Abstract: A plurality of stripe zones are mapped across drives in an array. A capacity of each of the stripe zones is smaller than or equal to an average size of the drives. A failed drive is determined in the array. A deletable stripe zone is selected that is being used for user data storage. The deletable stripe zone is taken offline and used to rebuild a subset of the plurality of the stripe zones affected by the failed drive.

Abstract: Systems and methods for improving efficiency in performing service actions for one or more storage systems are described. In one embodiment, the systems and methods include detecting a service event on at least one of one or more storage systems based at least in part on monitoring events on the one or more storage systems, creating a service action based at least in part on detecting the service event, adding the service action to a list of pending service actions associated with the one or more storage systems, and assigning one or more service actions from the list of pending service actions to a service window. In some cases, each service event in the list of pending service events represents an adverse condition awaiting repair in relation to at least one of the one or more storage systems.

Abstract: A system includes a cooling plate coupled to a first disk holder and to a second disk holder. The first disk holder and the second disk holder are each shaped to be removably coupled to respective inner diameter surfaces of disks such that, when coupled, each disk is positioned a distance from the cooling plate.

Abstract: A data storage system can connect a plurality of remote hosts to a plurality of die sets resident in a semiconductor memory. Execution of at least one data access command addressed by a remote host of the plurality of remote hosts can occur prior to a power interruption event being detected for at least one die set of the plurality of die sets. User-generated data associated with the at least one data access command may then be flushed to a predetermined location responsive to an available resource budget associated with the power interruption event.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a microwave-assisted magnetic recording slider body. The body includes a write pole, a trailing shield, a spin torque oscillator, and an amplifying structure. The write pole extends from the air bearing surface into the slider body for a first distance, and the trailing shield extends from the air bearing surface into the slider body for a second distance. The spin torque oscillator is disposed proximate and between the write pole and the trailing shield at the air bearing surface and extends into the slider body for a third distance that is less than the first and second distances. The amplifying structure comprises a stepped portion and a gap, is recessed from the air bearing surface and disposed proximate the spin torque oscillator. The gap has a first interface with the write pole and a second interface with the trailing shield, wherein at least one of the first and second interfaces forms the stepped portion.

Abstract: A hard disc drive includes a base deck, a cover welded to the base deck, and a voice coil motor. The voice coil motor includes a first voice coil motor assembly and a second voice coil motor assembly. Either one or both of the first and second voice coil motor assemblies can be welded to the base deck.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for reducing adjacent track erasure from write retry operations. In certain embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a circuit configured to abort a write operation while writing to a selected sector of a disc storage medium during a first revolution of the disc storage medium, and mark the selected sector as a temporary bad sector in a mapping table. The circuit may perform a write retry to continue the write operation starting at a next sector contiguously following the selected sector, without attempting to write the selected sector again, during a second revolution of the magnetic disc.

Abstract: A system includes a system-on-a-chip integrated circuit and a preamplifier integrated circuit. The system-on-a-chip integrated circuit includes an interface configured to receive an analog sensor signal and a read/write channel configured to digitize the analog sensor signal. The preamplifier integrated circuit is communicatively coupled to the system-on-a-chip integrated circuit and is configured to amplify the analog sensor signal.

Abstract: Zones of a magnetic recording medium are allocated as a respective plurality of distributed media caches arranged in a predetermined order. For each of a plurality of caching events, cache data is written to one or more of the distributed media caches. A next of the media caches in the predetermined order is selected for the next caching event.

Abstract: A data storage device including an interface, a first actuator, a second actuator, an auxiliary controller, and a primary controller. The auxiliary controller is configured to control positioning of the second actuator. The primary controller is configured to control positioning of the first actuator. The primary controller is communicatively coupled between the interface and the auxiliary controller.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a reader deposited on the substrate. A laser is formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate. A plurality of heat sink layers are deposited between the reader and the laser and configured to provide thermal coupling between the substrate and the laser and sink heat away from the laser. A waveguide is deposited proximate the laser. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a slider is configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording. The slider comprises a media-facing surface. One or more reader elements are positioned in a reader region of the slider, and the one or more reader elements have an average first elevation at the media-facing surface. One or more writer elements are positioned in a writer region of the slider, and the one or more writer elements have an average second elevation at the media-facing surface. The average second elevation is less than the average first elevation.

Abstract: A system including an enclosure including a data storage enclosure. The data storage enclosure includes multiple storage levels and a shared cooling area. The system further includes data storage devices positioned within each of the multiple storage levels and a first and second set of air movers positioned within the data storage enclosure in the shared cooling area. The first and second sets of air movers are arranged to cool the data storage devices.

Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including a disk drive base, wherein the disk drive base includes a first metal composition with a first CTE (“coefficient of thermal expansion”). A disk drive cover is attached to the disk drive base, wherein the disk drive cover includes a second metal composition with a second CTE that are different from the first metal composition and the first CTE. An arm is connected to a reader and a writer, wherein the arm is coupled to the disk drive base, the reader and the writer are separated by a distance, and the distance affects an MR (“magnetoresistive”) offset. In response to temperature changes between 0° C. and 60° C., the first material and the second material expand and contract comparably and proportionally. In further response to the temperature changes between 0° C. and 60° C., a change in the MR offset is less than 10% or a preferably defined range of a track pitch on a recording medium attached to the disk drive base.

Abstract: A method comprises generating a first block of a block chain and generating a second block of the block chain. The first block is associated with a first component of a storage device. The first block is generated when the first component is manufactured. The second block is associated with a second component of the storage device. The second block is generated when the second component is manufactured.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider test socket. The slider test socket includes a clamp, which includes a body, a handle having an opening, and a plurality of arms that extend between the body at a first end of the clamp and the handle at a second end of the clamp.

Abstract: A recording head comprises a waveguide core extending to an air-bearing surface, and a near-field transducer is centrally aligned with the waveguide core and positioned proximate a first side of the waveguide core in a down-track direction. First and second mirror portions form a mirror surrounding the near-field transducer in a cross-track direction with a gap therebetween. The mirror extends in the direction normal to the air-bearing surface a first distance that is less than a second distance the near-field transducer extends in the direction normal the air-bearing surface. First and second reflective heatsink structures are respectively coupled to the first and second mirror portions. The heatsink structures are spaced apart from the near-field transducer in the cross-track direction and extend in a direction normal the air-bearing surface, such that proximate the air-bearing surface the first and second reflective heatsink structures extend substantially parallel to, or converge toward, each other.

Abstract: A hard disk drive includes a cover coupled to a base deck to create an enclosure. The hard disk drive further includes data-recording components and non-data-recording components positioned within the enclosure. At least one of the non-data-recording components includes a surface with a surface treatment that promotes condensation of water vapor.

Abstract: A data storage enclosure can employ an acoustic baffle for the purpose of reducing performance degradation in a data storage device, such as a rotating medium hard disk drive. A storage enclosure may house a plurality of data storage devices and at least one cooling feature. One or more acoustic baffles may be positioned between the at least one cooling feature and the plurality of data storage devices. The acoustic baffle can separate a first sound pressure region that is proximal the at least one cooling feature from a second sound pressure region that is proximal the plurality of data storage devices.

Abstract: A method includes generating, during manufacture of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive, a temperature compensation equation for a compensation factor using initial operating currents supplied to a laser diode of the disk drive at different initial operating temperatures and an efficiency value based on the initial operating temperatures. The operating currents are representative of currents for recording data to or erasing data from a magnetic recording medium. The temperature compensation equation is stored in the disk drive. A subsequent efficiency value is determined based on at least one of the initial operating temperatures and an operating temperature differing from the initial operating temperatures. An updated compensation factor at the operating temperature is determined during field operation using the temperature compensation equation and the subsequent efficiency value. An updated operating current is calculated using the updated compensation factor and the operating temperature.