Multi-path to data facility for disk drive transducer arms
First Claim
1. An improved disk drive arrangement arranged to be controlled by one or more computer means and including a disk file, this file being characterized by two or more transducer arrays with each array coupled in a respective electronic data channel to at least part of said computer means via an associated control stage, the improvement therein comprising:
- cross-bar means coupled between each said transducer means and all of the control stages, and adapted to inter-couple each transducer means with an associated respective control stage in a first "normal" mode while also being adapted to couple each said transducer means to at least one other control stage in an "emergency mode";
whereby this system is arranged so that if one of the said electronic data channels to the computer means is interrupted it may be reconfigured along an alternate "emergency path" by said cross-bar means, to thus afford a "soft failure" and "alternate path to data" capability in the arrangement.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved disk file is disclosed including multiple independent transducer/actuator arrays disposed about a common disk (stack) and adapted to afford a plurality of alternate "Data-paths" whereby (virtually any) track on any disk may be accessed for data-in/data-out using a selectible one of several "data paths".
In one type embodiment, this is implemented by switching-over between electronic-control stages when one such stage fails.
In another type embodiment, it is afforded by providing overlapping track coverage by multiple head-units. Here, for any given (pair of) disk faces, each of several actuator arrays is assigned a respective set of tracks to cover as its "primary responsibility", also being assigned another adjacent set of tracks as its "secondary" (back-up) responsibility.
Such arrangements can provide such benefits as "multiple paths to data", and can convert "Hard" failure to "Soft" failure.
40 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An improved disk drive arrangement arranged to be controlled by one or more computer means and including a disk file, this file being characterized by two or more transducer arrays with each array coupled in a respective electronic data channel to at least part of said computer means via an associated control stage, the improvement therein comprising:
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cross-bar means coupled between each said transducer means and all of the control stages, and adapted to inter-couple each transducer means with an associated respective control stage in a first "normal" mode while also being adapted to couple each said transducer means to at least one other control stage in an "emergency mode"; whereby this system is arranged so that if one of the said electronic data channels to the computer means is interrupted it may be reconfigured along an alternate "emergency path" by said cross-bar means, to thus afford a "soft failure" and "alternate path to data" capability in the arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A disk drive arrangement including at least two groups of disks, each disk having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon;
- plus associated actuator means and actuator control means for each said disk group, each actuator and actuator control means being adapted for communication along an associated channel between a prescribed central data processor means (CP) and any "selected" disk track in its associated group, the improvement therein comprising;
common "switch means" interposed between each disk group and its associated "channel" and adapted to "normally" intercouple these whereby to establish a "normal path to data"; this switch means also being adapted to "cross-couple" any said channel in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component therein, whereby a companion channel is substituted automatically for the "failed channel" to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
- plus associated actuator means and actuator control means for each said disk group, each actuator and actuator control means being adapted for communication along an associated channel between a prescribed central data processor means (CP) and any "selected" disk track in its associated group, the improvement therein comprising;
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7. An improved method for arranging a disk drive to be controlled by one or more computer means, this drive including a disk file, this file being characterized by two or more transducer arrays with each array coupled along a respective electronic data channel to at least part of said computer means via an associated control stage, the method comprising:
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interposing cross-bar means between each said transducer means and all of the control stages, and intercouple the cross-bar means between each transducer means and its respective control stage to thereby establish a first "normal" communication channel therefor; while also adapting the cross-bar means to automaticallyc couple each said transducer means to at least one other control stage as an "emergency channel" under prescribed "emergency conditions"; whereby this drive, then, operates in a "soft failure" mode so that if one of the said channels to the computer means is interrupted, such alternative connection will be automatically reconfigured along said alternate "emergency channel" by said cross-bar means, thus establishing an "alternate path to data" capability for the drive. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A fixed disk drive including at least one stack of disks, each disk therein having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon, together with associated actuator means and actuator control means adapted for communication between a prescribed central processor means (CP) and any such track which is "selected", where any given normal connection between the CP and a given track via the control means may be characterized as the "normal path to data", the improvement therein comprising:
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means adapted to vary this "normal path to data" in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component, whereby a like component in the system is arranged to be automatically substituted for the failed component to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability; wherein are provided a plurality of actuator means for the disk file plus an associated actuator control stage for each actuator means, and, intermediate these, a common "cross-bar stage" adapted to substitute another control stage and thus provide an "alternative path to data" while the failed control stage is inoperative, responsive to indication of failure in any control stage.
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12. A fixed disk drive including at least one stack of disks, each disk therein having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon, together with associated actuator means and acutator control means adapted for communication between a prescribed central processor means (CP) and any such track which is "selected", where any given normal connection between the CP and a given track via the control means may be characterized as the "normal path to data", the improvement therein comprising:
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means adapted to vary this "normal path to data" in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component, whereby a like component in the system is arranged to be automatically substitued for the failed component to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability; wherein the drive comprises one or more actuator control stages, each coupled to respective actuator arrays; and
where, in event of failure in any control stage along any given "normal data path", the drive is adapted to automatically substitute an alternate control stage and/or an alternate actuator array and so define an "alternate data path" and so maintain the system in operation and avoid "Hard" failure.
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13. A fixed disk drive including at least one stack of disks, each disk therein having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon, together with associated actuator means and actuator control means adapted for communication between a prescribed central processor means (CP) and any such track which is "selected", where any given normal connection between the CP and a given track via the control means may be characterized as the "normal path to data", the improvement therein comprising:
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means adapted to vary this "normal path to data" in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component, whereby a like component in the system is arranged to be automatically substituted for the failed component to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability; wherein each disk group is accessed by a first and second transducer-actuator array;
each being controlled by a respective first and second control stage with the control stages being selectively cross-coupled to the other actuator array via common intermediate "cross-bar" stage which thus provides an "alternate path to data" in event of failure of a given control stage.
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14. A fixed disk drive including at least one stack of disks, each disk therein having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon, together with associated actuator means and actuator control means adapted for communication between a prescribed central processor means (CP) and any such track which is "selected", where any given normal connection between the CP and a given track via the control means may be characterized as the "normal path to data", the improvement therein comprising:
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means adapted to vary this "normal path to data" in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component, whereby a like component in the system is arranged to be automatically substituted for the failed component to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability; wherein each disk stack is accessed by a first and second transducer-actuator array;
each being controlled by a respective first and second control stage with the control stages being selectively cross-coupled to the other actuator array via common intermediate "cross-bar" stage which thus provides an "alternate path to data" in event of failure of a given control stage.
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15. A fixed disk drive including at least one stack of disks, each disk therein having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon, together with associated actuator means and actuator control means adapted for communication between a prescribed central processor means (CP) and any such track which is "selected", where any given normal connection between the CP and a given track via the control means may be characterized as the "normal path to data", the improvement therein comprising:
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means adapted to vary this "normal path to data" in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component, whereby a like component in the system is arranged to be automatically substituted for the failed component to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability; wherein a number of disk faces are provided in a stack of identical disks, each face presenting "S1 through Sn " track sites, there being T1 -Tn associated separate transducer/actuator arrays, each array arranged and adapted to cover a different unique set of adjacent track sites in its "normal operating mode"; and
also being arranged and adapted to cover an adjacent set of track sites in a prescribed "emergency operating mode". - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A fixed disk drive including at least one stack of disks, each disk therein having at least one recording face presenting a plurality of recording track sites arranged concentrically thereon, together with associated actuator means and actuator control means adapted for communication between a prescribed central processor means (CP) and any such track which is "selected", where any given normal connection between the CP and a given track via the control means may be characterized as the "normal path to data", the improvement therein comprising:
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means adapted to vary this "normal path to data" in case of failure of an electronic or mechanical actuator component, whereby a like component in the system is arranged to be automatically substituted for the failed component to thereby provide for "Soft-failure" via an "alternate path to data" capability; wherein each disk stack is accessed by a first and second transducer-actuator array;
each being controlled by a respective first and second control stage with the control stages being selectively cross-coupled to the other actuator array via common intermediate "cross-bar" stage which thus provides an "alternate path to data" in event of failure of a given control stage.
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Specification