the read/write process is continued, if the disk 12 is damaged by, for example, an impact or a foreign matter, if the same 1 st area is repeatedly accessed, the damage may be enlarged by the re-access. Therefore, the information processing apparatus according to the present embodiment moves all data to a region (one of the auxiliary regions into which the 2 nd region is divided) which is a part of the unused 2 nd region other than the 1 st region, and performs the read/write process with the region as the 1 st region. That is, by switching the access area to an area (auxiliary area) where no damage (low possibility of existence) exists and continuing the read/write process, the disappearance of data or the expansion of damage is avoided. In the present embodiment, the HDD10 as a processing target of the information processing apparatus uses a region of a part of the total available capacity, for example, a region of a fraction to a fraction of the total capacity, as an initial use region for storing application data, numerical data, and the like. The remaining area can be used as an auxiliary area that can be accessed while avoiding loss of application data, numerical data, and the like stored in the 1 st area. However, when the user does not wish to execute the above-described switching area processing for avoiding the data loss, the entire area can be used as a storage area in which arbitrary data can be stored at any time.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating and schematically showing details of the structure of the information processing apparatus 16 according to the embodiment.

The information processing device 16 may be configured by hardware and connected to the HDD10 via a predetermined interface to execute the above-described area switching process, or may be implemented in software included in a system (for example, a personal computer) on which the HDD10 is mounted to execute the above-described area switching process. In fig. 2, as an example, a case where the information processing apparatus 16 is constituted by hardware and can be connected to the HDD10 will be described. In this case, the information processing device 16 is connected to a display/input unit 18 for displaying a setting condition or the like of the user input area switching process or various information such as a warning or the like outputted from the information processing device 16 via a predetermined interface. In the case where the HDD10 is connected to a personal computer or the like and the personal computer side includes a display unit or an input unit, the display/input unit 18 may be omitted and the function of the personal computer side may be used.

The information processing device 16 includes a control unit 20, a storage unit 22, and the like in order to realize the functions of moving the data in the 1 st area to an unused auxiliary area where no damage (or a low possibility of existence) exists and switching the access area to continue the read/write process as described above. When the information processing apparatus 16 is configured by hardware, a change-over switch 24 (for example, a toggle switch (DIPswitch) or toggle switch) for switching the presence or absence of setting of an unused auxiliary area (area 2) for moving data of the area 1 where the read/write process can be currently performed is connected to the information processing apparatus 16. In this case, the mode selection can be performed without using the area switching function (data movement function) of the present embodiment, and the 2 nd area can be used as the storage area for other data, and the HDD10 can be used in the conventional manner. In addition, the activation/deactivation of the area switching function of the present embodiment may be switched in accordance with a switching command input by the display/input unit 18 instead of the switch 24.

The control unit 20 includes a region setting unit 26, an information acquisition unit 28, a copy processing unit 30, an output unit 32, and the like. The copy processing unit 30 includes a comparing unit 30a, a copy executing unit 30b, and the like. The storage unit 22 can store input information (instead of the number of sectors) input by the user via the display/input unit 18 or the like and store information acquired by the information acquisition unit 28. The storage unit 22 can store a threshold value (an area switching threshold value, an R/W verification threshold value, or the like, which will be described later) referred to when the comparison unit 30a determines whether the copy execution unit 30b is executing the copy of the data in the HDD10, an actual value (the number of times of area switching H) of the copy execution unit 30b, and the like.

In the initial setting of the information processing apparatus 16, the area setting unit 26 sets an area including a used area in which data should be stored, an area for replacing a sector when a read failure occurs, and the like, as the 1 st area in the HDD 10. The area setting unit 26 sets an unused area other than the 1 st area as the 2 nd area. The area setting unit 26 sets at least one, for example, n auxiliary areas corresponding to the capacity of the 1 st area for the 2 nd area. For example, assume that the capacity of the entire area 34 of the platter 12 of the HDD10 shown in fig. 1 is 1TB (terabyte). For example, the 1 st area 34a is an area in which application data, numerical data, image data, and the like are stored, and is a use area that has been secured as an area for replacing a sector. Further, as the 1 st area 34a, for example, 100GB (gigabytes) is assumed as a usage area in the entire area 34 of the disk 12. In this case, the remaining 900GB becomes the 2 nd region 34b. The area setting unit 26 sets the 2 nd area 34b to be divided into, for example, 9 (set number n=9) auxiliary areas 36 (each 100 GB) so as to correspond to the capacity (for example, 100 GB) of the 1 st area 34a.

When a plurality of auxiliary areas 36 are set for the 2 nd area 34b of the disk 12 of the HDD10, the area setting unit 26 sets the tracks extending in the circumferential direction to be adjacent to each other in the radial direction as a minimum unit, for example, as shown in fig. 1. In this case, the moving distance of the magnetic head 14a due to the switching of the areas can be shortened. For example, by setting the region in which the region switching is performed to be a region adjacent in the radial direction, the moving amount of the magnetic head 14a can be controlled to the minimum. As a result, wear of the drive portion and consumption of lubricant of the disk 12 can be suppressed, and the operation time of the HDD10 can be advantageously prolonged.

In the case of fig. 1, an example is shown in which the area (1 st area 34 a) that is first secured as the use area is the outermost periphery of the disk 12, but the 1 st area 34a represents an area that can be accessed for the read/write processing, and as described above, the auxiliary area 36 to which data is moved is regarded as the 1 st area 34a in the subsequent processing when the area switching is performed. The setting of the auxiliary area 36 by the area setting unit 26 at the time of initial setting is not to set an area substantially on the disk 12, but to make it possible to identify the position information at the time of recording data on the disk 12 side and to virtually set an area on the information processing device 16 side. The number n of settings of the auxiliary areas 36 set by the area setting unit 26 may be equal to or greater than the capacity of the 1 st area 34a as long as the capacity of the auxiliary area 36 at the time of setting is equal to or greater than the capacity of the 1 st area 34a. Thus, the area setting unit 26 may automatically determine the set number n according to the use status of the HDD 10. In other embodiments, for example, the user may designate the capacity of the auxiliary area 36 or designate the number of settings n by using the display/input unit 18 to set the area so that the capacity of the 1 st area 34a becomes equal to or larger than the capacity at the time of initial setting.

The information acquisition unit 28 acquires necessary information from history information recorded by the HDD10 according to the operating state. As the history information, SMART (Self-Monitoring, analysis and Reporting Technology, self-Monitoring, analysis, and reporting technology) information collected at the time of operation by the HDD10 as a standard function can be used. The SMART information includes information such as the number of times of power ON/OFF, the ON time of the power, and the seek time of the head 14a, in addition to the occurrence frequency of errors occurring so far, the worst recording, and the like, instead of the number of occurrences of sectors, for example. The information acquisition unit 28 reads out and acquires information on the number of replacement sectors from the SMART information from the HDD10, and records the information in the storage unit 22. For example, when the area setting unit 26 sets the auxiliary area 36, the information acquisition unit 28 reads out the number of replacement sectors from the HDD10 and stores the number of replacement sectors in the storage unit 22. The information acquisition unit 28 reads out the latest number of replacement sectors from the HDD10 and stores the read number in the storage unit 22 at a predetermined processing cycle during the operation of the HDD10, for example. In this case, the number of replacement sectors already stored in the storage section 22 is set to the previous value, and the newly read number of replacement sectors is stored as the latest value in the storage section 22. Thus, the previous value and the latest value are stored in the storage unit 22.

When the number of increases in the replacement sectors acquired by the information acquisition unit 28 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the copy processing unit 30 causes the HDD10 to perform a process of copying the data in the 1 st area 34a to any one of the auxiliary areas 36 that is not used. For example, the comparing unit 30a calculates a difference between the previous value and the latest value of the number of replacement sectors stored in the storage unit 22 by the information acquiring unit 28. That is, the number of replacement sectors that occur mainly in the 1 st area 34a by the HDD10 performing the read/write process between the time of storing the previous number of replacement sectors and the time of storing the latest number of replacement sectors is calculated. The comparison unit 30a compares the difference with the area switching threshold value stored in the storage unit 22 in advance. The area switching threshold is a threshold determined in advance by a test or the like. For example, the relationship between the number of occurrences of the replacement sector in the same area (for example, the 1 st area 34a currently accessible) of the disk 12, the delay in the processing speed of the HDD10, the occurrence frequency of errors, and the like is obtained in advance by a test or the like. The area switching threshold value is determined based on the number of occurrences of the allowable number of replacement sectors that the HDD10 can be considered to be capable of operating normally. In addition, the region switching threshold value is preferably set in consideration of a rich value. When the comparison unit 30a determines that the difference between the replacement sectors is equal to or greater than the area switching threshold, that is, when it determines that there is a possibility that further replacement sectors are generated in the currently accessible 1 st area 34a, the copy execution unit 30b copies the data of the 1 st area 34a to the unused auxiliary area 36, with the result that the risk of data loss increases and the reliability of the HDD10 decreases. When the data in the 1 st area 34a is copied to the unused auxiliary area 36, the copy execution unit 30b performs "+1" of the area switching number H indicating the actual value of the copy, and records the value in the storage unit 22.

The copy execution unit 30b may execute the read/write verification process (R/W verification) as a function provided in the HDD10 with respect to the auxiliary area 36 to be copied, for example, the auxiliary area 36 adjacent to the 1 st area 34a currently accessible, before copying the data of the 1 st area 34a to the auxiliary area 36. The copy execution unit 30b may cause the auxiliary area 36 to execute the copy of the data in the 1 st area 34a when the number of read/write errors (for example, the number of replacement sectors) is less than a predetermined threshold (R/W check threshold) as a result of the R/W check, for example, when the number of read/write errors=10 times. In this way, the copy execution unit 30b confirms in advance the possibility of occurrence of the replacement sector in the auxiliary area 36, and excludes the auxiliary area 36 whose number of replacement sectors may exceed the area switching threshold (area switching to another auxiliary area 36 is required) earlier from the target of data transfer. As a result, the copy execution unit 30b can reduce the risk of data loss, delay in processing operations of the HDD10, and the occurrence frequency of errors, and can contribute to improvement of the reliability of the HDD 10.

The copy execution unit 30b may forcedly copy the data in the 1 st area 34a to any unused auxiliary area 36 among the auxiliary areas 36, for example, when a copy request command input by the user using the display/input unit 18 is received, regardless of whether or not the number of sectors is increased. For example, even when the user senses a change in the HDD10 based on past experience or the like, the user can move data, and can contribute to improvement of the reliability of the HDD 10. In addition, even when data movement is required for operational reasons, rapid data movement is possible, which can contribute to improvement in usability of the HDD 10.

The output unit 32 outputs and displays utilization information indicating the utilization state of the auxiliary area 36 to, for example, the display/input unit 18. As described above, since the capacity of the entire area 34 of the HDD10 is limited, the number of times the copy execution unit 30b can copy the data of the 1 st area 34a to the unused auxiliary area 36 is limited. Thus, when the copy execution unit 30b has executed a copy instruction for the last unused auxiliary area 36, that is, when the number of area switching times H reaches the set number n of auxiliary areas 36 set by the area setting unit 26, the output unit 32 promptly stops the HDD10 currently in operation, and outputs a stop warning recommending countermeasures to be taken. In this case, the possibility of data loss occurring immediately in the auxiliary area 36 in which the data is copied by the copy execution unit 30b is low. Therefore, the user can avoid the loss of data by executing the replacement operation of the HDD10 (the operation of transferring data to another HDD 10) in accordance with the outputted stop warning. The output unit 32 may output a storage recommendation warning for the HDD10 data in advance when the number of area switches h+1 reaches the set number n of the auxiliary areas 36 set by the area setting unit 26, that is, when the number of unused auxiliary areas 36 remaining after the area switch is 1. In this case, the user can prepare replacement work including securing of a new HDD10 in accordance with the outputted storage recommendation warning, and can reliably and with room to avoid loss of data. The output unit 32 may perform information display corresponding to the number of the remaining unused auxiliary areas 36, for example, back-off display of the number of the remaining unused auxiliary areas 36.

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions required in the information processing apparatus 16, and the functions may be combined or separated as appropriate as long as the same functions can be realized.

The flow of the area switching process performed by the information processing apparatus 16 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowcharts of fig. 3 to 6. The flowcharts shown in fig. 3 to 6 are examples, and the processing order and the processing content may be changed as appropriate as long as the same processing can be executed.

First, a flow of processing at the time of setting the auxiliary area 36 in the information processing apparatus 16 will be described based on the flowchart of fig. 3.

For example, when the user inputs an operation start command for requesting execution of the loss avoidance function of the HDD10 data by the information processing apparatus 16 using the display/input unit 18, the area setting unit 26 performs setting of the auxiliary area 36 of the disk 12 (S100). For example, the area setting unit 26 obtains the capacity of the area (the area in which the application data, the numerical data, the image data, and the like are stored and the capacity of the area in which the replacement sector is secured) of the use area secured as the 1 st area 34a in the HDD10, which is input from the display/input unit 18, and determines the set number n of the auxiliary area 36 based on the capacity of the 1 st area 34a and the capacity of the 2 nd area 34b other than the 1 st area 34a. The area setting unit 26 sets n auxiliary areas 36 corresponding to the capacity of the 1 st area 34a for the 2 nd area 34b. In the case of setting the auxiliary area 36, the user may input the set number n using the display/input unit 18, or may obtain the capacity of the 1 st area 34a from the HDD10 to calculate the set number n in which the 2 nd area 34b can be set.

Next, the information acquisition unit 28 reads out the number of replaced sectors of the entire area 34 of the disk 12 from the SMART information stored in the HDD10 (S102). The information acquisition unit 28 stores the current number of replacement sectors read out in a predetermined area of the storage unit 22 (S104). Then, the control unit 20 permits the HDD10 to start the read/write process of the 1 st area 34a (S106).

Fig. 4 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating a flow of processing including warning processing in the information processing apparatus 16. It is assumed that the flowchart of fig. 4 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined processing cycle during the operation of the information processing apparatus 16. In addition, the processing of the flowchart of fig. 4 can be executed, for example, when the power of the HDD10 is turned on, when the power of a system connected to the HDD10 is turned on, when a time set by a timer or the like, when a maintenance command is input by a user for optimization of the HDD10 using the display/input unit 18, or the like.

If the flowchart of fig. 4 is executed, the information acquiring unit 28 reads out the number of replaced sectors of the entire area 34 of the disk 12 in the current state from the SMART information stored in the HDD10, and stores the number of replaced sectors as the latest value in the storage unit 22 (S200). Next, the comparing unit 30a reads out the number of replaced sectors (previous value) of the auxiliary area 36 stored in the storage unit 22 and the current number of replaced sectors (latest value) stored in S200, and calculates the difference (S202).

The comparing unit 30a checks whether or not there is an interrupt process for executing the forced switching request to the auxiliary area 36, and if there is no interrupt process (no in S204), compares the difference calculated in S204 with the area switching threshold value read out from the storage unit 22 (S206). The interrupt processing may be requested by using the display/input unit 18, for example. When the comparison result is determined as the difference < area switching threshold (yes in S206), the comparison unit 30a determines that no problem occurs in the number of occurrences of the replacement sector at the present stage even if the currently accessible read/write process in the 1 st area 34a is continued. As a result, the control section 20 outputs a command to the HDD10 to permit the read/write process in the HDD10 to be executed (S208).

If the interrupt processing is performed in S204 (yes in S204), or if the difference calculated in S202 is equal to or greater than the area switching threshold in S206 (no in S206), the copy execution unit 30b checks whether or not the number of area switching times H stored in the storage unit 22 has reached the set number n of auxiliary areas 36 (S210). When the number of area switching times H reaches the set number n of auxiliary areas 36 (yes in S210), the unused auxiliary areas 36 are not already present in the disk 12. In this case, the output unit 32 outputs a stop warning recommending that the HDD10 in the current operation be stopped promptly (S212). In addition, in this case, there is a low possibility that loss of data occurs immediately in the 1 st area 34a that is currently accessible. Thus, the control unit 20 outputs a command to the HDD10 to permit the execution of the read/write process in the HDD10 (S208), and the flow is once ended. In this case, the user can reliably avoid loss of data that may occur recently by executing the replacement operation of the HDD10 (the operation of transferring data to another HDD 10) in accordance with the outputted stop warning.

In S210, when the number of times of area switching H does not reach the set number n of auxiliary areas 36 (no in S210), the copy execution unit 30b adds "1" to the number of times of area switching H stored in the storage unit 22, and confirms whether or not the number of times of area switching h+1 reaches the set number n of auxiliary areas 36 (S214). That is, it is checked whether or not the remaining unused auxiliary area 36 is "1". When the number of area switches h+1=the set number n (yes in S214), that is, when the current number of area switches H reaches n-1, the output unit 32 predictively outputs a saving recommendation warning for the data of the HDD10 (S216). In this case, since 1 auxiliary area 36 remains unused, the copy execution unit 30b executes the area switching process of copying all data of the 1 st area 34a to the unused auxiliary area 36 (S218). In addition, when the save recommendation warning is output in S216, the copy of the data to the auxiliary area 36 can be reliably executed in a situation where 1 unused auxiliary area 36 remains. That is, there is a margin until the HDD10 must be replaced immediately. The user can prepare replacement work including securing of a new HDD10 in accordance with the outputted storage recommendation warning, and can reliably and freely avoid data loss.

If the number of times of area switching h+1=the set number n is not set in S214 (no in S214), the process in S216 is skipped and the process proceeds to S218 if two or more unused auxiliary areas 36 remain.

Details of the area switching process in S218 will be described with reference to the flowchart of fig. 5. First, the copy execution unit 30b copies all data of the 1 st area 34a that is currently accessible to the unused auxiliary area 36 (S300). For example, in fig. 1, the entire data is copied to the auxiliary area 36 radially adjacent to the 1 st area 34a. In FIG. 5, for purposes of illustration, the currently accessible 1 st region 34a is set as region P _(M) . In addition, the unused adjacent auxiliary area 36 is set as an area P _(M+1) . M is the footer of the identified area in disk 12, in FIG. 1, provided withThe area corresponding to the 1 st area 34a in setting the auxiliary area 36 is m=0, and the set auxiliary area 36 is set to be m=1, m=2, … m=n toward the inner peripheral side. For example, in the case where the 1 st area 34a is the outermost periphery of the disk 12 (in the case where the area switching is not yet performed), the area P _(M＝0) Is copied to P as the adjacent auxiliary area 36 (all data of the 1 st area 34 a) _{(M＝0+1＝1)} Is a kind of medium. Thus, region P after 1 st replication _(M＝1) The 1 st area 34a at the time of the next area switching process.

Next, the information acquisition unit 28 reads out the number of replaced sectors of the entire area 34 of the disk 12 from the SMART information stored in the HDD10 after copying (S302). The information acquisition unit 28 stores the read number of copied replaced sectors in a predetermined area of the storage unit 22 (S304). The copy execution unit 30b records the area P _(M) All data copied to region P _(M+1) The actual value of (a) is added to "1" for the number of times of area switching H (S306), and the flow is once ended.

If the region switching process is completed, the control section 20 returns to the flowchart of fig. 4, and permits the region P to the HDD10 _(M+1) The read/write process starts (S208) in the new auxiliary area 36 after the copying is completed, and the flow is once ended.

Fig. 6 is an exemplary flowchart illustrating the flow of other area switching processing. The area switching process performs a read/write check process (R/W check) in advance on the area where the data is to be copied, and if the number of read/write errors (the number of replacement sectors) is less than a predetermined number, the auxiliary area 36 (area P _(M+1) ) Execute zone 1, zone 34a (zone P _(M) ) Is a data copy of (a).

First, the copy execution unit 30b executes a copy in the area P that is the next area to be copied _(M+1) The R/W check is performed (S400). Next, the information acquiring unit 28 reads out the number of replaced sectors of the entire area 34 of the disk 12 after the R/W verification from the SMART information stored in the HDD10, and stores the read number in the storage unit 22 (S402). The copy execution unit 30b calculates the number of replacement sectors before the R/W verification stored in the storage unit 22 and the number of replacement sectors after the R/W verification stored in S402Difference in numbers (S404). The copy execution unit 30b compares the difference calculated in S404 with the R/W verification threshold read from the storage unit 22 (S406). The comparing unit 30a determines that the comparison result is a difference<In the case of the R/W check threshold (Yes in S406), the region P is caused to _(M) All data to R/W checked region P _(M+1) Copying (S408). That is, it is determined that the area P is not even _(M+1) The copy execution unit 30b causes the HDD10 to execute the copy of the data instead of the case where the number of sectors immediately exceeds the area switching threshold value and the copy must be executed again to the other auxiliary area 36.

Next, the information acquisition unit 28 reads out the number of replaced sectors of the entire area 34 of the disk 12 from the SMART information stored in the HDD10 after copying (S410). The information acquisition unit 28 stores the read number of copied replaced sectors in a predetermined area of the storage unit 22 (S412). The copy execution unit 30b records the area P _(M) Copy of data of (2) to region P _(M+1) The actual value of (1 st area 34a is copied to the actual value in the auxiliary area 36), the number of area switching times H is added to "1" (S414), and the flow is once ended.

In S406, the comparison unit 30a determines that the difference is not the difference when the result of the comparison is positive<In the case of the R/W verification threshold (NO in S406), that is, the R/W verified region P _(M+1) Possibly damaged and judged as unsuitable region P _(M) Copy of the data of (a) is performed. In this case, the copy execution unit 30b checks whether or not m+1=n (S416). That is, it is checked whether or not the region on which the R/W check was performed in this process is the last unused auxiliary region 36. If m+1=n is not found (no in S416), the copy execution unit 30b sets m=m+1 (S418), shifts to S400, and changes the auxiliary area 36 (for example, area P _(M+1+1＝2) ) The R/W check is performed and the processing after S400 is performed again. Thus, the region P can be found to be safely performed _(M) The copy is performed in other areas of the data copy of (a) and the area P can be further reduced _(M) Risk of loss of data (data of region 1, 34 a).

M+1=in S416n (Yes in S416), i.e. in the region P where R/W verification is performed _(M+1) If the copy execution unit 30b is the last unused auxiliary area 36 and there is a possibility of damage, the copy execution unit determines the area P _(M) Is inhibited (S420). Further, since the output unit 32 fails to perform further copying due to the occurrence of a read/write error in the remaining last auxiliary area 36, a stop warning recommending that the HDD10 in operation at present be stopped promptly is output (S422), and the flow is once ended. In addition, in this case, the region P in the current access _(M) Namely (region 1, 34 a) has a low possibility of data loss occurring immediately. Accordingly, in fig. 4, the process proceeds to S208, and the control unit 20 outputs a command to the HDD10 to permit the execution of the read/write process of the HDD10, and the flow of fig. 4 is once ended. In addition, when the stop warning of the HDD10 is output in S422, the user can avoid loss of data by executing the replacement operation of the HDD10 (the operation of transferring data to another HDD 10) in accordance with the stop warning, as in the case where the stop warning is output in S212.

In this way, by confirming in advance the possibility of occurrence of the replacement sector in the auxiliary area 36, the auxiliary area 36 in which the number of replacement sectors may exceed the area switching threshold (area switching to another auxiliary area 36) earlier is excluded from the objects to which data is transferred, and the risk of loss of data can be reduced, which can contribute to the improvement of the reliability of the HDD 10.

In the above embodiment, the example in which the information processing device 16 is configured by hardware has been described, but a processing module that performs the same function may be implemented in a CPU of a system (for example, a personal computer) or the like to which the HDD10 is connected. In this case, the same effect can be obtained by acquiring and installing software for realizing the information processing apparatus 16 in the CPU via a storage medium or a communication line.

While the present invention has been described with reference to several embodiments, the above embodiments and modifications are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments can be implemented in various forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The above embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus, characterized in that,

the device is provided with:

a region setting unit that sets, for a region of a part of a disk rotatably provided in a hard disk drive, a ring-shaped region in which a 1 st region and a 2 nd region are set, the 1 st region having a target region in which data is read and written and data in which a sector of the target region fails in a read and write process is written, instead of a replacement sector of the sector, the 1 st region having a minimum unit of 1 track, the 2 nd region having, in a region different from the 1 st region, at least one auxiliary region which corresponds to a capacity of the 1 st region and is concentric with the 1 st region and is set in a minimum unit of 1 track, wherein the capacity of the auxiliary region is equal to or greater than a capacity of the 1 st region, and the 2 nd region is adjacent to the 1 st region in a radial direction of the disk;

an information acquisition unit configured to acquire history information in which the number of the replacement sectors generated in the 1 st area is recorded;

a copy processing unit configured to copy data in the 1 st area to the auxiliary area provided in the 2 nd area, and to cause the hard disk drive to perform read/write processing by using the copied auxiliary area as the 1 st area when the number of increases in the replacement sectors associated with the read/write processing is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value; and

and an output unit configured to output utilization information indicating a utilization state of the auxiliary area.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

the area setting unit determines whether or not the auxiliary area is set in accordance with a state of a change-over switch for switching the setting of the auxiliary area.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the copy processing unit executes read/write verification processing on the auxiliary area for which copying is planned before executing the copying, and executes the copying of the data when the number of read/write errors is less than a predetermined threshold.