Multiple and reconfigurable data access and storage device using multiple actuators

• US 6,563,657 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Price, Kirk Barrows, Yu, Mantle Man-Hon, Serrano, Louis Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): FABER, ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/676,604
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 360/246.7, 360/246.6, 360/61, 360/63, 360/69, 360/8, 360/48, 360/78, 360/12, 711/111, 711/112
• US Class Current: 360/48
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5547 "Seek" control and circuits therefor G11B5/5556 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/5578 Multiple actuators addressing the same disk, e.g. to improve data rate or access rate

Abstract

A hard disk drive for a computer system has at least two actuators for reading data from or writing data to the disks. The actuators may be configured to support the different methods of data access required of them. For example, if large quantities of sequential data are performed, one operation uses both actuators to increase throughput. However, if mostly random operations are to be performed, then independent usage of the actuators is preferred. These two methods of usage can be supported simultaneously, and can even be dictated by the user. The tracking format of the actuators can be configured such that the next logical track is physically located under a head on a different actuator to improve sequential operation. The actuators also may be utilized in a dual-channel configuration so that data can be written to both actuators at the same time, or read back at the same time to improve throughput. In addition, either of these configurations can be selected on a transfer-by-transfer basis by the user.

Claims

1. A method of configuring operations of a disk drive to support different modes of data processing therein, comprising:

(a) providing a disk drive having disks rotatably mounted thereto, and a plurality of actuators movably mounted to the disk drive for processing data via head gimbal assemblies by reading data from and writing data to the disks;

(b) characterizing a type of data to be processed by the disk drive as either a single continuous stream of data or as separate streams of data;

(c) operating the disk drive in a sequential mode wherein the single continuous stream of data is divided among at least two of the actuators to process the single continuous stream of data such that the actuators function as a single logical unit;

(d) operating the disk drive in an independent mode wherein the separate streams of data are processed by at least two of the actuators independently of each other such that the actuators function as a plurality of independent logical units; and

(e) selectively changing the disk drive to operate in either the sequential mode or in the independent mode based on an outcome of step (b) in order to configure operations of the actuators to support the different methods of data access required of them.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of simultaneously supporting both the sequential mode and the independent mode with the disk drive, such that a subset of the actuators are operated in the sequential mode at the same time that other ones of the actuators are operated in the independent mode.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (b), the type of data is characterized on the fly in real time, such that a size of the data is determined and, in step (e), the mode of operation may be modified as the character of the data changes over time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises sharing a single channel between all of said at least two of the actuators.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (b) is performed by a user of the disk drive such that operation of the disk drive is dictated by the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) is selected by a user of the disk drive such that operation of the disk drive is dictated by the user.

7. A system for configuring operations of a disk drive to support different modes of data processing within the disk drive, comprising:

a disk drive having disks rotatably mounted thereto and a plurality of actuators movably mounted to the disk drive for processing data via head gimbal assemblies by reading data from and writing data to the disks;

means for characterizing a type of data to be processed by the disk drive as either a single continuous stream of data or as separate streams of data;

means for operating the disk drive in a sequential mnode wherein the single continuous stream of data is divided among at least two of the actuators to process the single continuous stream of data such that the actuators function as a single logical unit;

means for operating the disk drive in an independent mode wherein the separate streams of data are processed by at least two of the actuators independently of each other such that the actuators function as a plurality of independent logical units; and

means for selectively changing the disk drive to operate in either the sequential mode or in the independent mode in response to the means for characterizing to configure operations of the actuators to support the different methods of data access required of them.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the means for operating the disk drive in the sequential mode and the means for operating the disk drive in the independent mode are used to simultaneously support both the sequential mode and the independent mode within the disk drive, such that a subset of the actuators are operated in the sequential mode at the same time that other ones of the actuators are operated in the independent mode.

9. A The system of claim 7 wherein the means for characterizes the type of data characterizes the data on the fly in real time such that a size of the data is determined, and the means for selectively changing the disk drive modifies the mode of operation as the character of the data changes over time.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for operating the disk drive in a sequential mode shares a single channel between all of said at least two of the actuators.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for characterizing the type of data is driven by user selection such that operation of the disk drive is dictated by a user.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein the means for s electively changing the disk drive is driven by user selection such that operation of the disk drive is dictated by a user.