Dynamic band boundaries

• US 9,286,150 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Feldman, Timothy R
• Primary Examiner(s): Lottich, Joshua P
• Application Number:
  US14/028,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1217 on discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1883 Methods for assignment of alternate areas for defective areas
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1889 with discs

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for dynamic band boundaries in data storage devices, particularly devices employing shingled magnetic recording. Band boundaries may be modified to include spare sectors from guard areas between bands to achieve field defect-slipping. Band boundaries can also be shifted to migrate spare sectors from one guard area to another in order to dynamically distribute spare sectors. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a data storage medium and a controller. The data storage medium may have a first and second sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors, and a first guard area disposed between the first and second sequence such that no sector of the first sequence is directly adjacent to a sector of the second sequence. The controller may be configured to restructure the first sequence to include a sector from the first guard area to produce a shifted first sequence.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data storage medium having;

a first band of multiple tracks including a first sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors;

a second band of multiple tracks including a second sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors;

a first guard area disposed between the first sequence and the second sequence such that no sector of the first sequence is directly adjacent to a sector of the second sequence, the first guard area comprising sectors not designated for storing data;

a controller configured to;

restructure the first sequence by adjusting a boundary of the first band to include a selected sector from the first guard area to produce a shifted first sequence; and

designate the selected sector for storing data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the first sequence includes a plurality of data tracks configured to store data in a shingled manner where one track partially overlaps an adjacent track.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

the sectors not designated for storing data include;

a first spare sector to replace defective sectors; and

isolation sectors to separate the first sequence from the second sequence.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising the controller further configured to:

identify a defective sector in the first sequence;

restructure the first sequence further includes;

designate the defective sector as not available to store data; and

map the first sequence to include the first spare sector from the first guard area as the selected sector.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

mapping the first sequence further includes;

read a set of data sectors from a portion of the first sequence including consecutive physical sectors from a first end of the first sequence adjacent to the first guard area through the defective sector;

map the portion to consecutive physical sectors offset by one sector per defective sector towards the guard area to produce a shifted portion including the first spare sector;

write the set of data sectors to the shifted portion; and

map LBAs associated with the set of data to the shifted portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising the controller further configured to:

determine whether a defective sector is in the first sequence;

when the defective sector is in the first sequence;

decommission the defective sector from storing data;

determine whether a sector in the first guard area is available as the first spare sector;

when a sector in the first guard area is available as the first spare sector, shift the boundary of the first band by;

map the first sequence to include the first spare sector from the first guard area; and

when a sector in the first guard area is not available as the first spare sector;

map the defective sector to an alternate physical location other than the first guard area.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 comprising the controller further configured to:

determine whether the defective sector is mapped to the alternate physical location;

when the defective sector is mapped to the alternate physical location;

determine whether a sector in the first guard area is available as a spare sector;

when a spare sector is available;

restructure the first sequence to include a spare sector from the first guard area; and

remap the defective sector from the alternate physical location to the first sequence.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

the data storage medium having;

a third band of multiple tracks including a third sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors;

a second guard area disposed between the first sequence and the third sequence such that no sector of the first sequence is directly adjacent to a sector of the third sequence, the second guard area comprising sectors not designated for storing data;

the controller configured to restructure the first sequence by;

convert a first sector of the first sequence adjacent to the first guard area to an isolation sector of the first guard area; and

convert a second sector of the second guard area adjacent to the first sequence to a data sector;

designate the first sector as not for storing data; and

designate the second sector for storing data.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

the data storage medium includes multiple sequences of circumferentially adjacent data sectors for data storage and multiple guard areas to separate the multiple sequences;

the controller further configured to;

determine a distribution of spare sectors across the data storage medium; and

shift at least one of the multiple sequences to redistribute spare sectors from at least one of the multiple guard areas to another of the multiple guard areas based on the determination.

10. The apparatus of claim 3 comprising the controller further configured to:

designate a defective sector in the first sequence as an isolation sector of the first guard area; and

designate another isolation sector from the first guard area that is not needed to separate the first sequence from the second sequence as a spare sector.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to;

restructure a first band of multiple data tracks including a first sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors of a data storage medium to include a selected sector from a first guard area to produce a shifted first sequence,

the first guard area disposed between the first band and a second band of multiple data tracks including a second sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors such that no sector of the first sequence is directly adjacent to a sector of the second sequence,

the first guard area comprising sectors not designated for storing data; and

designate the selected sector for storing data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising:

the sectors not designated for storing data include;

a first spare sector to replace defective sectors; and

isolation sectors to separate the first sequence from the second sequence.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising the controller further configured to:

identify a defective sector in the first sequence;

restructure the first band further includes;

designate the defective sector as not available to store data; and

map the first sequence to include the first spare sector from the first guard area as the selected sector.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising the controller further configured to:

determine whether a defective sector in the first sequence is mapped to an alternate physical location outside the first sequence;

when the defective sector is mapped to the alternate physical location;

determine whether a sector in the first guard area is available as a spare sector;

when a spare sector is available;

restructure the first sequence to include a spare sector from the first guard area; and

remap the defective sector from the alternate physical location to the first sequence.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 comprising the controller further configured to:

migrate spare sectors across the data storage medium by shifting a location of the first sequence to move spare sectors from the first guard area adjacent to the first sequence on a first side to a second guard area adjacent to the first sequence on a second side.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

the data storage medium, including multiple sequences of circumferentially adjacent data sectors for data storage and multiple guard areas to separate the multiple sequences;

the controller further configured to;

determine a distribution of spare sectors across the data storage medium; and

shift at least one of the multiple sequences to redistribute spare sectors from at least one of the multiple guard areas to another of the multiple guard areas based on the determination.

17. A device comprising:

a data storage apparatus including;

a data storage medium having;

a plurality of bands of multiple tracks configured to store data in a shingled manner where one track partially overlaps an adjacent track;

guard areas disposed between bands so that no sector of one band is adjacent to a sector in another band, a guard area including;

a plurality of sectors designated as not for storing user data;

a first spare sector; and

a controller configured to;

shift a boundary of a first band by converting the first spare sector to a usable data sector of the first band.

18. The device of claim 17 comprising the controller further configured to:

detect a defective sector in the first band; and

perform sector slipping on the defective sector by shifting sector mapping addresses of all sectors between the defective sector and the converted spare sector by one sector towards the converted spare sector.

19. The device of claim 17 comprising the controller further configured to:

convert the spare sector to a usable data sector at a first end of the first band;

convert a second usable data sector at a second end opposite the first end of the first band into a second spare sector of a guard area adjacent to the second end; and

remap the first band as including sectors from a sector adjacent to the second spare sector to the first spare sector.

20. The device of claim 17 comprising the controller further configured to:

determine a distribution of spare sectors across the data storage medium; and

shifting the spare sector from a first end of the first band to a second end of the first band when shifting the spare sector will achieve a higher spare sector distribution balance.