This page describes the following 2D-RS HDD products:
 8+2 2D-RS HDDs
16+4 2D-RS HDDs
32+6 2D-RS HDDs
64+8 2D-RS HDDs
All of the 2D-RS HDD products contain K tiny drive components for data and R tiny drive components for redundancy. All of the tiny drive components used in all of the 2D-RS HDD products are identical.
Within each tiny drive component, data is recorded on the surface of a tiny cylinder roughly the size of a cigarette filter which spins on passive magnetic bearings inside a tiny vacuum containment cavity in excess of 100,000 RPM.
Conventional tiny HDD HDAs can also be used as the tiny drive components. For example, 1 inch or .8 inch HDAs could be used since they have already been developed by the HDD industry but had to be shelved beause they could not compete against solid-state thumb drives.
The performance numbers listed below are estimates. Actual performance could be much better. It all depends upon how the tiny drive components are designed.
8+2 2D-RS HDDs contain 8 tiny drives for data and 2 redundant tiny drives..
If 1 tiny drive fails, 8+2 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 2 tiny drives fail, 8+2 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
Hopefully, the first failed tiny drive will have been removed and replaced and data reconstructed before the 3rd tiny drive fails.
8+2 2D-RS HDDs provide 8x the transfer rate, 1/5th the average access time, consume 1/3rd the space and 1/4th the power of an equal capacity conventional HDD.
16+4 2D-RS HDDs contain 16 tiny drives for data and 4 redundant tiny drives..
If 1 tiny drive fails, 16+4 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 2 tiny drives fail, 16+4 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 3 tiny drives fail, 16+4 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 4 tiny drives fail, 16+4 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
Hopefully, the first failed tiny drive will have been removed and replaced and data reconstructed before the 5th tiny drive fails.
16+4 2D-RS HDDs provide 16x the transfer rate, 1/5th the average access time, consume 1/3rd the space and 1/4th the power of an equal capacity conventional HDD.
32+6 2D-RS HDDs contain 32 tiny drives for data and 6 redundant tiny drives..
If 1 tiny drive fails, 32+6 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 2 tiny drives fail, 32+6 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 3 tiny drives fail, 32+6 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 4 tiny drives fail, 32+6 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 5 tiny drives fail, 32+6 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 6 tiny drives fail, 32+6 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
Hopefully, the first failed tiny drive will have been removed and replaced and data reconstructed before the 7th tiny drive fails.
32+6 2D-RS HDDs provide 32x the transfer rate, 1/5th the average access time, consume 1/3rd the space and 1/4th the power of an equal capacity conventional HDD.
64+8 2D-RS HDDs contain 64 tiny drives for data and 8 redundant tiny drives..
If 1 tiny drive fails, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 2 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 3 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 4 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 5 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 6 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 7 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
If 8 tiny drives fail, 64+8 2D-RS HDDs have no data loss and no performance degradation.
Hopefully, the first failed drive will have been removed and replaced and data reconstructed before the 9th drive fails.
64+8 2D-RS HDDs provide 64x the transfer rate, 1/5th the average access time, consume 1/3rd the space and 1/4th the power of an equal capacity conventional HDD.
The technology news says the HDD industry may invest heavily in R&D to develop Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) and Bit-Patterned Media (BPM). Both of these areas of R&D require very large investments and are very high risk. No one knows if the ideas will ever work, and, if they do work, it will probably take from 3-5 years for the technologies to be ready for mass production. Most likely, other advanced, solid-state recording technologies such as STT-MRAM and Memristors will come closer and closer to mass production during that period.
The HDD industry could alternatively develop 2D-RS HDD products which would require a very small investment and there is very little risk involved. The tiny drive components could be 1 inch or .8 inch HDDs which have already been developed by the HDD industry but have been shelved because they could not compete with Flash thumb drives.
A number of companies have recently announced they are investing in STT-MRAM. That solid-state technology and several others will probably be successfully implemented in real products within the next few years. If that happens, having HDDs with HAMR and/or BPM may make no difference because HDDs may not be able to compete with the new solid-state drives.
I am asking all of you to please get involved and engaged in helping to authorize the development of 2D-RS HDD products within your company. I will be more than happy to assist in the development. Thank you.
Regards,