JPH103738A - Start controller of disk device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To execute the efficient cache control by starting the read-out operation before the read-in instruction signal is outputted from a host device, by providing a storage means for storing the read-out instruction signal at the time of starting. SOLUTION: A read/write control circuit 5 is controlled by a start cache control circuit 4 based on data stored in a storage circuit 3. With the read/write control circuit 5, data are read out from a magnetic disk device with the use of a read/write control signal (g) and stored in a chche memory circuit. By the start cache control circuit 4 wherein the read-in instruction signal (i) outputted from the host device is received, the appropriate data among the data stored in the cache memory circuit 6 are selected, then an output data signal (j) is outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a boot control apparatus for a disk drive, and more particularly to a boot control apparatus for effectively using a cache memory for booting a disk drive having a cache memory. The disk device includes various storage media having a cache memory in addition to a magnetic disk device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, a startup control device for a disk device of this type uses a cache memory for the purpose of speeding up a magnetic disk device in a steady state.

[0003]

However, in the conventional magnetic disk cache control circuit, since the cache control is performed using the access frequency data, the access frequency data does not exist at the time of start-up. There was a disadvantage that control could not be performed.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a boot control apparatus for a disk drive capable of improving the cache control at the time of booting and increasing the speed of reading at boot.

[0005]

Therefore, according to the present invention, there is provided a boot detecting means for outputting a boot signal when a disk device having a cache memory is booted, and a cache memory when a boot signal is output by the boot detecting means. A start-up cache control unit for controlling the start-up control unit, and a storage unit that stores in advance the address of data read from the host device when the magnetic disk device is started up, and the start-up cache control unit outputs a start-up signal by the start-up detection unit. A start-up data read control function for controlling reading of data from the disk device in accordance with address information stored in the storage means, and a start-up data for storing data read by the start-time data read control function in a cache memory It has a storage control function and the like. This aims to achieve the above-mentioned object.

More specifically, the disk drive activation control device according to the present invention achieves the above object by providing a storage means for storing a read instruction signal at the time of activation. Since the storage means stores the read instruction signal (address information) at the time of activation, the read operation can be started before the read instruction signal is output from the host device.

In general, the power of the magnetic disk device is turned on almost at the same time as the host device. In many cases, constant data is always required for starting the host device. Therefore, constant data is often accessed when starting the magnetic disk device. For this reason, the address of certain data required when the host device is started is stored in the storage means, and when the power is turned on, the data is pre-read and stored in the cache. For this reason, access from the host device at the time of starting the disk device becomes faster. If the actual access is not the data stored in the cache, the address information of the actually accessed data is stored in the storage means, and the speed at the next start-up is increased.

[0008]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a disk drive activation control device according to the present invention.

The boot control unit 1 is a boot detection unit (boot detection circuit) that outputs a boot signal when a disk device having a cache memory (cache memory circuit) 6 is booted.
A start cache control unit (start cache control circuit) for controlling the cache memory circuit when a start signal is output by the start determination circuit; and an address of data read from a host device when the magnetic disk device is started is stored in advance. Storage means (storage circuit) 3.

In addition, the start-up cache control circuit 4 controls the reading of data from the disk device in accordance with the address information stored in the storage circuit 3 when the start-up detection circuit 1 outputs a start-up signal. And a start-up data storage control function for storing data read by the start-up data read control function in the cache memory circuit 6. Further, the cache memory circuit 6 is provided with a steady cache control circuit 2 for controlling the operation of the cache memory circuit 6 in a steady state.

The start-up detection circuit 1 responds to a power-on signal a from a magnetic disk device (lower-level device) (not shown) and a start-up state end signal m from the start-up cache control circuit 4 to enable an effective cache control circuit 2, Switch 4.

The start-up cache control circuit 4 includes the storage circuit 3
By controlling the reading control circuit 5 using the read control signal 1f based on the storage read signal 1 from the CPU, the read signal h is stored in the cache memory circuit 6.

The start-up cache control circuit 4 which has received the read instruction signal i from the host device (not shown) outputs the data stored in the cache memory circuit 6 to the host device as an output data signal j in accordance with the cache control signal 1e.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the start-up cache control circuit 4 uses the start-up data read function to read the disk device according to the address information stored in the storage circuit 3 when the start-up detection circuit 1 outputs the start-up signal. In order to control the reading of data from the storage device, the storage circuit 3 determines in advance that the data is required by the host device before the disk device is actually started and is accessed by the host device.
Can be read ahead of the data specified in
The start-up data storage function stores the data read by the start-up data read function in the cache memory circuit 6. Therefore, if an access is made from a host device immediately after the start of the disk device, the data to be accessed is Is stored in the cache memory circuit 6,
High-speed access is possible without the need for read processing in the disk device.

If the data according to the read command output from the host device when the magnetic disk device is started is not stored in the cache memory, the start cache control circuit 4 stores the address information according to the read command in the storage means. A first readout data change function at startup. This first change function updates address information for each data access.

In place of the first start-up read data change function, when the hit ratio to the cache memory circuit 6 with respect to the read command output from the host device at the time of starting the magnetic disk device is smaller than a certain value, A configuration may be provided with a second start-up read data change function of storing address information according to a read command in the storage circuit 3. This second change function changes address information in a lump according to the hit rate.

If the cache at the time of starting the disk drive does not hit by these data change functions, the contents of the storage circuit 3 are updated with the address of the data actually accessed. For this reason, access at the time of the next and subsequent startups is sped up.

Next, the operation of each circuit shown in FIG. 1 will be described in detail.

When the magnetic disk drive is started, a power-on signal a is output from a lower device (not shown). In response to this, the activation detection circuit 1 outputs the activation state signal c to activate the activation cache control circuit 4.

The start-up cache control circuit 4 includes the storage circuit 3
The reading control circuit 5 is controlled based on the data stored in. The reading control circuit 5 reads data from the magnetic disk device using the reading control signal g and stores the data in the cache memory circuit.

Upon receiving the read instruction signal i output from the host device, the startup cache control circuit 4 selects an appropriate one from the data stored in the cache memory circuit 6 and outputs an output data signal j. At this time, when data not stored in the cache memory circuit is requested, the contents of the storage circuit 3 are updated by the storage write signal 1.

When a series of processing is completed, the activation cache control circuit 4 outputs an activation state end signal m. Upon receiving this, the startup detection circuit 1 stops outputting the startup state signal c and outputs a steady state signal b. The steady cache control circuit 2 that has received the steady state signal b controls the reading control circuit 5 and the cache memory circuit 6 with the read control signal n and the cache control signal 2d based on the read instruction signal i from the host device. On the other hand, activation in a state where no memory is stored causes the storage circuit 3 to read the read instruction signal i from the host device.
But does not perform actual cache control.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the magnetic disk device is started, the cache memory can be made highly efficient in response to an access request from a host device, and the speed at the time of starting can be increased. be able to. The field of application of the present embodiment is wide. For example, when the host device is a computer, when the computer and the disk device are started, a file constituting an operating system necessary for starting the computer is always accessed. By storing the files making up the OS in the cache memory at the time of startup, the computer can be started up at high speed.

When the disk device is used for storing various data, the host device needs a file describing the file configuration of the disk device in order to mount the disk device. Therefore, by storing the addresses of such files in the storage circuit 3, the mounting process can be sped up.

Further, when the disk device is used for a single program operation, the program file is always accessed first when the power of the disk device is turned on. By storing the address of the program file in the storage circuit 3, the program startup processing is performed at high speed.

In addition, when a certain file is always accessed when the disk device is started, the speed of the process is increased.

[0027]

The present invention is constructed and functions as described above. According to this, according to the present invention, the boot cache control means uses the boot data reading function to store the boot signal when the boot detection signal outputs the boot signal. In order to control the reading of data from the disk device in accordance with the address information stored in the storage device, the data is specified in the storage means in advance as the data required by the host device before the disk device is actually started and accessed by the host device. The read-out data can be pre-read, and the data read out by the start-up data storage function can be stored in the cache memory by the start-up data storage function. In this case, the data to be accessed is stored in the cache memory. Reading process without the need for a disk device, thereby enabling high-speed access using the cache memory. As described above, it is possible to provide an unprecedented superior disk device startup control device that can perform high-efficiency cache control at startup and speed up reading at startup.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Start-up detection circuit (start-up detection means) 2 Steady-state cache control circuit 3 Storage circuit (storage means) 4 Start-up cache control circuit (start-up cache control means) 5 Reading control circuit 6 Cache memory circuit (cache memory) a Power-on signal b Steady state State signal c Activation state signal d Cache control signal 2 e Cache control signal 1 f Read control signal 1 g Reading control signal h Sequential signal i Read instruction signal j Output data signal k Storage read signal l Storage write signal m Activation state end signal n read control signal 2

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A boot detecting means for outputting a boot signal when a disk device having a cache memory is booted, a boot cache control unit for controlling the cache memory when the boot signal is output by the boot detecting means,
Storage means for storing in advance the address of data read from a host device at the time of starting the magnetic disk device, wherein the start cache control unit stores the start time signal in the storage means when the start detection unit outputs a start time signal. A start-up data read control function for controlling reading of data from the disk device according to the stored address information, and a start-up data storage control function for storing data read by the start-up data read control function in the cache memory A startup control device for a disk device, comprising: 2. The boot time cache control section, if data according to a read command output from the host device when the magnetic disk device is started is not stored in the cache memory, stores the address information according to the read command. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a first readout data change function stored in said storage means. 3. The start-time cache control unit according to claim 1, wherein a read command output from said higher-level device when said magnetic disk device is started has a hit rate to said cache memory equal to or less than a predetermined value. 2. The start control device for a disk device according to claim 1, further comprising a second readout data change function for storing the data in the storage means.