Method and apparatus for disc drive defragmentation

• US 20010047451A1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Noble, Gayle L., Hanlon, Jason P., Shimizu, Rick S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,735,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/111
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device

Abstract

Aspects of the invention include a method and apparatus to defragment data on a disc drive storage system by optimizing the available physical block address on a media into one or more contiguous physical block addresses then storing the fragmented data into the one or more contiguous block address. In one aspect, the disc drive uses a reserved area on the media to hold fragmented files during the defragmentation process. In another aspect, sectors of the media having faster access time are used to store defragmented files that have a higher incidence of access relative to other files on the media.

Claims

1. A method of storing data to a disc drive, comprising:

determining the data storing size of one or more free contiguous physical block addresses;

determining the data size of a least one or more fragmented files;

if the data storing size of at least one contiguous physical block addresses is at least as large as the data size of at least one of the fragmented files;

then

writing at least one of the fragmented files to the contiguous physical block address; and

wherein the total data size of the one or more fragmented files does not exceed the contiguous physical block address data storing size.

2. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising:

if the data storing size for the at least one contiguous physical block address is at least as large as the total file size of at least two fragmented files;

then

writing the at least two fragmented files into the at least one contiguous physical block address.

3. The method of

claim 1

, further comprising prior to determining the data storing size of at least one contiguous physical block address combining the available physical block addresses into a minimum number of one or more contiguous physical block addresses.

4. The method of

claim 3

, wherein combining the available physical block address into the at least one contiguous physical block address comprises:

determining the number of available physical block addresses; and

combining the available number of physical block addresses to form a minimum number of contiguous physical block addresses.

5. The method of

claim 1

, wherein if the first fragmented file size is larger than the storing size of the at least one contiguous physical block address:

providing a reserved physical block address having a data storing size sufficient to store the first fragmented file;

writing the first fragmented file to the reserved physical block address;

if the combined size of the available physical block addresses is at least the same size as the first fragmented file;

combining the available physical block addresses into at least a second contiguous physical block address sufficient in size to store the first fragmented file; and

writing the first fragmented file to the second contiguous physical block address.

6. A method of storing data to a disc drive, comprising:

combining at least two available physical block addresses into at least one contiguous physical block address;

locating at least one fragmented file to the at least one contiguous physical block addresses wherein the data storing size of the contiguous physical block address is at least as large as the at least one fragmented file;

combining the fragmented file to form at least one contiguous file; and

writing the at least one contiguous file to the at least one contiguous physical block address to form at least one contiguous defragmented file.

7. The method of

claim 6

, wherein combining the at least two available physical block addresses into at least one contiguous physical block address comprises moving the files on the media and positioning the two available physical block address adjacent to each other.

8. The method of

claim 6

, wherein combining the fragmented files to form at least one contiguous file comprises writing the fragmented file to a reserved area on the media at least as large as the total file size of the fragmented file.

9. The method of

claim 6

, wherein writing the at least one contiguous file to the at least one contiguous physical block address to form the at least one contiguous defragmented file comprises:

writing the fragmented file to a reserved area at least as large as the fragmented file;

combining the available physical block addresses to form at least a second contiguous physical block address as large as the fragmented file; and

writing the file to the second contiguous physical block address.

10. The method of

claim 9

, wherein combining the available physical block addresses to form at least a second contiguous physical block address as large as the fragmented file comprises moving a plurality of data files on the media so that the files are adjacent and forming the second contiguous physical block address.

11. The method of

claim 6

, wherein the contiguous physical block address is located at about adjacent the reserved area.

12. The method of

claim 11

, wherein the reserved area is located at about at least one or more outer cylinders.

13. The method of

claim 11

, wherein a data size for the reserved area is user selectable.

14. A disc drive system comprising:

a signal-bearing media means for storing data;

a code memory means coupled to a read/write controller means for controlling the reading and writing of data to the signal-bearing media,

means for reading and writing the data to the signal-bearing media;

a processor means coupled to the code memory and the read/write controller for defragmenting the data on the signal-bearing media means.

15. The system of

claim 14

, wherein the processor means comprises a program which, when executed on the processor means, is configured to perform the steps comprising:

combining at least two available physical block addresses into at least one contiguous physical block address;

locating at least one fragmented file to the at least one contiguous physical block addresses wherein the data storing size of the contiguous physical block address is at least as large as the at least one fragmented file;

combining the fragmented file to form at least one contiguous file; and

writing the at least one contiguous file to the at least one contiguous physical block address to form at least one contiguous defragmented file.

16. The system of

claim 15

, wherein combining the at least two available physical block addresses into at least one contiguous physical block address comprises moving the files on the media and positioning the two available physical block address adjacent.

17. The system of

claim 15

, wherein combining the fragmented files to form at least one contiguous file comprises writing the fragmented file to a reserved area on the media at least as large as the total file size of the fragmented files.

18. The system of

claim 15

, wherein writing the at least one contiguous file to the at least one contiguous physical block address to form the at least one contiguous defragmented file comprises:

writing the fragmented file to a reserved area at least as large as the fragmented file;

combining the available physical block addresses to form at least a second contiguous physical block address as large as the fragmented file; and

writing the file to the second contiguous physical block address.

19. The system of

claim 18

, wherein combining the available physical block addresses to form at least a second contiguous physical block address as large as the fragmented files comprises moving a plurality of data files on the media so that the files are adjacent and forming the second contiguous physical block address.

20. The system of

claim 15

, wherein the contiguous physical block address is located at about adjacent the reserved area.