JP6175578B2 - Disk storage device and method - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a disk storage device and method having a single dwrite function.

In recent years, hard disk drives (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as disk drives)
In this field, a data writing method called a so-called single write (shingled write) method has been developed as a method for increasing the recording density of a disk as a recording medium.

In the single write method, since data is overwritten with a write head width wider than the read track width on the disk, one side of the recorded track is erased. For this reason, rewriting operation in units of tracks cannot be performed, and it is necessary to rewrite in units of recording areas (bands described later) composed of a plurality of tracks. Therefore, a considerable processing time is required as compared with the conventional rewriting process.

As a method of improving the efficiency of such rewriting processing, a media cache (media ca
che) and a method of using a spare band in combination have been proposed. The media cache is a temporary recording area (buffer area) using a designated recording area on the disk or a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory.

The spare band is a user data area having the same capacity as the user band, although it is distinguished from a band which is a normal user data area on the disk (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a user band). The spare band can be transferred to the user band by assigning a logical address (LBA). That is, when valid user data is recorded in the spare band and the LBA is assigned, the spare band is transferred to the user band.
On the other hand, among other user bands, a band to which no LBA is assigned is managed as a spare band.

Japanese Patent No. 4886877

In particular, when processing a write command for writing continuous data from the host, a part of the continuous data is written to the spare band, and another LBA data is written to the media cache so that the rewrite process can be performed. Efficiency can be improved.
Continuous data is write data in which logical addresses (LBA) are sequentially consecutive.

However, until a new spare band is secured, data is written to the media cache, so the load on the media cache inevitably increases. For this reason, when the free space of the media cache decreases, a delay occurs in the response time of the subsequent write command, which causes a reduction in the efficiency of the rewriting process.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a disk storage device and method capable of improving the processing efficiency when rewriting continuous data.

An example of an embodiment uses a head and the head to record data in a track area,
A first area in which data is recorded using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area that partially overlaps the track area by using the head, and the first area is positioned radially apart from the first area. A disk having a capacity larger than the capacity of the first area and including a second area for caching the data recorded in the first area, and continuous first address information A first control for recording the first data in the second area in response to receiving the first write command and the first data relating to the first write command; In response to receiving a plurality of second write commands including a plurality of second address information that are different from and not continuous with the plurality of second data, and a plurality of second data relating to the plurality of second write commands. Second recording said plurality of the second data in the second region
Control, a third write command that is different from the first address information and the second address information and includes a third address information that is subsequent to the first address information and is continuous, and And a controller that executes at least a third control for recording the third data in the first area in response to receiving the third data relating to the third write command. It is a recording device.
In another example of the embodiment, a head, a first area in which data is recorded, a track area using the head to record data, and a track area that partially overlaps the track area using the head are recorded. Data is recorded using a recording method for recording data, and the second region is located radially away from the first region and has a capacity smaller than the capacity of the first region;
And the first data relating to the write request to the continuous first address is the first
Control for recording in the first area, control for recording second data related to a write request to a non-consecutive address in the first area, and a second continuous address after the first address. And a controller that executes at least control for recording third data relating to a write request to the address in the second area.

The block diagram which shows the structure of the disk drive regarding embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the single drite operation | movement regarding embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the structure of the user band and spare band regarding embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the 1st sequential write operation regarding embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the 2nd sequential write operation regarding embodiment. The figure for demonstrating the 3rd sequential write operation regarding embodiment. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a sequential write operation according to the embodiment.

  Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[Disk Drive Configuration]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part of a disk drive according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the disk drive is roughly divided into a head disk assembly (head disk assembly).
-disk assembly (HDA), head amplifier integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as head amplifier IC) 11,
The controller 15 includes a one-chip integrated circuit.

The HDA includes a disk 1 that is a recording medium, a spindle motor (SPM) 2, and a head 1.
0 has an arm 3 and a voice coil motor (VCM) 4. Disc 1
Is rotated by the spindle motor 2. The arm 3 and the VCM 4 constitute an actuator. The actuator controls the movement of the head 10 mounted on the arm 3 to a designated position on the disk 1 by driving the VCM 4.

The head 10 has a slider as a main body, and the write head 10 mounted on the slider.
W and read head 10R. The read head 10 </ b> R reads data recorded on the data track on the disk 1. The write head 10R writes data on the disk 1.

The head amplifier IC 11 has a read amplifier and a write driver. The read amplifier amplifies the read signal read by the read head 10R, and reads / writes (R /
W) Transmit to channel 12. On the other hand, the write driver transmits a write current corresponding to the write data output from the R / W channel 12 to the write head 10W.

The controller 15 includes an R / W channel 12 and a hard disk controller (HDC)
13 and a microprocessor (MPU) 14. The R / W channel 12 includes a read channel 12R that executes signal processing of read data and a write channel 12W that executes signal processing of write data.

The HDC 13 controls data transfer between the host 19 and the R / W channel 12. HD
The C 13 controls the buffer memory (DRAM) 16 and executes data transfer control by temporarily storing read data and write data in the buffer memory 16.

The MPU 14 is a main controller of the disk drive, and controls the VCM 4 via the driver IC 18 to execute servo control for positioning the head 10. In addition, M
As will be described later, the PU 14 controls the head 10 so as to execute a single write operation.

Here, in the present embodiment, the disk 1 has a media cache (medi on the outer peripheral side, for example).
a cache) is reserved. This cache area may be secured in the inner or inner peripheral area of the disk 1 or in a flash memory 17.

[Single drite method]
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a single dwrite operation employed in the disk drive of the present embodiment.

In the disk drive, tracks (data tracks) are formed in the radial direction on the disk 1 by writing data on the disk 1 by the write head 10W. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, in the single dwrite method, each track 100 is overwritten sequentially. Such a data recording area (or data capacity unit) including a plurality of tracks (for example, 5 tracks) is called a band (Band0, Band1) 200. Here, in distinction from a spare band 210 described later, a band to which a logical address (LBA) is assigned and normal user data is recorded is referred to as a user band 200.

Between each band 200 (Band0, Band1), a guard track (to avoid data interference)
Guard Track) is placed. Here, the data in each band 200 is track number Tra
Write is performed in the order of ck0, Track1, Track2, Track3, and Track4. Track number Track0 to Track
Each track 100 of 3 is interfered on one side from the track to be written next, and the data signal width becomes narrower. On the other hand, with respect to the track 100 with the track number Track4, since no data is written in the guard track, there is almost no interference from other tracks.

With such a single write method that performs sequential overwriting, the track interval can be designed to be narrow, so that it is possible to increase the recording density of the data tracks formed on the disk 1.

Here, on the disk 1, the track group configured in the radial direction includes a plurality of zones 3.
It is divided into 00 and managed. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the zone 300 (Zone
The spare band 210 described above is provided for each of N and N. The spare band 210 is distinguished from the user bands 200-0 to 200-4 (Band0-Band4).
During the sequential write operation, this is a preliminary recording area used as an area for direct writing without going through the media cache.

[Sequential write operation]
Next, the rewriting process by the sequential write operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

First, the MPU 14 writes a write command (including a logical address LBA) from the host 19.
Based on, it is determined whether the requested write operation is a sequential write (block 700). Sequential write is an operation of continuously writing (rewriting) continuous LBA data. This embodiment is applied particularly when a plurality of files are sequentially written.

If the write command from the host 19 is not a sequential write but a normal write, the MPU 14 writes the write request data to the media cache (400 described later) on the disk 1 via the buffer memory 16 (block 700). NO, 705)
. The media cache is an area for temporarily storing data requested to be written by the host 19 when writing data by single write. The media cache is a recording area secured on the outermost peripheral side on the disk 1, for example, and has a capacity sufficiently larger than the capacity of one band. The MPU 14 rewrites data temporarily stored in the media cache by moving it to a band which is a user data area at a predetermined timing.

On the other hand, when the write command from the host 19 is a sequential write (YES in block 700) and the spare band 210 is usable (YES in block 701), the MPU 14 stores the data of the first file. 190A is the LB to be rewritten
Write to the spare band in the zone corresponding to A (block 702). That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the spare band 210 is usable, the MPU 14 sequentially writes the data 190A of the first file (for example, LBA starts from 0xF000) (YES in block 701, 702). .

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the MPU 14 continuously writes the data 190B of the second file (for example, LBA is 0x1000 to 0x1FFF) by a new write command from the host 19, the spare band 210 has already been set. Since it is used, the data 190B is written to other than the spare band 210 (NO in block 701). For convenience, as a first sequential write operation, the MPU 14 satisfies the conditions described later,
The data 190B is sequentially written to the media cache 400 (NO in block 703, NO in 704, 705).

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, when data is sequentially written to the media cache 400, user data of the user band 200-1 (Band1) corresponding to the LBA (0x1000 to 0x1FFF) of the data 190B (that is, Data to be rewritten) becomes invalidation data. In this case, the MPU 14 temporarily stores the LBA (0x10) stored in the media cache 400.
00 to 0x1FFF) data 190B is moved to the user band and rewritten at a predetermined timing. User band 200-1 (Band1) in which such invalidation data is recorded
) Is called an invalid band for convenience. In other words, the invalid band is an area that can become a new spare band, and is an update recording area in which new data can be recorded.

Next, with reference to FIG. 5, the rewrite operation by the second sequential write operation will be described for convenience.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the MPU 14 receives subsequent data (for example, LB) of the second file.
(A starts from 0x2000) When 190C is continuously written, as a recording area other than the spare band 210, it is sequentially written not to the media cache 400 but to the invalid band 200-1 (Band1) (NO in block 701, 703) NO, 7O7).

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the media cache 400 includes a user band 200-1 (Ba
Since all the LBA user data (LBA is 0x1000 to 0x1FFF) allocated to nd1) exists, the MPU 14 sets the user band 200-1 (Band1) as an invalid band (YES in block 704, 706). Specifically, the MPU 14 uses the user band 200.
A flag is set in the table information for managing -0 to 200-n, and the user band 200-1
Set (Band1) as the invalid band.

As shown in FIG. 5, the MPU 14 uses the user band 200-1 (
Data 190C starts to be written to (Band1) (block 707) and continues until data for one band (LBA is 0x2000 to 0x2FFF) has been written (YES in block 703)
, 708, 709 NO). The MPU 14 performs data 190C for the set invalid band.
Is written, the address (LB) for the user band 200-1 (Band1)
The allocation of A) is executed (YES in block 709, 710).

After this, the MPU 14 executes a switching process for canceling the invalid band setting for the user band 200-1 (Band1) (block 711). Here, as shown in FIG.
When data is sequentially written to the user band 200-1 (Band1), user data (data to be rewritten) corresponding to the LBA (0x2000 to 0x2FFF) of the data 190C
Becomes invalid data. That is, the user data recorded in the user band 200-2 (Band2) is invalid data. Therefore, the MPU 14 uses the user band 200-2 (Band2).
Is set as an invalid band (YES in block 704, 706).

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, the rewrite operation by the third sequential write operation will be described for convenience.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the MPU 14 continuously writes the subsequent data 190D of the second file, the MPU 14 uses the invalid band 200-2 (Band2) instead of the media cache 400 as a recording area other than the spare band 210. ) Sequentially (NO in block 701, NO in 703, 7O7).

Similarly, the MPU 14 uses the user band 200-2 (Ba
nd2) starts to write data 190D (block 707) and continues until data for one band is written (YES in block 703, NO in 708 and 709). M
When the writing of the data 190D to the set invalid band is completed, the PU 14 assigns an address to the user band 200-2 (Band2) (block 70).
9 YES, 710).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user band 200-0 set as an invalid band instead of being written in the media cache 400, particularly when a plurality of files are sequentially written sequentially by the single write method. Write to ~ 200-n.
Therefore, the use of the media cache 400 can be saved. For this reason, even when the free space of the media cache 400 is reduced, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a delay occurs in the response time of the subsequent write command and the efficiency of the rewriting process decreases.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These 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.

1 ... disk, 2 ... spindle motor (SPM), 3 ... arm,
4 ... Voice coil motor (VCM), 10 ... Head, 11 ... Head amplifier integrated circuit,
12: Read / write (R / W) channel,
13: Hard disk controller (HDC),
14 ... Microprocessor (MPU), 15 ... Controller,
16 ... Buffer memory (DRAM), 17 ... Flash memory, 18 ... Driver IC,
19 ... Host, 100 ... Track, 200 ... User band, 210 ... Spare band,
400: Media cache.

Claims (20)

Head,
A first area in which data is recorded using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area using the head, and data is recorded in a track area partially overlapping the track area using the head; A second area that is located radially away from the first area, has a capacity larger than the capacity of the first area, and caches the data recorded in the first area; , Including discs, and
In response to receiving the first write command including the continuous first address information and the first data relating to the first write command, the first data is recorded in the second area. A plurality of second write commands including a plurality of second address information different from the first address information and different from the first address information, and a plurality of second data relating to the plurality of second write commands. In response to reception, the second control records the plurality of second data in the second area, and differs from the first address information and the second address information, and the first address In response to receiving a third write command that is an address later than the information and includes continuous third address information and the third data related to the third write command, A controller performing at least a third and a control of recording the third data to the first region, and
A disk recording apparatus comprising: The disk recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second area is an area located on an outer peripheral side of the disk with respect to the first area. The allocation of the plurality of second address information relating to the plurality of second data recorded in the second area is valid in the second area. Disc recording device. The disc further includes a third region that is positioned radially away from the first region and the second region, and in which data is recorded using the recording method,
The controller, at a certain timing after recording the plurality of second data in the second area, a part of the plurality of second data recorded in the second area, The disk recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein recording is performed in a third area. In the second area, the controller uses the head to record data in a track area, and uses the head to record data in a track area that does not overlap the track area. The disk recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the disk recording apparatus records the data. The controller includes the first write command and the third data as the first data.
6. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the received data is recorded in the first region in response to receiving data having a data length equal to or greater than a capacity of the region. Disc recording device. The controller executes the first control when the first data cannot be recorded in the first area, and the controller executes the first control when the third data can be recorded in the first area. 3
The disk recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is executed. Head,
Data is recorded using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area using the head, and data is recorded in a track area that partially overlaps the track area using the head. Recorded and radially spaced from the first region, the first region
A second area having a capacity smaller than the capacity of the area;
Control for recording first data related to write requests to consecutive first addresses in the first area, and control for recording second data related to write requests to non-continuous addresses in the first area A controller that executes at least the third data related to the write request to the second address that is subsequent to the first address and is continuous to the second area; and
A disk recording apparatus comprising: The disk recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first area is an area located on an outer peripheral side of the disk with respect to the second area. 10. The disk recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein allocation of address information relating to the second data recorded in the first area is valid in the first area. The disc further includes a third region that is positioned radially away from the first region and the second region, and in which data is recorded using the recording method,
The controller transfers a part of the second data recorded in the first area to the third area at a certain timing after recording the second data in the first area. The disk recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein recording is performed on the disk recording apparatus. In the first area, the controller uses the head to record data in a track area, and uses the head to record data in a track area that does not overlap the track area. Any one of Claims 8 to 11 for recording
The disk recording device according to item. The controller records at least a part of the received data in the second area in response to receiving data having a data length greater than or equal to the capacity of the second area as the third data. Item 13. The disk recording device according to any one of items 8 to 12. If the controller cannot record the first data in the second area, the controller executes control to record the first data in the first area, and the third data is recorded in the second area.
14. The disk recording apparatus according to claim 8, wherein control is performed to record the third data in the second area when recording is possible in the area. A first area in which data is recorded using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area using a head, and data is recorded in a track area that partially overlaps the track area using the head; The second region is located radially away from the first region, has a capacity larger than the capacity of the first region, and caches the data recorded in the first region.
And a method for recording data on a disc including:
Recording the first data in the second area in response to receiving the first write command including the continuous first address information and the first data relating to the first write command; When,
In response to receiving a plurality of second write commands including a plurality of second address information different from the first address information and not continuous, and a plurality of second data relating to the plurality of second write commands. Recording the plurality of second data in the second area;
A third write command including the third address information that is different from the first address information and the second address information and is subsequent to the first address information and includes continuous third address information, and the third write Recording the third data in the first area in response to receiving the third data relating to the command;
At least. The disc further includes a third region that is positioned radially away from the first region and the second region, and in which data is recorded using the recording method,
At a certain timing after recording the plurality of second data in the second area,
The method according to claim 15, further comprising: recording a part of the plurality of second data recorded in the third area in the third area. In the second area, the head is used to record data in a track area, and the head is used to record data using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area that does not overlap the track area. 17. A method according to claim 15 or claim 16. Data is recorded using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area using a head and a first area where data is recorded, and the head is used to record data in a track area that partially overlaps the track area. And a second area having a capacity smaller than the capacity of the first area, the data area being recorded on the disc, and the second area having a capacity smaller than the capacity of the first area, The method is
Recording first data relating to a write request to successive first addresses in a first area;
Recording second data relating to a write request to non-contiguous addresses in the first area;
Recording, in the second area, third data relating to a write request to a second address that is subsequent to the first address and is continuous;
At least. The disc further includes a third region that is positioned radially away from the first region and the second region, and in which data is recorded using the recording method,
A part of the second data recorded in the first area is recorded in the third area at a certain timing after the second data is recorded in the first area. The method of claim 18, further comprising: In the first area, the head is used to record data in a track area, and the head is used to record data using a recording method in which data is recorded in a track area that does not overlap the track area. 20. A method according to claim 18 or claim 19.

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