Measuring data transfer time for disk drives

• US 7,895,389 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Murray, Mark Randall, Maguire, Kevin Edward, Jeon, Edwin
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOE, YONG J
• Application Number:
  US11/414,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,758 Days
• Field of Search: 711/112, 711/100, 324/765
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/455 Arrangements for functional testing of heads; Measuring arrangements for heads

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for testing performance of a disk drive in a digital home communications terminal. In one such method, the steps comprise: measuring at least one time for data transfer of a group of sectors on the disk drive; and providing the time to a server over a communications channel. In another method, the steps comprise: downloading a disk drive performance test application from a server over a communication channel; executing the test application to measure at least one time for data transfer of a group of sectors on the disk drive; and reporting the time to the server over the communication channel.

Claims

1. A method for testing performance of a disk drive in a digital home communications terminal (DHCT), the method comprising the steps of:

downloading an executable disk drive performance test application from a server over a communication channel;

reading a user-configurable section location table to identify a group of sectors on the disk drive, wherein the user-configurable section location table is maintained by the disk drive performance test application;

executing the downloaded executable to measure at least one time for data transfer of the group of sectors on the disk drive, wherein the data transfer comprises;

allocating one or more read buffers;

reading the group of sectors into the read buffers;

enabling a write cache;

writing the group of sectors back to their original locations; and

flushing the write cache; and

reporting the measured time to the server over the communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

reporting the measured time to the server through Simple Network Message Protocol (SNMP) message.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the measured time in non-volatile memory.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

loading the downloaded executable into random access memory (RAM); and

rebooting the DHCT after the executing step, wherein the downloaded executable remains in RAM after the reboot.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

reporting the measured time to the server before the reboot step.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

unloading the test application from RAM.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the disk drive comprises a hard disk drive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the disk drive comprises a Digital Video Disc (DVD) drive.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel comprises a downstream channel and a distinct upstream channel.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the upstream communication channel comprises a telephone subscriber loop.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the downloaded executable to measure at least one time for data transfer of another group of sectors on the disk drive,

wherein the group of sectors corresponds to a first region on the disk drive and the another group of sectors corresponds to a second region on the disk drive.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the downloaded executable to measure at least one time for data transfer of another group of sectors on the disk drive,

wherein the group of sectors corresponds to a first region on the disk drive used to store video programs and the another group of sectors corresponds to a second region on the disk drive used to store electronic program guide data.

13. A method for testing performance of a disk drive in a digital home communications terminal (DHCT), the method comprising the steps of:

downloading, at the DHCT, an executable disk drive performance test application from a server over a communication channel;

reading a user-configurable section location table to identify a first and a second group of sectors on the disk drive, wherein the user-configurable section location table is maintained by the disk drive performance test application;

executing the downloaded executable to measure a time for data transfer of the first group of sectors on the disk drive and a time for data transfer of the second group of sectors on the disk drive, the first and the second groups each corresponding to a particular different region of the disk drive, wherein the data transfer comprises;

allocating one or more read buffers;

reading the group of sectors into the read buffers;

enabling a write cache;

writing the group of sectors back to their original locations; and

flushing the write cache; and

reporting the measured times to the server over the communication channel.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the regions corresponding to the first and second groups are each associated with a different use of the disk drive.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the region corresponding to the first group of sectors is used to store video programs and the region corresponding to the second group of sectors is used to store electronic program guide data.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the disk drive comprises a hard disk drive.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the disk drive comprises a DVD drive.

18. A digital home communications terminal (DHCT) comprising:

a disk drive;

memory storing executable instructions thereon; and

a processor configured by the stored executable instructions to;

download, at the DHCT, an executable disk drive performance test application from a server over a communication channel;

read a user-configurable section location table to identify a first and a second group of sectors on the disk drive, wherein the user-configurable section location table is maintained by the disk drive performance test application;

execute the downloaded executable to measure a time for data transfer of the first group of sectors on the disk drive and a time for data transfer of the second group of sectors on the disk drive, the first and the second groups each corresponding to a particular different region of the disk drive, wherein the data transfer comprises;

allocating one or more read buffers;

reading the group of sectors into the read buffers;

enabling a write cache;

writing the group of sectors back to their original locations; and

flushing the write cache; and

report the measured times to the server over the communication channel.

19. The DHCT of claim 18, wherein the regions corresponding to the first and second groups are each associated with a different use of the disk drive.

20. The DHCT of claim 18, wherein the region corresponding to the first group of sectors is used to store video programs and the region corresponding to the second group of sectors is used to store electronic program guide data.