Storing Data Blocks

• US 20090113150A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Venturi, Ronald J., Kambites, Carl D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/161
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks

Abstract

A method of storing data blocks onto sectors of a storage device comprises determining a specific number n of blocks, where n is greater than 1, storing n blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends, repositioning the storing at the beginning of the next sector, and storing a further n blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.

Claims

1. A method of storing data blocks onto sectors of a storage device comprising

determining a specific number of blocks, wherein the number is greater than 1;

storing the determined number of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after a previous block ends;

repositioning the storing at the beginning of a next sector; and

storing a further number of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the specific number of blocks includes accessing a stored value of the number.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the number is an integer of four.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the specific number of blocks includes generating read and write requests for the storage device to determine an optimum value of the number.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a user input comprising the number.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising changing the number of specified blocks to a new value, and storing the new value of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends, repositioning the storing at the beginning of the next sector, and storing a further specified quantity of blocks of the new value consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.

7. A system for storing data blocks onto sectors of a storage device, comprising:

a control device in communication with a storage device, the control device arranged to;

determine a specific number of blocks;

store the determined number of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after a previous block ends,

reposition storage of the specified block at the beginning of a next sector, and

store a further number of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the control device is arranged to access a stored value of the specified number of blocks when determining the specific number of blocks.

9. The system according to claim 8, where the specified number of blocks is an integer of four.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the control device is arranged to generate read and write requests for the storage device to determine an optimum value for the specified number of blocks, when determining the specific number of blocks, where the number of blocks is greater than 1.

11. The system according to claim 10, and further comprising a user interface arranged to receive a user input comprising the number of specified blocks.

12. The system according to any one of claims 7, wherein the control device is further arranged to change the specific number of blocks to a new value, and to store the new value of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends, to reposition the storing at the beginning of the next sector, and to store a further quantity of the new value of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.

13. A computer program product on a computer readable medium comprising

instructions to store data blocks onto sectors of a storage device, the instructions comprising:

instructions to determine a specific number of blocks;

instructions to store the specific number of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after a previous block ends;

instructions to reposition the storing at a beginning of a next sector, and

instructions to store a further number of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions to determine the specific number of blocks includes accessing a stored value of for the specific number.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13, where the specific number is an integer value of four.

16. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the instructions to determine the specific number of blocks includes generating read and write requests for the storage device to determine an optimum value of the specific number of blocks.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising instructions to receive a user input comprising the specific number of blocks.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13, further comprising instructions to change the specific number to a new value, and storing the new value of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends, reposition the storing at the beginning of the next sector, and store a further quantity of the new value of blocks consecutively onto consecutive sectors, such that each block begins directly after the previous block ends.