DATE: Thursday, October 5, 2000
TIME: Noon - 1 pm
PLACE: Wean Hall 8220

SPEAKER:
John Griffin
Renaissance Man
Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University

TITLE:
Operating Systems Management of MEMS-based Storage Devices
MEMS-based Storage Project Page

ABSTRACT:
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based storage is an exciting new technology under development by some wonderful folks both here at CMU and elsewhere. Using minute MEMS read/write heads, data bits can be stored in and retrieved from media coated on a small movable media sled. MEMS-based storage devices promise significant performance, reliability, and power improvements when used either complimentary to or alternatively to disk drives.

In this talk, I describe a systems-level view of how MEMS-based storage devices work, comparing and contrasting how these devices and disk drives are seen by the operating system. I explore how the physical characteristics of MEMS-based storage change three aspects of operating system management--request scheduling, data placement, and failure management--and speculate on future research directions in this area.

BIO:
John was recently admitted to the CMU doctoral program in computer engineering. His undergraduate years hark back to Auburn University, where the Tigers (4-0, 2-0 SEC) are currently ranked nineteenth in the nation in division I-A football. This summer his ECE softball team (the Electric Fielders) emerged victorious by clinching the division championship; this fall his interests have turned to similar dominance in racquetball and volleyball.

When not working on homework for Mor Harchol-Balter's performance analysis class, he is a devoted disciple of Greg Ganger. His interests span all things computer, especially those things relating to storage or networks (e.g., networked storage).

Word up to all his homies on the D-level crewe, yo.

For Further Seminar Info:
Visit http://www.pdl.cmu.edu/SDI/