Abstract: In some embodiments an expected value is compared with a number of times a storage device has been powered up and/or spun up. A cache disassociation is detected in response to the comparing. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a request to access a disk drive. The request has a size. The method further includes selecting a queue, based at least in part on the size of the request, from among a plurality of queues, and assigning the request to the selected queue.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements to remap degraded storage blocks on, e.g., IDE/ATA drives are disclosed. Embodiments may comprise a host and/or a data storage device for, e.g., a handheld device. The host may comprise remapping logic. In many embodiments, the remapping logic may track degraded storage blocks as indicated by the data storage device. In several embodiments, the host may remap data from degraded storage blocks in response to indications from the data storage device that the degraded storage blocks have degraded to a point at which further use may risk loss of data. The data storage device may execute error correction code to acquire valid data and if error correction measures exceed a threshold, or are otherwise determined to be excessive, the data storage device may communicate the degradation of the storage block to the host. Other embodiments may be disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify and prioritize application processes in one or more subsystems. Some embodiments identifying applications and processes associated with each application executing on a system, apply one or more priority rules to the identified applications and processes to generate priority information, and transmit the priority information to a subsystem. The subsystem then matches received requests with the priority information and services the processes according to the priority information.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements to interface a data storage device such as a small form factor IDE/ATA hard drive are disclosed. Embodiments may comprise a host and/or a data storage device. The host and data storage device may form, e.g., a handheld device such as an MP3 player, a cellular phone, or the like. The host may comprise a new interface referred to as a CE-ATA interface that facilitates interaction with the data storage device. In many embodiments, the CE-ATA interface combines an ATA command layer or emulator with a Multimedia Card (MMC) electrical interface, advantageously accommodating a fast time-to-market solution by leveraging existing technologies. More specifically, ATA commands may be mapped into an MMC register space to transmit the commands to the data storage device. Several embodiments also implement interrupt functions for the data storage device. Other embodiments may be disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: A method, device, and computer program to generate operation codes having a maximum hamming distance between them. Utilizing these operation codes it is possible to detect errors immediately upon receipt of a first byte of data in a packet to allow the receiver to immediately act on the received data. This reduces the need for buffer space on both the transmitting and receiving devices. Further, this method reduces the latency for the receiver acting on the incoming data.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting a presence of a fail over switch is described. In one embodiment, during an Serial ATA sequence initialization handshake, a host transmits a COMRESET to a device. In return, the host receives a COMWAKE from the device. If the host is of a first type of host, then the host identifies a presence of a fail over switch, in response to receipt of the COMWAKE. If the host is of a second type of host, then the host ignores the COMWAKE. The host then receives a COMINIT from the device, in accordance with the Serial ATA sequence handshake. The host transmits a COMWAKE to the device, and the host receives a COMWAKE in return from the device.

Abstract: In some embodiments, disk accesses made during normal operation of a disk drive are monitored. One or more data blocks on the disk drive are identified as candidates for replication on the disk drive in response to the monitoring. Each of the identified data blocks are replicated in at least one other place on the disk drive. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Data is read in response to a request for a predetermined amount of data. The amount of data that has been read is determined prior to completing reading the predetermined amount of data. The predetermined amount of data may include prefetch data and demand data, where demand data is data for a computer program and prefetch data is data adjacent to the demand data.

Abstract: According to some embodiments, a current media status is determined for a storage device.

Abstract: An apparatus is equipped with a disk block allocation optimization function for generating, if possible, an alternative disk block allocation for a current disk block allocation that will yield improved overall access time for a sequence of file accesses. The function includes logic for tracing the sequence of logical file accesses, then mapping the traced logical file accesses to physical disk blocks to determine the current disk block allocation, logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation, if possible, using the physical trace results, and logic for effectuating the alternate disk block allocation, if generated. In one particular embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a random search approach, while in another embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a heuristic approach.

Abstract: A method for writing data on an optical storage medium in an optical storage device includes transferring data by a direct memory access process from a host buffer allocated in a memory of a host device to a local write buffer associated with the optical storage device. The data is then written from the write buffer to the optical storage medium.

Abstract: A computer system is equipped with an operating system having a tracer driver for generating trace data including disk locations accessed for disk accesses made by various components of the operating system during system startup/boot time. The tracer driver is loaded at an initial phase of system start-up. The computer system is further equipped with a companion disk block relocation driver for generating, if possible, an alternative disk block allocation for a current disk block allocation that will yield improved overall access time for a sequence of disk accesses. In some embodiments, the disk block relocation driver includes logic for tracing the sequence of disk accesses to determine the current disk block allocation, logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation, if possible, using the trace results, and logic for effectuating the alternate disk block allocation, if generated.

Abstract: A computer system is programmed with a plurality of programming instructions for implementing a software function, having an installation utility with logic for generating, if possible, an alternative disk block allocation for a current disk block allocation that will yield improved overall access time for a sequence of disk accesses. In some embodiments, the logic includes logic for tracing the sequence of disk accesses to determine the current disk block allocation, logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation, if possible, using the trace results, and logic for effectuating the alternate disk block allocation, if generated. In one particular embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a random search approach, while in another embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a heuristic approach.

Abstract: An apparatus is equipped with a disk block relocation de-optimization detection function that detects the de-optimization of a disk block relocation of a first disk block relocation optimization methodology by a second disk block relocation optimization methodology, employing a key file of the first disk block relocation optimization methodology. The optimization principles of the two methodologies conflict at least partially with each other. In one embodiment, the function performs the detection by monitoring disk block allocation changes to the key file whose file clusters have been allocated disk blocks in a manner that is inconsistent with one or more optimization principles of the second disk block relocation optimization methodology. In one embodiment, the function also causes the key file to be created by a file subsystem, and then reallocates the file clusters to disk blocks in the inconsistent manner.

Abstract: A computer system having a memory allocation function is further programmed with a service provider for performing on behalf of a peripheral device, functions for controlling the peripheral device, uploaded by the peripheral device. A number of data structures are employed to facilitate uploading of the functions, and returning of the function results to the peripheral device. The peripheral device is constituted with logic for uploading the functions, at the peripheral device initiative, and retrieving the function results, when they become available, through the data structures.

Abstract: An apparatus is programmed with a plurality of programming instructions for generating, if possible, an alternative disk block allocation for a current disk block allocation that will yield improved overall access time for a sequence of disk accesses. In some embodiments, the programming instructions include the logic for tracing the sequence of disk accesses to determine the current disk block allocation, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation, if possible, using the trace results, and the logic for effectuating the alternate disk block allocation, if generated. In one particular embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a random search approach, while in another embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a heuristic approach.

Abstract: An apparatus is programmed with a plurality of programming instructions for generating, if possible, an alternative disk block allocation for a current disk block allocation that will yield reduced overall power consumption for a sequence of disk accesses. In some embodiments, the programming instructions include the logic for tracing the sequence of disk accesses to determine the current disk block allocation, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation, if possible, using the trace results, and the logic for effectuating the alternate disk block allocation, if generated. In one particular embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a random search approach, while in another embodiment, the logic for generating the alternative disk block allocation employs a heuristic approach.

Abstract: A locality characteristic generator and a response surface characteristic generator are provided either jointly or separately to one or more computer systems for generating locality characteristic data for workloads, and response surface characteristic data for locality dependent subsystem, independent of each other, which in turn are used to generate independent locality and response surface characteristic profiles. Each locality characteristic profile reflects the probability that the first occurrence of an access to a location with a stride of size s from the current location takes place between the reference distance of d/2 to d from the current reference. Each response surface characteristic profile reflects what the expected response time will be if the first occurrence of an access to a location having a stride of size s from the current location takes place between the reference distance of d/2 to d from the current reference.