Abstract: A method for reducing susceptibility to vibration for a storage device is provided. The method includes running a performance test to the storage device over a predetermined range of vibration frequencies and determining there is a frequency of concern for the storage device. The method also includes establishing resonant frequencies of the storage device and determining if a resonant frequency of the storage device corresponds to the frequency of concern. If a resonant frequency corresponds to the frequency of concern, then the method includes reducing stiffness of a plurality of mounting members coupled to the storage device and repeating running the performance test, determining there is a frequency of concern, determining a resonant frequency overlaps a frequency of concern, and reducing stiffness of the plurality of mounting members until one of there are no frequencies of concern and a resonant frequency does not correspond to a frequency of concern.

Abstract: A self-biasing storage device sled for mounting a storage device within a chassis is provided. The self-biasing storage device sled includes a bezel, which includes a first portion that is stationary relative to a storage device, a second portion vertically captured within the first portion and configured to slide between unlatching and latching positions, and a spring configured to push the latch outwardly from the bezel. The second portion includes a finger-movable member, a latch, and a horizontal biasing feature adjacent to the latch and configured to move in concert with the latch. When the storage device is installed in the chassis, the horizontal biasing feature exerts force against a first chassis interior side surface and biases the storage device sled against a second chassis interior side surface.

Abstract: An improved storage device sled is provided. The storage device sled includes first and second portions, each of which includes a threaded fastener, a longitudinal member, and a bezel member. The longitudinal members are configured to couple to mounting holes of a storage device. Each of the bezel members is orthogonal to a longitudinal member. One of the bezel members includes a latching clip and cutouts to receive one or more alignment projections. The other bezel member includes a latching clip receiver, configured to receive and capture the latching clip, and the one or more alignment projections. Each of the longitudinal members includes a hole for the threaded fastener, which retains the longitudinal member to a mounting hole on a side of the storage device. The longitudinal members also include a tapered post, which captures a mounting hole on a side of the storage device.

Abstract: A method for providing improved sequential read performance in a storage controller is provided. In response to the storage controller receiving a host read request from a host computer, the method includes identifying, by the storage controller, a largest burst length of a plurality of burst lengths in a memory of the storage controller, and determining a maximum number of consecutive times between bursts having a value less than a predetermined value. A burst includes a consecutive group of sequential host read requests from the same host computer. The method also includes multiplying the largest burst length of the plurality of burst lengths by the maximum number of consecutive times between bursts having a value less than the predetermined value to obtain an effective burst length and reading into a storage controller cache memory at least the effective burst length of data from storage devices coupled to the storage controller.

Abstract: A method for a storage controller to write a data block to one of a plurality of storage components is provided. The storage controller receives a write request from a host computer, and determines at least a portion of the data block includes a Logical Block Address (LBA) that is not currently mapped to a physical page of storage. The storage controller calculates availability for each storage component within the plurality of storage components, and selects the storage component with a highest calculated availability from the plurality of storage components. The storage controller next determines a next available physical page within the selected storage component. Finally, the storage controller writes the at least a portion of the data block including LBAs that are not currently mapped to a physical page of storage to the next available physical page.

Abstract: A method for method for resolving a cable mismatch by a target device is provided. The method includes determining that all PHYs in a receptacle are currently inactive, a PHY in the receptacle became active, and determining if there is a mismatch between a cable type and a stored cable configuration. If there is a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, the method further includes disabling all other PHY groups in the receptacle that do not include the PHY that became active and notifying a user that a cable mismatch corresponding to the receptacle has occurred. If there is not a mismatch between the cable type and the stored cable configuration, then the method includes re-enabling PHYs in the receptacle, if any PHYs are disabled, and notifying a user that a cable mismatch corresponding to the receptacle has been corrected.

Abstract: A method for a pair of redundant storage controllers to ensure reliable cached write data transfers to storage device logical volumes is provided. The method includes maintaining metadata including a first number identifying which controller currently owns the volume, a second number identifying which controller previously owned the volume, a third number identifying which controller is a preferred owner of the volume, and an indication if the volume is write protected. The method also includes determining if all volumes currently owned by the controller are write protected. If all volumes currently owned by the controller are write protected, then the method includes verifying that the second controller is working and transferring cache data from the second controller to the first controller. If all volumes currently owned by the first controller are not write protected, then the method includes updating the second number and placing all volumes online.

Abstract: A compliant drawer latch is provided. The compliant drawer latch includes a first portion affixed to an inside surface of a chassis, and a second portion coupled to the first portion. The second portion includes a latch strike plate, a latch spring cap plate, and a latch return spring arranged between the latch strike plate and the latch spring cap plate. A drawer contacts the latch strike plate when the drawer is seated in the chassis. When the drawer over-travels the latch strike plate compresses the latch return spring up to a predetermined distance, and the compressed latch return spring applies force to the latch strike plate to return the latch strike plate to a latching position when the drawer rebounds from over-travel.

Abstract: A network storage appliance is disclosed. The storage appliance includes a port combiner that provides data communication between at least first, second, and third I/O ports; a storage controller that controls storage devices and includes the first I/O port; a server having the second I/O port; and an I/O connector for networking the third I/O port to the port combiner. A single chassis encloses the port combiner, storage controller, and server, and the I/O connector is affixed on the storage appliance. The third I/O port is external to the chassis and is not enclosed therein. In various embodiments, the port combiner comprises a FiberChannel hub comprising a series of loop resiliency circuits, or a FiberChannel, Ethernet, or Infiniband switch. In one embodiment, the port combiner, I/O ports, and server are all comprised in a single blade module for plugging into a backplane of the chassis.

Abstract: A method for efficiently processing write data from a storage controller to a striped storage volume is provided. The method includes receiving, by the storage controller, a host write request including a host write request size, calculating, by the storage controller, that a time to fill a stripe including the host write request is less than a host guaranteed write time, and processing, by the storage controller, the host write request as a writeback host write request. The storage controller stores writeback host write requests in a write cache. The time to fill the stripe is a size of the stripe divided by a data rate of a corresponding host write stream including the host write request. The host guaranteed write time is the maximum latency that the storage controller guarantees host write requests are committed to one of the write cache and the striped storage volume.

Abstract: A method for efficiently processing write data from a storage controller to a striped storage volume is provided. The method includes receiving, by the storage controller, a host write request including a host write request size, calculating, by the storage controller, that a time to fill a stripe including the host write request is not less than a host guaranteed write time, and processing, by the storage controller, the host write request as a write-through host write request. The time to fill the stripe is a size of the stripe divided by a data rate of a host write stream comprising the host write request. The host guaranteed write time is the maximum latency that the storage controller guarantees host write requests are committed to one of a storage controller write cache and the striped storage volume.

Abstract: A storage device carrier includes a first member and a second member. The first member includes a side portion and a front portion, perpendicularly coupled to an inside surface of a front end of the first member side portion. The first member includes a first portion of a finger grab. The second member includes a side portion and a latching feature. The latching feature is on an outside surface of a second member side portion. The second member also includes a front portion, perpendicularly coupled to an inside surface of a front end of the second member side portion. The second member includes a second portion of the finger grab.

Abstract: A method for efficiently processing write data from a storage controller to a striped storage volume is provided. The method includes receiving, by the storage controller, a host write request including a host write request size, calculating, by the storage controller, that a time to fill a stripe including the host write request is not less than a host guaranteed write time, and processing, by the storage controller, the host write request as a write-through host write request. The time to fill the stripe is a size of the stripe divided by a data rate of a host write stream comprising the host write request. The host guaranteed write time is the maximum latency that the storage controller guarantees host write requests are committed to one of a storage controller write cache and the striped storage volume.

Abstract: A method for efficiently processing write data from a storage controller to a striped storage volume is provided. The method includes receiving, by the storage controller, a host write request including a host write request size, calculating, by the storage controller, that a time to fill a stripe including the host write request is less than a host guaranteed write time, and processing, by the storage controller, the host write request as a writeback host write request. The storage controller stores writeback host write requests in a write cache. The time to fill the stripe is a size of the stripe divided by a data rate of a corresponding host write stream including the host write request. The host guaranteed write time is the maximum latency that the storage controller guarantees host write requests are committed to one of the write cache and the striped storage volume.

Abstract: A method for providing efficient use of a read cache by a storage controller is provided. The method includes the storage controller receiving a read request from a host computer and determining if a host stream size is larger than a read cache size. The host stream size is a current cumulative size of all read requests in the host stream. If the host stream size is larger than the read cache size then migrating data to a first area of the read cache containing data that has been in the read cache for the longest time. If the host stream size is not larger than the read cache size then migrating data to a second area of the read cache containing data that has been in the read cache for the shortest time. The host stream is a consecutive group of sequential read requests from the host computer.

Abstract: A storage enclosure includes a chassis, a plurality of drawers, and one or more power supplies. The plurality of drawers each include up to a predetermined number of storage devices. The plurality of drawers is individually extendable up to a predetermined distance through a front surface of the chassis. When each drawer of the plurality of drawers comprises the predetermined number of storage devices and is extended the predetermined distance through the front surface of the chassis, the center of mass of the storage enclosure is behind the front surface of the chassis.

Abstract: A data storage system, device, and method are provided for replicating data between different data storage systems or appliances. More specifically, the present invention affords communications between heterogeneous data storage systems that potential employ different communication protocols. A bridging communication protocol is utilized by one or both storage systems in order to accommodate different communication protocols. Alternatively, a storage appliance connecting the data storage systems may employ the bridging communication protocol.

Abstract: A method for protecting page-level metadata in a storage system is provided. The method includes providing in a page table first protection data, receiving a command to read data from a page of the storage system corresponding to the page table, and comparing first protection data to second protection data. If the first protection data is different than the second protection data, then the method includes identifying third protection data in the storage system and comparing the third protection data to the first protection data. If the third protection data is different than the first protection data, then the method includes determining that the page-level metadata is inconsistent.

Abstract: A method for improving I/O performance by a storage controller is provided. The method includes receiving a command completion from a storage device and checking for a command stored in a command queue for more than a predetermined time period. If a command has been in the command queue for more than the predetermined time period, then issuing the command and removing the command from the command queue. If no commands have been stored in the command queue for more than the predetermined time period, then determining if there are any uncompleted commands previously issued to the storage device. If there are not any uncompleted commands previously issued to the storage device, then processing a next command in the command queue and removing the next command from the command queue.

Abstract: A method for destaging write data from a storage controller to storage devices is provided. The method includes determining that a cache element should be transferred from a write cache of the storage controller to the storage devices, calculating that a dirty watermark is above a dirty watermark maximum value, identifying a first cache element to destage from the write cache to the storage devices, transferring a first data container including the first cache element to the storage devices, and incrementing an active destage count. The method also includes repeating determining, calculating, identifying, transferring, and incrementing if the active destage count is less than an active destage count maximum value. The active destage count is a current number of write requests issued to a virtual disk that have not yet been completed, and the virtual disk is a RAID group comprising one or more specific storage devices.