Abstract: A system for enhancing the reliability of file systems is provided. In particular embodiments, the system includes a data storage device that includes one or more journal blocks, one or more primary metadata blocks, and one or more mirror metadata blocks. The system also includes a file system that writes metadata to the one or more journal blocks before writing the metadata to both the one or more primary metadata blocks and to the one or more mirror metadata blocks.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and a method for generating warranty and pricing information for one or more data storage apparatuses. In one embodiment, a system for processing status parameters of one or more data storage apparatuses comprises at least one host system configured to retrieve one or more status parameters of one or more data storage apparatus; a vendor system; and a network coupled with the at least one host system and the vendor system. The at least one host system is configured to send the one or more status parameters via the network to the vendor system. The vendor system is configured to use the one or more status parameters to generate any one or more of warranty information, pricing information, and design improvement information for the data storage apparatus.

Abstract: In a HDD, the flush queue (cache) command is transformed into a memory barrier command. The HDD thus has an operation mode in which flush commands do not cause the pending commands to be executed immediately, but instead simply introduces a constraint on the command reordering algorithms that prevents commands sent after the flush command from being executed before commands sent prior to the flush command. The constraint may be applied only on write commands.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system for monitoring a storage device for usage and warranty. In one embodiment, a data storage apparatus comprises a nonvolatile storage; and a data storage controller configured to store a log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage. The log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage is not resettable. Storing of the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage cannot be disabled.

Abstract: A hard disk drive enhances random number generation. In particular embodiments, the hard disk drive includes a controller, a hard disk, and a head. The head includes a read sensor for reading patterns on the hard disk. The controller generates a random number based on information associated with the position of the head relative to at least one track of the hard disk.

Abstract: A storage system according to the invention maintains an arithmetic signature or fingerprint generated using the content of selected units of data stored on the media. The signature is stored in metadata in non-volatile storage on the system's electronics card preferably in a tamper resistant module (TRM). When reading a data unit from storage, the system uses the saved signature to verify that the data unit has not been altered by unauthorized means after it was stored. The content of the stored data is thereby bound to the metadata stored in the system's non-volatile storage so that by-passing or physically separating the bulk storage media (e.g. disks) from the system's electronics will not allow alteration of the data without detection. The method also prevents unauthorized data roll-back because the signature of old data will not match the current signature in the metadata.

Abstract: Techniques for securing data stored on a data storage device are provided. The data storage device encrypts the data using a bulk encryption key and stores the bulk encryption key in non-volatile memory in an encrypted format. The data storage device generates a challenge and response pair, wraps a secret key with the response to generate a wrapped secret key, and stores the challenge and the wrapped secret key in the non-volatile memory. The data storage device authenticates a host by reading the challenge and the wrapped secret key from the non-volatile memory, erasing the challenge and the wrapped secret key from the non-volatile memory, sending the challenge to the host, receiving the response from the host, and unwrapping the wrapped secret key using the response from the host to regenerate the secret key.

Abstract: A data storage device encrypts data stored in non-volatile memory using a bulk encryption key. The data storage device uses a key derivation function to generate an initial encryption key. The data storage device then wraps an intermediate encryption key with the initial encryption key and stores the wrapped intermediate key in the non-volatile memory. The data storage device wraps the bulk encryption key with the intermediate encryption key and stores the wrapped bulk encryption key in the non-volatile memory. The data storage device can unwrap the wrapped intermediate key to generate the intermediate encryption key using the initial encryption key. The data storage device can unwrap the wrapped bulk encryption key to generate the bulk encryption key using the intermediate encryption key. The data storage device decrypts data stored in the non-volatile memory using the bulk encryption key.

Abstract: Data is written to a hard disk drive using shingled writing principles, i.e., each data track is partially overwritten when an immediately contiguous data track is written. Two or more contiguous data tracks establish a band, and a band may store data from one and only one file, such as an AV file.

Abstract: The invention is a storage device which implements a write barrier command and provides means for a host to designate other write commands as being sensitive or insensitive to the existence of write barrier commands. The device can optimize the execution of commands by changing the order of execution of write commands that are insensitive to write barrier command. In an embodiment of the invention a flag associated with the write command indicates whether the command is sensitive or insensitive to the existence of write barrier commands. In an embodiment of the invention the write barrier command can be implemented as a write command with a flag that indicates whether the command is a write barrier command. In one embodiment of the invention the queue of commands and data to be written to the media is stored in a non-volatile cache.

Abstract: A mobile computing hard disk drive has both a flash memory device and a DRAM device, with the HDD controller managing data storage between disk, DRAM, and flash both when write requests arrive and when the HDD is idle to optimize flash memory device life and system performance.

Abstract: Watermarks for patterned magnetic media. The watermarks are used to demonstrate the unauthorized replication of a patterned magnetic media. The watermarks include a dibit, a pattern in an open region, shifting of data, shifting of a sync mark and large length scale perturbations. Also described are methods to determine if a watermark appears on a patterned media.

Abstract: A system for enhancing the reliability of file systems is provided. In particular embodiments, the system includes a data storage device that includes one or more journal blocks, one or more primary metadata blocks, and one or more mirror metadata blocks. The system also includes a file system that writes metadata to the one or more journal blocks before writing the metadata to both the one or more primary metadata blocks and to the one or more mirror metadata blocks.

Abstract: Techniques for optimizing hard disk drive performance. According to one embodiment, a storage system includes a storage unit that stores data and a controller. The controller receives an idle mode indication and performs at least one operation based on the idle mode indication. According to another embodiment, a host system includes a processor and a scheduler that is operative to issues commands. The processor computes the idle mode indication, and the processor sends the idle mode indication to the storage system.

Abstract: A system for enhancing command scheduling is provided. In particular embodiments, the system includes a processor and a scheduler that receives commands from the processor for accessing a storage device. The scheduler receives a set of commands, some of which have a deadline, and the scheduler is configured to determine an execution order for those commands. The scheduler is also configured to defer the execution of one or more of those commands to a later time.

Abstract: A verifiable security mode is provided for securing data on a storage device, such as a hard disk drive. When the verifiable security mode is enabled, only authenticated accesses to data stored on the storage device are permitted after entering a password. An end user is prevented from disabling the verifiable security mode. The verifiable security mode can be set to allow or disallow an administrator from disabling the verifiable security mode. The verifiable security mode can be implemented, for example, in firmware on a hard disk drive (HDD).

Abstract: A wireless encryption key integrated storage system is provided to prevent unauthorized access of data stored on the storage device without secure authentication between the storage device and a key device. In one embodiment, a data storage device comprises a magnetic disk; a head assembly having a read/write head which read and write data from/on the magnetic disk; a wireless transceiver configured to receive and transmit wireless signals from a key device, the wireless signals comprising information used to establish a secure authorization between the data storage device and the key device to access secured content in the magnetic disk; and a processor configured to encrypt/decrypt data transferred between the data storage device and the key device.

Abstract: Enhancements to the functionality of a file system are provided. A file system can provide an additional level of error correction, in addition to the error correction provided by a data storage device. An extension to the metadata area in a file system can store index information about data files that the file system can use to reduce the time it takes to access the files. A file system can use extended metadata to store conditional access information for data files stored in the file system. A data storage device can also examine and characterize the data being stored in order to categorize a user's files automatically. Modules can be loaded into a file system to provide new functionality to the file system. The modules can load additional modules to extend their functionality.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a file system that can store files or data streams in such a manner as to increase the effective storage capacity of the device on which the files or data stream are stored. In one embodiment, a system for processing and storing data comprises a first processing module configured to receive data directed to the system, the data comprising a first portion and a second portion; a second processing module configured to store the first portion of the data within a data storage device and remove the second portion of the data; a third processing module configured to retrieve the first portion of the data from the data storage device, the first portion of the data being combined with filler data to form reconstituted data; and a fourth processing module configured to send the reconstituted data to an output device.

Abstract: A data storage device can be validated through a network before the data storage device can be operated. In one embodiment, the data storage device includes a magnetic disk and a head assembly having a read/write head which reads and writes data from/on the magnetic disk. The data storage device further includes a controller configured to control the head assembly to read/write data to/from the magnetic disk. In addition, the data storage device includes a secure area of the magnetic disk containing a private key. The private key is one of a pair of cryptographically linked keys and the other of the cryptographically linked keys is a public key. Furthermore, the data storage device includes a memory located within the controller containing an auxiliary key, the auxiliary key being used to encrypt or decrypt the private key.