Version tracking of disk write operations

• US 7,031,085 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Miller, Michael H., Thiesfeld, Charles W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Natalia
• Application Number:
  US10/125,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20030133214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 360/48, 702/185
• US Class Current: 360/48
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10009 Improvement or modification of read or write signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/012 Recording on, or reproducing or erasing from, magnetic disks G11B17/00, G11B19/00 take precedence

Abstract

The present invention is a disc drive storage unit incorporating novel apparatus, data structure and method for uniquely identifying data written during each write command operation of the disc drive storage unit. The disc drive storage unit attaches unique write identification data (sequence data, time data, or both) to host computer data written during each sector write operation. The unique write identification data is attached through independent action of the disc drive storage unit. The unique write identification data is attached to the host computer data in such a way that the unique write identification data is transparent to the host computer. The data structure relates the host computer data to the unique write identification data. The method documents the manner in which unique identification data is attached to, and detached from, the host computer data.

Claims

1. A method of storing data comprising:

receiving data to be stored on a data storage device that permits random access of data storage sectors;

generating a write operation sequence indicator uniquely identifying a write operation as against all other write operations performed on the data storage device;

combining the write operation sequence indicator with the data to obtain a complex data sequence, wherein error detection information for the combined write operation sequence indicator and the data is included in the complex data sequence; and

storing the complex data sequence to the data storage device,

wherein generating a write operation sequence indicator comprises;

incrementing a write operation counter once for each write command which is received, and wherein generating a write operation sequence indicator comprises;

incrementing a power-up counter once for every time the disk drive is powered up.

2. A data storage device comprising:

means for receiving data to be stored on the data storage device that permits random access of data storage sectors;

means for generating a write operation sequence identifier;

means for combining the write operation sequence identifier with user data to obtain a complex data sequence, wherein error detection information for the combined write operation sequence identifier and the user data is included in the complex data sequence; and

means for writing the complex data sequence to a data storage medium of the data storage device.

3. The data storage device of claim 2 wherein the data storage medium comprises:

a magnetic disc.

4. The data storage device of claim 2 wherein the data storage medium comprises:

an optical disc.

5. The data storage device of claim 2 wherein the means for generating comprises:

a write command counter.

6. The data storage device of claim 2 wherein the means for generating comprises:

a clock.

7. The data storage device of claim 2 wherein the means for generating comprises:

a clock; and

a write command counter.

8. A method of storing data on a data storage medium in a data storage device, the method comprising:

receiving data to be written to the data storage medium during a write operation; and

generating a write operation sequence indicator uniquely identifying the write operation as against all other write operations performed on the disc, wherein generating the write operation sequence indicator comprises;

incrementing a power-up counter once for every time the data storage device is powered up;

incrementing a write operation counter once for each write command which is received; and

combining at least one count value obtained from the power-up counter with at least one count value obtained from the write operation counter to obtain the write operation sequence indicator.

9. The method of claim 8 and further comprising:

combining the write operation sequence indicator with the data to obtain a complex data sequence; and

writing the complex data sequence to the data storage medium.