Abstract: Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising one or more disks, an actuator assembly comprising one or more disk heads; and one or more processing devices, configured to detect a plurality of areas with a coercivity lower than a threshold on the one or more disks; map out one or more sectors in each of the plurality of lower coercivity areas on the one or more disks; write data to, or read data from, the one or more disks, based at least in part on mapping out the one or more sectors in each of the plurality of lower coercivity areas. In some embodiments, the writing or reading data comprises writing data to, or reading data from, one or more sectors of the one or more disks that are not mapped out.

Abstract: Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising one or more disks, an actuator assembly comprising one or more disk heads; and one or more processing devices, configured to detect a plurality of areas with a coercivity lower than a threshold on the one or more disks; map out one or more sectors in each of the plurality of lower coercivity areas on the one or more disks; write data to, or read data from, the one or more disks, based at least in part on mapping out the one or more sectors in each of the plurality of lower coercivity areas. In some embodiments, the writing or reading data comprises writing data to, or reading data from, one or more sectors of the one or more disks that are not mapped out.

Abstract: Illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device comprising one or more disks; an actuator mechanism comprising one or more heads, and configured to position a head proximate to a disk surface; and one or more processing devices. The one or more processing devices are configured to: measure a read quality of a location on the disk surface; modify a refresh frequency for performing refresh writes at the location, based on the read quality at the location; in response to the refresh frequency at the location becoming stabilized, determine an integrated track interference (xTI) per write metric at the location; and, in response to determining that the xTI per write metric at the location is below a threshold for the xTI per write metric, modify an operating parameter of the head at the location to improve a longevity metric.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, including a first data track and a second data track. In connection with writing to at least part of the first data track, a quality metric is measured for at least part of the first data track. In connection with writing to at least part of the second data track, a refresh metric is updated based on the write to at least part of second data track and the quality metric measured for the first data track, and at least the first data track is refreshed based on the refresh metric.

Abstract: An example method includes providing at least two data storage areas in a memory, providing a first amount of over-provisioning for a first of the at least two data storage areas and a second amount of over-provisioning for a second of the at least two data storage areas, categorizing data based on a characteristic of the data, and storing the data in one of the at least two data storage areas based on the categorization.

Abstract: Upon a first transition from a first state to a second state, a first bit in a memory unit comprising a plurality of bits is programmed. Upon a first transition from the second state to the first state, a second bit in the memory unit is programmed, the second bit being before the first bit in the sequence of the plurality of bits. Upon a second transition from the first state to the second state, a third bit in the memory unit is programmed, the third bit being subsequent to the first bit by at least two bits in the sequence of the plurality of bits. Upon a second transition from the second state to the first state, a fourth bit in the memory unit is programmed, the fourth bit being before the third bit in the sequence of the plurality of bits.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods of managing a memory. In a particular embodiment, a memory channel is disclosed that includes multiple memory units, with each memory unit comprising multiple garbage collection units. The memory channel also includes a controller that is communicatively coupled to the multiple memory units. The controller selects a memory unit of the multiple memory units for garbage collection based on a calculated number of memory units, of the multiple memory units, to garbage collect.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to systems and methods for decreasing power consumption of a storage device. More specifically, embodiments disclosed herein are directed to reducing power consumption of a data storage device by enabling a command buffer associated with the data storage device to store received commands without executing the commands until a predetermined number of commands have been stored in the buffer.

Abstract: A data storage system incorporating a write-caching subsystem that implements a steady-state media-based cache is described. The steady-state of the media-based cache can be obtained by directing non-sequential write commands and data received from the host device to multiple independent cache locations and, thereafter, selectively copying or moving such data between the caches so that none of the caches are either too full or too empty. In this manner, a non-sequential write command can be cached in a power-safe manner until it is efficient and/or convenient to write such data to the mainstore portion of the physical media.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods use angular position tracking in mitigating data loss risks stemming from adjacent track interference (ATI), wide area track erasure (WATER), and/or other issues. A storage device includes a rotational magnetic storage medium divided into a group of tracks and a controller communicably coupled to the rotational magnetic storage medium. The controller is configured to: determine, based on an angular position of a write operation within a group of tracks, whether the angular position of the write operation overlaps a previously written area in the group of tracks; in the event the angular position of the write operation overlaps the previously written area in the group of tracks, increment a counter; and in the event the counter exceeds a counter threshold, perform a data loss risk mitigation procedure.

Abstract: An example method includes providing at least two data storage areas in a memory, providing a first amount of over-provisioning for a first of the at least two data storage areas and a second amount of over-provisioning for a second of the at least two data storage areas, categorizing data based on a characteristic of the data, and storing the data in one of the at least two data storage areas based on the categorization.

Abstract: An example method includes providing at least two data storage areas in a memory, providing a first amount of over-provisioning for a first of the at least two data storage areas and a second amount of over-provisioning for a second of the at least two data storage areas, categorizing data based on a characteristic of the data, and storing the data in one of the at least two data storage areas based on the categorization.

Abstract: An array of disk drives is disclosed comprising a controller, a plurality of disk drives, wherein the controller is configured to transmit a first access command out of a group of access commands to a first disk drive in the array; transmit a plurality of the access commands out of the group of access commands to other disk drives in the array; and transmit a completion status to the first disk drive, wherein the completion status identifies a status of the plurality of access commands transmitted to the other disk drives.

Abstract: This disclosure is related to systems and methods for selective metadata storage in a system having multiple memories. In one example, a device may include a control circuit configured to selectively store a metadata base map in a first memory or a second memory. The metadata base map may include information to determine a physical memory address from a logical block address. The control circuit may also be configured to store metadata updates separately from the metadata base map. The metadata updates may comprise changes to the metadata base map. The control circuit may also be configured to selectively store the metadata updates in the first memory or the second memory based on characteristics of the device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes: a media motor; a media mounted on the media motor; a head, over the media, the motion of the head controlled by a head actuation motor; a motor driver, coupled to the media motor, configured to adjust a media speed; and control circuitry configured to: coast the media motor in preparation for accelerating the head, and activate the head actuation motor including accelerating the head in a first direction for repositioning the head over the media.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods of managing a memory. In a particular embodiment, a memory channel is disclosed that includes multiple memory units, with each memory unit comprising multiple garbage collection units. The memory channel also includes a controller that is communicatively coupled to the multiple memory units. The controller selects a memory unit of the multiple memory units for garbage collection based on a calculated number of memory units, of the multiple memory units, to garbage collect.

Abstract: The disclosure is related to systems and methods of managing a memory. In a particular embodiment, a memory channel is disclosed that includes multiple memory units, with each memory unit comprising multiple garbage collection units. The memory channel also includes a controller that is communicatively coupled to the multiple memory units. The controller selects a memory unit of the multiple memory units for garbage collection based on a calculated number of memory units, of the multiple memory units, to garbage collect.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes various techniques resolving block boundary issues and reconstructing logical blocks in a block access storage device when there are resulting mismatches between logical and physical block sizes or alignments, such that logical blocks span multiple physical block boundaries in irregular ways. In one example, a method comprises the following features: receiving logical block addresses that are associated with a sequence of logical blocks; and locating a first portion of a logical block within a first physical block that is stored in a block access storage device based upon a logical block address of the logical block, wherein the logical block is part of the sequence of logical blocks, and wherein at least two logical blocks within the sequence of logical blocks have different sizes.

Abstract: A disk drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk. The disk drive receives a plurality of access commands including a first access command out of a group G of access commands. The access commands are stored in a command queue. A completion status is received for a number of access commands out of the G access commands that are assigned to other disk drives, and the first access command is selected from the command queue based on the completion status.

Abstract: A storage device, e.g., an SSD, is configured to enable spanning for a logical block between pages of the device. In one example, a device includes a data storage module to receive data to be stored, wherein the data comprises a plurality of logical blocks, and wherein a size of the plurality of logical blocks exceeds a size of a first page of the device, and a spanning determination module to determine whether to partition one of the plurality of logical blocks into a first partition and a second partition, wherein the data storage module is configured to partition the one of the plurality of logical blocks into the first partition and the second partition and to store the first partition in the first page and the second partition in a second, different page when the spanning determination module determines to partition the one of the plurality of logical blocks.