Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing a track pitch on a recording surface that is associated with the width of the tracks written by the write element of a head therefore reducing the number of heads that are discarded when a fixed relationship between track pitch of storage media in a storage device is desired. The method includes the steps of calculating the width of a write element to be associated with a storage medium and determining the track pitch for the storage medium based upon the calculated width of the write element. The step calculation of the width of the read/write element includes writing a pattern on a storage medium at a predetermined radius using the write element associated with the storage medium to form a written track, moving the head across the written track to read an amplitude sensed from the written track by the head, and ascertaining the width of the write element based upon the sensed amplitude.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for providing a track pitch on a recording surface that is associated with the width of the tracks written by the write element of a head therefore reducing the number of heads that are discarded when a fixed relationship between track pitch of storage media in a storage device is desired. The method includes the steps of calculating the width of a write element to be associated with a storage medium and determining the track pitch for the storage medium based upon the calculated width of the write element. The step calculation of the width of the read/write element includes writing a pattern on a storage medium at a predetermined radius using the write element associated with the storage medium to form a written track moving the head across the written track to read an amplitude sensed from the written track by the head and ascertaining the width of the write element based upon the sensed amplitude.

Abstract: A data storage and retrieval system is provided which has extremely high capacity. The system includes a large array of small disk files, and three storage managers for controlling the allocation of data to the array, access to data, and the power status of disk files within the array. The allocation manager chooses the disk files upon which incoming data is written based on the current state of the disk files (active or inactive), the available capacity, and the type of protection desired (i.e unprotected, RAID), mirrored, etc.). The access manager interprets incoming read requests to determine the location of the stored data. The power manager sequences disk files between active and inactive to provide the storage requested by the access and allocation managers.