According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a disk, a head that writes data to the disk and reads data from the disk, and a controller. The controller is configured to read first data written on the disk, measure a first read error rate of the first data, determine a difference in the first read error rate from a previously determined read error rate of the first data, determine a current read error rate for second data written on the disk based on the difference in the first read error rate from the previously determined read error rate, and determine whether a refresh process is performed on the second data based on the current error rate.

In one embodiment, a system includes a magnetic head having a plurality of write transducers and a plurality of read transducers. Each read transducer is configured to read data from a sequential access medium after being written thereto by a corresponding write transducer. The system also includes a controller and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller. The logic is configured to read, using the plurality of read transducers, encoded data from a plurality of tracks of the sequential access medium simultaneously. The logic is also configured to determine that one or more tracks of the sequential access medium are dead within a sliding window. Moreover, the logic is configured to rewrite a set of encoded data from the one or more dead tracks to live tracks in a rewrite area of the sequential access medium. Other systems, methods, and computer program products are described according to more embodiments.

Embodiments described herein provide an apparatus that is operable with a storage system. The storage system includes a controller operable to assign a pointer to a first track of a magnetic disk when data is written to the first track. The pointer points to the end of the data in the first track. The controller is also operable to detect a successive write to an earlier written portion of the first track, to update a location of the pointer based on the successive write to the earlier written portion of the first track, to increment a write count of the first track based on the successive write to the earlier written portion of the first track, and to rewrite a track adjacent to the first track when the write count breaches a threshold number.

The disclosed technology provides a system and method that improves interlaced magnetic recording (IMR) data throughput in vibration in storage systems. In one implementation, a method includes determining whether there are write retry operations in the IMR storage device, determining whether bottom track caching space is available responsive to determining whether there are write retry operations in the IMR storage device, performing a vibration detection scheme to identify vibration events responsive to determining whether bottom track caching space is available, determining if a number of vibration events is above a predetermined threshold, and writing data to available bottom track caching space responsive to determining if the number of vibration events is above a predetermined threshold.

Apparatus and method for proactively cleaning a data storage surface subjected to a mechanical disturbance. In some embodiments, data access commands are serviced by a data storage device to transfer user data between a host device and a rotatable data recording surface using a radially moveable data transducer. A media cleaning operation is scheduled and performed in response to the detection of a mechanical disturbance event externally applied to the data storage device. The media cleaning operation involves sweeping the data transducer across the data recording surface from a first radius to a second radius over a selected time duration. The entirety of the data recording surface is swept if sufficient time is available between pending commands to maintain a desired host data transfer rate. Otherwise, a partial cleaning operation is scheduled in which portions of the recording surface are successively cleaned between the servicing of the pending commands.

Various implementations described herein are directed to technologies for providing error detection for a disk drive of a digital video recorder (DVR). Access data is measured according to a degree of usage of a disk drive of a DVR. The access data is stored. The stored access data is analyzed to detect performance degradation of the disk drive.

A server that monitors errors experienced by disk drives is disclosed. The server comprises an application stored in a memory; when executed by a processor sends a request to disk drives for a count of errors experienced by the disk drives. The application sends the request at a pre-defined time period. The application sends requests at multiple time periods. The application records the count of errors experienced by the disk drives, wherein the application records previous errors that have occurred on the disk drives over multiple time periods. The application determines an acceleration of errors experienced by the disk drives, wherein an acceleration of errors is a rate of change of the count of errors per the pre-defined time period. The application determines the acceleration of errors experienced by the disk drives. The application initiates corrective actions for at least one of the disk drives.

Embodiments described herein provide an apparatus that is operable with a disk drive. The apparatus includes a memory device operable to store a plurality of bit sets. Each bit set identifies a track and a sector of the disk drive and a number of times that the track of the disk drive has been written. A controller of the disk drive is operable to increment the number when the track is written. Each bit set comprises a number of bits that is established according to track location of the disk drive.

According to one embodiment, physical position information on errors on a recording medium is acquired, physical position relationship between the errors on the recording medium is calculated based on the position information, and a failure mode related to the errors is determined based on the position relationship.

Various implementations described herein are directed to technologies for providing error detection for a disk drive of a digital video recorder (DVR). Access data is measured according to a degree of usage of a disk drive of a DVR. The access data is stored. The stored access data is analyzed to detect performance degradation of the disk drive.