Static information storage and retrieval – Read/write circuit – Testing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-20
2001-05-08
Fears, Terrell W. (Department: 2824)
Static information storage and retrieval
Read/write circuit
Testing
C365S063000, C365S189011, C365S230010, C365S238500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229743
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of a performance determination test for storage devices, and particularly to a method of a reassign block processing time determination test for hard disk drives that are magnetic storage devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
The recording area in a hard disk (magnetic disk) drive used as a storage device in a computer system is divided into a plurality of blocks defined by logical block addresses (LBAs). Hard disk drives also have available area where data are recorded instead of in blocks where defects have occurred. The available area is configured of a plurality of reassign blocks, with one reassign block being assigned to one defective sector. The hard disk drive, when it has judged that a defect has developed in a block corresponding to a given LBA, executes reassign block processing to assign a prescribed reassign block to the given LBA in place of the defective block, and to record data corresponding to the given LBA in the assigned reassign block.
Conventionally, performance determination tests for hard disk drives have been tests that judge whether or not the reassign block processing can be executed normally. In recent years, however, hard disk drives are increasingly being used in so-called RAID (redundant arrays of inexpensive disks) environments. In such cases, the time required for the reassign block processing can cause problems.
FIG. 7
is a model diagram of a computer system running in a RAID environment. In
FIG. 7
, a plurality of hard disk drives (HDDS)
10
are connected in parallel to a RAID card
11
. A server
12
connected to the RAID card
11
can simultaneously access the plurality of hard disk drives
10
through the RAID card
11
.
In this case, if the time required for data recording in a prescribed hard disk drive according to a write command sent from the server
12
to the prescribed hard disk drive
10
exceeds a prescribed time, the RAID card
11
recognizes an error (time out error). More specifically, when there is no defect in the LBA for the hard disk drive wherein the data are recorded, data are normally recorded within that prescribed time. When there is a defect in the LBA, however, the abovedescribed reassign block processing is executed, and the time for that reassign block processing sometimes exceeds the prescribed time. In other words, hard disk drives wherein the reassign block processing time exceeds the prescribed time cannot be used in the RAID environment.
Thus, although the reassign block processing time in a hard disk drive is a critical factor in judging the performance of the hard disk drive, performance determination tests have not conventionally been conducted to determine reassign block processing times.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of a reassign block processing time determination test for a hard disk drive.
In order to attain the object stated above, according to the method of the reassign block processing time determination test of the present invention, for a hard disk drive being tested, reassign block processing is performed for a data block corresponding to a designated logical block address, and the time required for that reassign block processing is computed. When the reassign block processing time exceeds a prescribed time, the reassign block processing time is determined to be abnormal. It therefore becomes possible to detect a hard disk drive wherein the reassign block processing time exceeds the time allowed by a RAID system before configuring the RAID system, and thus to avoid fatal problems in operating the RAID system before they occur.
What is characteristic of the method of the reassign block processing time determination test of the present invention for attaining the object stated earlier, for a storage device containing data area and available area, is that it comprises the steps of: acquiring the time for reassign block processing data recorded in a data block in a data area corresponding to a designated logical block address in the available area; and comparing the acquired reassign block processing time with a prescribed time.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5557573 (1996-09-01), McClure
patent: 8-305502 (1996-11-01), None
Fears Terrell W.
Fujitsu Limited
Staas & Halsey , LLP
LandOfFree
Method of a reassign block processing time determination... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method of a reassign block processing time determination..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of a reassign block processing time determination... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2507699