Abstract: A method is disclosed for configuring a data storage device. Configuration data records of a parameter file are compared to configuration execution records of an executable file, wherein the configuration execution records for configuring at least one configuration file of a data storage device. If the configuration data records interlock with the configuration execution records, the configuration file is modified and the modified configuration file is stored to the data storage device. The method may be performed by a computer external to the data storage device, or by control circuitry internal to the data storage device, or a combination of both.

Abstract: The present invention may be embodied in a method, implemented in a disk drive, for analyzing a magnetic media surface for indications of rough handling or “head slap.” In the method, a media surface is scanned to detect errors indicative of media defects. Location information is recorded for each detected error. Defect clusters are identified based on the location information. A confidence factor is generated based on a comparison between the defect clusters and a representation of the physical dimensions of the head. Whether the confidence factor indicates an impact between the head and the media surface is determined.

Abstract: The present invention relates a method for accelerated scanning of a disk drive for media damage caused by rough handling. In the method, a current cylinder number is set to an initial target cylinder number. Data is read from a track associated with the current cylinder number and is checked for an error indicative of media damage. The current cylinder number is then set to a next target cylinder number that is equal to the current cylinder number plus a cylinder skip factor. The skip factor causes the current cylinder number to change by more than one cylinder number. For the new current cylinder number, the reading and checking steps are repeated. Unlike a full media scan that attempts to read all of the tracks of a disk drive, the accelerated media scan method of the invention skips tracks by skipping cylinder numbers to reduce the scan time while maintaining a great deal of certainty that media damage is detected.

Abstract: Methods and systems for improving the storage capacity and data throughput of a digital mass storage device. The novel optimizations can be applied to a disk drive, either a hard disk drive or a disk drive having removable media, such as magnetic and optical disk drive technologies. The present invention provides at least two disk drive heads for reading and writing information from two different spinning media surfaces, e.g., platters or disks. If the disk is a read-only device, then the heads only perform the read function. A constant angular velocity drive mechanism is used meaning the rotational speed of the media is constant regardless of the head's position with respect to the media. In operation, during a media transfer, the first head accesses data by starting at the outside regions (“high track rates”) of the disk media and traversing inward towards the inner regions (“low track rates”).

Abstract: A redundant array of inexpensive tape (RAIT) drives wherein a master tape unit controls a plurality of slave tape units by monitoring their servo and buffer status and sending sync commands, all via data appended to user data sent over a peripheral interface bus interconnecting the master tape unit, the slave tape units, and the host computer. The master tape unit allocates user data received from the host computer between the master tape unit and the slave tape units and controls the slave tape units so that the same length of tape media is processed by the master tape unit and each slave tape unit within the same predetermined period of time.