Patent ID: 6301639
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for determining whether to issue a command from a disk controller to a disk drive, said disk controller maintaining a pending workload value that represents a pending workload of said disk drive, said command having an associated priority level, said disk controller performing the steps of:(A) determining whether said priority level is greater than or equal to a threshold priority level;(B) determining whether said pending workload value is less than a first threshold value, when step A determines said priority level is greater than or equal to said threshold priority level;(C) determining whether said pending workload value is less than a second threshold value, when step A determines said priority level is not greater than or equal to said threshold priority level; and(D) issuing said command to said disk drive when either step B determines said pending workload value is less than said first threshold value, or step C determines said pending workload value is less than said second threshold value,wherein said second threshold value is not equal to said first threshold value, and said first threshold value and said second threshold value are selected to favor issuing said command when said priority level is greater than or equal to said threshold priority level.