Abstract: In some examples, sectors of a solid-state drive are unmapped to initialize the sectors. The sectors include a data portion and a protection portion. When an unmapped sector is read, the solid-state drive can return a pre-set value for the unmapped sector, where the pre-set value includes a known fixed value to represent the protection portion of the unmapped sector. The storage controller is to recognize the known fixed value returned by the solid-state drive responsive to the read as representing the unmapped sector as being initialized, but not written to.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein relate to unmapping sectors of a solid-state drive to initialize the sectors. The sectors include a data portion and a protection portion. In one example, when an unmapped sector is read, the solid-state drive can return a pre-set value for the sector, where the pre-set value includes a known fixed value to represent the protection portion. In one example, a subset of the sectors is unmapped to initialize the subset. In one example, when read, a storage controller can recognize the known fixed value.

Abstract: A system that includes a storage drive and a controller communicatively coupled to the storage drive. The storage drive includes a first region of storage space that is mapped to a virtual volume and at least a second region of storage space reserved for over-provisioning operations. The controller is to unmap an operable portion of the first region of storage space in response to aging of the storage drive so that the unmapped portion can be used for over-provisioning operations.

Abstract: A data storage drive and a controller communicatively coupled to the data storage drive. The data storage drive includes a first region of storage space and at least a second region of storage space. The storage drive to reserve the first region of storage space for over-provisioning operations. The controller is to instruct the data storage drive to use the second region of storage space for over-provisioning operations.

Abstract: A storage system to communicate with a plurality of storage devices. The storage system includes a processor to execute system software that includes machine readable instructions configured to add system-level information regarding the storage system to log files stored in a reserved area of the storage device, extract the log file from each of the storage devices automatically at a predetermined interval, and transmit the log files from the storage system for analysis.

Abstract: A storage system to communicate with a plurality of storage devices. The storage system includes a processor to execute system software that includes machine readable instructions configured to add system-level information regarding the storage system to log files stored in a reserved area of the storage device, extract the log file from each of the storage devices automatically at a predetermined interval, and transmit the log files from the storage system for analysis.

Abstract: A system that includes a storage drive and a controller communicatively coupled to the storage drive. The storage drive includes a first region of storage space that is mapped to a virtual volume and at least a second region of storage space reserved for over-provisioning operations. The controller is to unmap an operable portion of the first region of storage space in response to aging of the storage drive so that the unmapped portion can be used for over-provisioning operations.

Abstract: A storage system to communicate with a plurality of storage devices. The storage system includes a processor to execute system software that includes machine readable instructions configured to add system-level information regarding the storage system to log files stored in a reserved area of the storage device, extract the log file from each of the storage devices automatically at a predetermined interval, and transmit the log files from the storage system for analysis.

Abstract: A storage management module is described herein for servicing, according to servicing parameters, storage devices of a storage system that are exhibiting errors, the servicing parameters being contained and read from an external parameters file (rather than being encoded as instructions in the storage management module). By using an external parameters file, the servicing parameters can be easily modified by reading a new file having modified parameters without requiring modification of the code instructions of the storage management module. The parameters file may comprise monitoring or testing parameters, such as error thresholds and recommended actions upon reaching an error threshold, wherein the parameters vary depending on storage device type or error type.

Abstract: A method for providing data regarding a storage system comprising storage devices is described herein. A storage management module of an operating system of the storage system may be used for servicing (e.g., monitoring or testing) storage devices according to servicing parameters. For each serviced storage device, a reporting module of the storage management module may collect storage device and storage system data upon the occurrence of predetermined events (e.g., when a storage device exhibits an error and monitoring begins, when monitoring ends, and when testing of the storage device ends). The collected data may be saved to a report file in a predetermined format and received by a program configured to automatically extract the data according to the predetermined format for use in storage device and storage system analysis and to determine modified servicing parameters used by the storage management module to service storage devices.

Abstract: A storage management module for evaluating and repairing errors during monitoring or testing of storage devices of a storage system is described herein. When a storage device exhibits errors that reaches (in number) an error threshold, the storage management module determines whether any errors are due to damaged sectors localized in a single physical area of a predetermined size (referred to as a “patch”) of a platter of the storage device using the physical addresses of the errors. Two or more errors may be grouped as a single error if they are located within a predetermined threshold distance from each other on a platter and counted as a single error against the error threshold. A patch containing two or more damaged sectors is referred to as a “damaged” patch. In some embodiments, all sectors of a damaged patch (including undamaged sectors) are reassigned to spare sectors.

Abstract: A type of flaw present in a mass storage device can be inferred by examining the results of I/O operations performed on only a portion of the device, without testing or examining the entire device.