Abstract: Data is stored in a hybrid HDD that includes a magnetic storage medium and a nonvolatile solid-state device according to multiple modes of operation: a full caching mode, a transitional caching mode, and an HDD only mode. The mode of operation may be selected based on the current condition or performance of individual storage regions in a nonvolatile solid-state device of the hybrid HDD, or on the current condition or performance of the nonvolatile solid-state device as a whole. As the nonvolatile solid-state device undergoes wear, performance of the hybrid HDD is maintained by using less reliable memory blocks in the nonvolatile solid-state device as a read cache, even when these memory blocks are considered too unreliable to store dirty data.

Abstract: A data storage device that includes a magnetic storage device selects one or more power states of the magnetic storage device based on a time interval since a most recent time data has been read from or written to the magnetic storage device. The power state of the magnetic storage device can be changed from a higher power consumption state to a lower power consumption state when the time interval exceeds a predetermined value. The power consumption state may be changed from an active servo state to an intermediate power consumption state, a park state, and/or a standby state, depending on the time elapsed since the most recent time data has been read from or written to the magnetic storage device.

Abstract: Data is stored in a hybrid HDD that includes a magnetic storage medium and a nonvolatile solid-state device according to multiple modes of operation: a full caching mode, a transitional caching mode, and an HDD only mode. The mode of operation may be selected based on the current condition or performance of individual storage regions in a nonvolatile solid-state device of the hybrid HDD, or on the current condition or performance of the nonvolatile solid-state device as a whole. As the nonvolatile solid-state device undergoes wear, performance of the hybrid HDD is maintained by using less reliable memory blocks in the nonvolatile solid-state device as a read cache, even when these memory blocks are considered too unreliable to store dirty data.

Abstract: A hybrid hard disk drive (HDD) that includes a magnetic storage medium and a nonvolatile solid-state device limits the amount of data that are stored in the solid-state storage device but are not also stored in the magnetic storage device. By limiting such “flash-only” data to as much as can be flushed to the magnetic storage medium within a specified time, the hybrid HDD can flush all flash-only data to the magnetic storage medium immediately prior to a power-off of the drive. Thus, the hybrid HDD can employ a write cache, which relies on storing flash-only data in the hybrid HDD, without the disadvantage of storing flash-only data after shut-down.

Abstract: A hybrid hard disk drive (HDD) that includes a magnetic storage medium and a nonvolatile solid-state device limits the amount of data that are stored in the solid-state storage device but are not also stored in the magnetic storage device. By limiting such “flash-only” data to as much as can be flushed to the magnetic storage medium within a specified time, the hybrid HDD can flush all flash-only data to the magnetic storage medium immediately prior to a power-off of the drive. Thus, the hybrid HDD can employ a write cache, which relies on storing flash-only data in the hybrid HDD, without the disadvantage of storing flash-only data after shut-down.

Abstract: A data storage device that includes a magnetic storage device selects one or more power states of the magnetic storage device based on a time interval since a most recent time data has been read from or written to the magnetic storage device. The power state of the magnetic storage device can be changed from a higher power consumption state to a lower power consumption state when the time interval exceeds a predetermined value. The power consumption state may be changed from an active servo state to an intermediate power consumption state, a park state, and/or a standby state, depending on the time elapsed since the most recent time data has been read from or written to the magnetic storage device.

Abstract: Data is stored in a hybrid drive that includes a magnetic storage medium and a non-volatile solid-state device using a temperature-defined data-storage policy. According to the temperature-defined data storage policy, the drive can perform operations for modulating the temperature of the drive, minimizing increased wear on memory cells in the non-volatile solid-state device, and/or preventing data stored in the non-volatile solid-state device from being lost.

Abstract: A data storage device that includes a magnetic storage device and a non-magnetic nonvolatile storage device that measures a hit rate of read/write commands that result in accesses to the non-magnetic nonvolatile storage device, and adjusts a length of a time period, such as an idle time, based on the hit rate. The duration of the time period can be set each time the magnetic storage device is accessed. Upon expiration of the time period, if the magnetic storage device has not yet been accessed, the magnetic storage device is changed from a higher power consumption state to a lower power consumption state.

Abstract: A data storage device that includes a magnetic storage device and a non-magnetic nonvolatile storage device that measures a hit rate of read/write commands that result in accesses to the non-magnetic nonvolatile storage device, and adjusts a length of a time period, such as an idle time, based on the hit rate. The duration of the time period can be set each time the magnetic storage device is accessed. Upon expiration of the time period, if the magnetic storage device has not yet been accessed, the magnetic storage device is changed from a higher power consumption state to a lower power consumption state.

Abstract: A data storage device that includes a magnetic storage device selects one or more power states of the magnetic storage device based on a time interval since a most recent time data has been read from or written to the magnetic storage device. The power state of the magnetic storage device can be changed from a higher power consumption state to a lower power consumption state when the time interval exceeds a predetermined value. The power consumption state may be changed from an active servo state to an intermediate power consumption state, a park state, and/or a standby state, depending on the time elapsed since the most recent time data has been read from or written to the magnetic storage device.

Abstract: Data is stored in a hybrid drive that includes a magnetic storage medium and a non-volatile solid-state device using a temperature-defined data-storage policy. According to the temperature-defined data storage policy, the drive can perform operations for modulating the temperature of the drive, minimizing increased wear on memory cells in the non-volatile solid-state device, and/or preventing data stored in the non-volatile solid-state device from being lost.