JPH07175594A - Magnetic disk initialization system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the initialization system which can shortened the occupied time for an initializing process by releasing initialized areas to a user in order and making them usable even during magnetic disk initialization. CONSTITUTION:A free area management file generating means 20 generates a free area management file without any free area, and a magnetic disk dividing means 35 divides the recording area on a magnetic disk into plural divided areas; and a magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40 writes initialization data in the divided areas in order, a divided area initialization end deciding means 45 decides that the writing of the initialization data to one entire divided area ends each time the writing ends, and a free area management file updating means 50 registers the initialization completed divided area in the free area management file as a free area and updates the file, and releases it to the user in response to the decision making.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnetic disk initialization system for writing initialization data, which is inspection pattern data, onto a magnetic disk.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when a magnetic disk is used, in order to effectively use and manage a free area in which valid data of the magnetic disk is not recorded, even if the initialization process of writing initialization data which is inspection pattern data is completed. If the free area management file to be used is not created, the initialized magnetic disk cannot be used.

An example of a conventional initialization method in a magnetic disk will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional magnetic disk initialization method, in which magnetic disk occupying means 10 for occupying the magnetic disk and writing initialization data which is inspection pattern data on the magnetic disk. Magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40, an initialization processing end determination means 60 for determining an ending condition of the magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40, and a free area management file creating means 20 for creating a free area management file. When,
The magnetic disk occupation releasing means 30 for releasing the occupied state of the magnetic disk is configured.

Next, the operation of the conventional magnetic disk initialization method will be described.

First, in order to prevent the user from using the magnetic disk for initialization, the magnetic disk occupying means 10 makes the magnetic disk occupied.

Next, the initialization data which is the inspection pattern data is written by the magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40 from the beginning to the end of the magnetic disk.

Magnetic disk initialization data writing means 4
For 0, the processing is repeated until the initialization processing end determination means 60 determines that the writing of the initialization data of the magnetic disk is completed.

Magnetic disk initialization data writing means 4
When the initialization processing end determination means 60 determines that the writing of the initialization data is completed in all areas of the magnetic disk by 0, the free area management file creation means 20.
A free area management file is created at.

This free area management file is a file storing free area management data for managing a free area which is an area in which valid data is not recorded on the magnetic disk.
The free space management data is composed of information on the start position of the free space and information on the size of the free space or the end position of the free space. Values such as the start position and the end position are registered in the relative sector address in the magnetic disk or in the cylinder / track / sector format.

Next to the last free area management data, information indicating the end of the free area management data (eg, "FF" (H) for the size of one free area management data) is written.

FIG. 4 shows a specific example of the free area management file. FIG. 4 (a) is a layout diagram showing an example of area usage of the magnetic disk, and FIG. 4 (b) is a block diagram of the free space management file for that, and FIG. 4 (c) is a block diagram of the free space management data. And (d).

After that, the occupation release means 30 for the magnetic disk
Opens the magnetic disk to users.

This allows the user to use the magnetic disk for the first time.

[0015]

The above-mentioned conventional magnetic disk initialization method has a drawback that the magnetic disk under initialization processing cannot be used by the user because it occupies the magnetic disk under initialization processing.

Further, the capacity of the magnetic disk is increasing year by year, and accordingly, there is a drawback that the magnetic disk occupying time due to the initialization processing of the magnetic disk is becoming longer.

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks and enable use even during the initialization process of the magnetic disk by sequentially opening the initialized area to the user, and
An object of the present invention is to provide an initialization method capable of shortening the occupation time of the magnetic disk by the initialization processing by opening the magnetic disk during the initialization processing to the user.

[0018]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a free area management file for use in managing a free area which is an area which has been initialized and has no valid data recorded thereon. A free area management file creating means for creating a free area, a magnetic disk area dividing means for dividing the recording area of the magnetic disk into a plurality of divided areas, and initialization data which is an inspection pattern are sequentially provided in the plurality of areas. Magnetic disk initialization data writing means for writing in the divided areas, and divided area initialization completion judging means for judging the end of the writing of the initialization data in all areas of one of the plurality of divided areas, An empty area management file for registering and updating the initialized divided area as an empty area in the empty area management file in response to the determination of the completion of divided area initialization. And updating means is configured to include an initial processing completion determining means for determining an initialization process completion of the plurality of all the divided regions.

The magnetic disk initialization method of the second invention is the same as the magnetic disk initialization method of the first invention.
The free area management file updating means is characterized in that when the new free area to be registered is continuous with the registered free area, these areas are integrated into one free area and newly registered and updated.

[0020]

Embodiments of the magnetic disk initialization system of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a magnetic disk initialization system of the present invention.

In the magnetic disk initialization method of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a magnetic disk occupying means 10 for occupying a magnetic disk and a free area management file creating means 20 for creating a free area management file. A magnetic disk occupation releasing means 30 for releasing the occupied state of the magnetic disk, a magnetic disk area dividing means 35 for dividing the entire magnetic disk area into several units (cylinder unit, sector unit, etc.), and a magnetic disk. A magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40 for writing initialization data which is inspection pattern data, and a divided area initialization end determination means 45 for judging the completion of initialization of all areas of one divided area. Free space management file updating means 50 for updating the free space management file and writing of initialization data of the magnetic disk It is configured to include an initial processing end determining unit 30 determines the end of the process.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When initializing the magnetic disk,
First, the magnetic disk occupying means 10 brings the magnetic disk into an occupied state so that the user cannot use the magnetic disk being initialized.

Next, free space management file creating means 20
Creates a free space management file for managing free space with no free space.

Thereafter, the magnetic disk occupation releasing means 30 releases the occupation state of the magnetic disk so that the user can use the magnetic disk.

At this point, the information in the free space management file indicates that there is no free space, so the user cannot create a file yet.

After the occupation of the magnetic disk is released, the magnetic disk area dividing means 35 divides the entire magnetic disk area into some units (cylinder units, sector units, etc.).

Next, the magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40 sequentially writes the initialization data which is the inspection pattern data in divided area units.

In the divided area initialization end judging means 45, the current writing end position of the initialization data is compared with the final position of the one unit area divided by the magnetic disk area dividing means 35 and the one unit area is compared. Then, it is determined whether or not the writing of the initialization data is completed.

When the divided area initialization end judging means 45 judges that the current writing end position of the initialization data has reached the final position of the area of one unit, the free area management file updating means 50 initializes it. The area in which the writing of data is completed is registered in the free area management file as a free area.

As a result, the user can use the initialized one unit area as an empty area to create a file.

After the free area management file updating means 50 has finished updating, the initialization processing end determining means 60 determines whether or not the writing of the initialization data for all areas of the magnetic disk has been completed.

If the writing of the initialization data in the entire area of the magnetic disk has not been completed, the magnetic disk initialization data writing means 40 further executes the initialization data writing processing of the next area.

When the initialization processing end determination means 60 determines that the writing of the initialization data in the entire area of the magnetic disk is completed, the initialization processing is terminated.

During this period, the magnetic disk is occupied in the initialization processing operation from the start of the occupation by the magnetic disk occupation means 10 to the release of the occupation by the magnetic disk occupation releasing means 30. In other processing, The user is ready to use the magnetic disk in a broad sense.

Next, the free space management file updating means 50 will be described with reference to FIG.

The free area management file updating means 50 includes a free area management file occupying means 51 for occupying the free area management file, a free area management file management data reading means 52 for reading management data of the free area management file, and a free space. There is continuity between the free area management data search means 53 that performs the area management data search processing, and the area that has been initialized this time and the free area management data that has already been registered in the free area management file. A free area continuity checking unit 54 for checking whether there is free area management data, and new free area management data corresponding to the area that has been initialized this time if there is no continuous free area management data. Free space management data adding means 55 for adding the data, and if there is continuous free space management data, these A free area management data integrating means 56 for integrating the free area management data, a free area management file management data writing means 57 for writing the updated free area management data to the free area management file, and an occupied state of the free area management file. It is configured to include an empty area management file occupation releasing means 58 for releasing.

Next, the free space management file updating means 50
The operation of will be described.

When the free area management file update processing is started, first, the free area management file occupying means 51
The free area management file is placed in an occupied state so that the user cannot use the free area management file during updating.

Next, the free area management file management data reading means 52 reads the data of the free area management file.

The free space management data search means 53 searches the read free space management file data for information indicating the end of the free space management data, and the effective space up to the information indicating the end of the free space management data. Use as area management data.

In the free area continuity checking means 54, the free area management data searched by the free area management data searching means 53 and the area initialized this time are registered as new free areas. Check if there is a continuous area with the management data.

When the free area continuity checking means 54 confirms that there is no continuity, the free area management data adding means 55
Thus, new free area management data to be registered is added to the free area management file.

When it is confirmed by the free area continuity checking means 54 that there is continuity, the free area management data integrating means 56
Thus, the new free space management data to be registered and the registered free space management data with continuity are integrated.

FIG. 5 shows a specific example of adding and integrating free area management data.

FIG. 5A is a layout view of an example of using the magnetic disk area when the initialization data writing end area is added as a new free area because the area is not continuous, and FIG. 5B is empty. FIG. 7 is a layout view of an area usage example of the magnetic disk when the area B and the initialization data writing end area have continuity of areas, so that they are integrated.

After updating the free space management data, the free space management file management data writing means 57 writes the updated free space management data in the free space management file.

Thereafter, the free area management file occupation releasing means 58 releases the occupied state of the free area management file so that the user can use the free area management file.
The processing of the free space management file updating means 50 ends.

In this way, the user can use the magnetic disk during the initialization process even during the initialization process of the magnetic disk, and the occupation time of the magnetic disk by the initialization process can be shortened. Is possible.

[0051]

As described above, the magnetic disk initialization method of the present invention has the effect that the magnetic disk can be used during the initialization process even during the initialization process of the magnetic disk device. This has the effect of shortening the magnetic disk occupancy time due to the chemical treatment.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a magnetic disk initialization system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing details of a free space management file updating means 50.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional magnetic disk initialization method.

FIG. 4A is a layout view of a magnetic disk area usage example, and FIG. 4B is a configuration diagram of a free space management file;
(C) and (d) is a block diagram of free space management data.

5 (a) and 5 (b) are layout views of examples of use of magnetic disk areas.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 magnetic disk occupation means 20 free area management file creating means 30 magnetic disk occupation releasing means 35 magnetic disk area dividing means 40 magnetic disk initialization data writing means 45 divided area initialization end judging means 50 free area management file updating means 60 initialization Processing end judging means 51 Free area management file occupying means 52 Free area management file management data reading means 53 Free area management data searching means 54 Free area continuity checking means 55 Free area management data adding means 56 Free area management data integrating means 57 Free space Area management file management data writing means 58 Free area management file occupation releasing means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A free area management file creating means for creating a free area management file used for managing a free area which is an area on the magnetic disk which has been initialized and in which valid data has not been recorded, in a state with no free area, Magnetic disk area dividing means for dividing the recording area of the magnetic disk into a plurality of divided areas; magnetic disk initialization data writing means for sequentially writing initialization data, which is an inspection pattern, in the plurality of divided areas; A divided area initialization end determination means for determining the end of each writing of the initialization data to one entire area of the divided area, and the empty area management file in response to the completion determination of the divided area initialization file. A free area management file updating means for registering and updating a divided area for which initialization has been completed as a free area, and for judging completion of initialization processing for all of the plurality of divided areas. A magnetic disk initialization method comprising: an initialization processing end determination unit that determines the initialization. 2. The free space management file updating means, when the newly registered free space is continuous with the registered free space, integrates these into one free space and newly registers and updates them. And magnetic disk initialization method.