Patent ID: 6766388
Filing Date: 2004-07-20
Classification: G06F,G11B

Abstract:
A method for dynamically adjusting buffer utilization ratios for a hard disk drive system, comprising:establishing and dynamically adjusting a transfer goal for the amount of data transferred between host catch-up conditions for a current command, the goal being established by a plurality of operational characteristics, the operational characteristics comprising: drive transfer speed, host transfer speed and track switch locations, comprising the steps of: initializing a base block count for a transfer operation for the current command, comprising the steps of: initializing the base block count to the size of the buffer less the size of the pad, if the host side transfer cannot be completed in a single operation; and initializing the base block count to the remaining blocks in the transfer operation minus the number of drive blocks that will be transferred in the amount of time it takes the host side to complete the transfer for the current command, if the host side transfer can be completed in a single operation; iteratively calculating how many additional drive blocks are transferred while the host side is transferring; establishing the transfer goal from the base block count and the cumulative total of additional drive blocks that are transferred while the host side is transferring; determining if a track switch occurs during the host side transfer; and adjusting the transfer goal for every track switch encountered during the transfer operation; comparing an actual amount of data transferred between host catch-up conditions against the transfer goal for the current command; and adjusting the buffer utilization ratios when the actual amount of transferred data does not exceed the transfer goal.