Abstract: A disk array controller detects whether each drive it is connected to is an ATA drive or a SCSI drive, and communicates with that disk drive using the corresponding protocol. Preferably, the disk array controller supports both the Serial ATA interface specification and the Serial Attached SCSI interface specification, allowing either or both types of disk drives to be included within a RAID or other disk array configuration. The disk array controller may be incorporated into a storage server having hot swap drive carriers that accommodate both types of disk drives.

Abstract: Real time disk activity data for a disk drive is displayed on a multi-element display in which each display element corresponds to a respective address range or “activity bin” of the disk drive. When an access to the disk drive occurs, the display element associated with the corresponding address is illuminated, with the color of the illuminated element preferably indicating the type of the access (e.g., read versus write). The display thus spatially indicates the type of disk activity occurring. For example, a user can readily determine that a disk drive is being accessed sequentially by identifying that the display elements are being illuminated in sequence over time. In addition, the user can, in many cases, evaluate the operation of an array of disk drives by viewing and comparing the illumination patterns of the associated multi-element displays. For example, a user can easily confirm that one drive in mirroring another drive by verifying that their illumination patterns are synchronized.

Abstract: A computer system with a pluggable drive carrier assembly comprises a cabinet and a circuit board disposed within the cabinet. The circuit board, such as a base board, has a number of connectors attached to a first surface. A drive unit such as a hard disk drive is secured within a carrier. A logic connector and a power connector are adapted to attach to the drive. A flexible circuit assembly connects the logic connector and the power connector to a blind plug. The blind plug is adapted to mate with any of the number of connectors. A cam surface and lever arrangement is used to urge into engagement the blind plug and the selected one of the number of connectors. The logic connector and the power connector both have a number of contacts that extend in a direction generally parallel to the first surface of the circuit board such that a backplane is not required and can be eliminated.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for providing different stripe sizes for different zones for at least a first of a plurality of mirrored drives to improve data rates. The first drive has a plurality of zones. In one embodiment, a first stripe size is selected for a first zone, and a second stripe size is selected for a second zone. The said second stripe size is different than said first stripe size.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for improving the read performance of a drive array, such as a RAID 5 array, having an “n” number of drives so that the read performance is greater than (n−1) times that of an independent single drive. Formatting information for each of at least three drives is received. A first parity block size for use with corresponding first zones of the at least three drives is selected. A second parity block size different than the first parity block size is selected for use with corresponding second zones of the at least three drives. The first and the second parity block sizes are selected to increase the read performance from the drive array based on at least a portion of the formatting information.

Abstract: A disk array controller reliably improves performance in RAID configurations without the need for a battery backup. Write completion interrupts are queued until a write cache flush has been performed and are then sent to a host system. States of ranges of disk addresses (activity bins) are stored in nonvolatile storage elements associated with the ranges. The states allow rebuild times to be reduced after power failures and drive failures. A range is in a Changing state if at least one of the addresses is the target of a write operation that has been initiated but not completed. The range is in a Stable state if no addresses are the target of an uncompleted write operation. Two additional states are used to identify ranges of disk addresses that have been zeroed or never been written to. The additional states allow substantial reductions in RAID volume creation times.

Abstract: A disk array system comprises a plurality of automated controllers, each of which implements a host side of a standard ATA interface protocol within automated circuitry to control a respective disk drive. Each automated controller preferably includes a command buffer for storing disk drive commands to be executed by a respective ATA drive, and a data buffer that stores I/O data being transferred to or from the ATA disk drive. In a preferred embodiment, the automated controllers are connected by a control bus to a microcontroller that dispatches disk drive commands to the automated controllers in response to I/O requests from a host computer, and are also connected by a second bus to an automated processor. The automated processor transfers I/O data between the automated controllers/ATA disk drives and a host computer, and tracks the completion statuses of pending I/O requests.

Abstract: A disk array controller reliably improves performance in RAID configurations without the need for a battery backup. Write completion interrupts are queued until a write cache flush has been performed and are then sent to a host system. States of ranges of disk addresses (activity bins) are stored in nonvolatile storage elements associated with the ranges. The states allow rebuild times to be reduced after power failures and drive failures. A range is in a Changing state if at least one of the addresses is the target of a write operation that has been initiated but not completed. The range is in a Stable state if no addresses are the target of an uncompleted write operation. Two additional states are used to identify ranges of disk addresses that have been zeroed or never been written to. The additional states allow substantial reductions in RAID volume creation times.

Abstract: A controller and an associated method, which may be embodied within a disk array system, are disclosed for verifying, the integrity of command data written to a disk drive (preferably an Advanced Technology Attachment or ATA drive) before such command data is used to execute a command. The controller, which may be implemented in automated hardware or firmware residing external to the disk drive, initially writes the command data to the disk drive, and then reads back and verifies this data prior to initiating execution of the command. If the written-out and read-back command data are consistent, the controller initiates execution of the command; otherwise, the controller enters into an error state that prevents the potentially corrupt command data from being used by the disk drive. The controller may also read a status code from the disk drive more than once to reduce the likelihood of misread status information.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for accessing multimedia data stored on a disk array to ensure that the transfer rate does not fall below a selected minimum transfer rate independent of where the multimedia data is stored on the disk array. In one embodiment, the sizes of blocks accessed are varied and the direction of access is selected to enhance read performance. A plurality of blocks are read whose sizes vary linearly as data is being read from a first disk in a backward direction, from an inner diameter side of the first disk, towards an outer diameter of the first disk. Blocks are read from a second disk in a forward direction, towards an inner diameter of the second disk.

Abstract: The present invention is related to methods and systems for reducing head movements during accesses to drives within a drive array by dynamically selecting which one of a first drive and a second drive is to be used to read data stored within a first logical address range. A first set of data is stored in both the first drive and the second drive. The logical block addresses accessed by at least a portion of read operations are monitored. The first drive is designated as a data source for data stored on both the first drive and the second drive in the first logical address range. The second drive is designated as a data source for data stored on both the first drive and the second drive outside the first logical address range. The designation of drives is performed at least partly in response to the monitoring act.

Abstract: A high performance RAID system for a PC comprises a controller card which controls an array of ATA disk drives. The controller card includes an array of automated disk drive controllers, each of which controls one respective disk drive. The disk drive controllers are connected to a microcontroller by a control bus and are connected to an automated coprocessor by a packet-switched bus. The coprocessor accesses system memory and a local buffer. In operation, the disk drive controllers respond to controller commands from the microcontroller by accessing their respective disk drives, and by sending packets to the coprocessor over the packet-switched bus. The packets carry I/O data (in both directions, with the coprocessor filling-in packet payloads on I/O writes), and carry transfer commands and target addresses that are used by the coprocessor to access the buffer and system memory.

Abstract: A high-performance RAID system for a PC comprises a controller card which controls an array of ATA disk drives. The controller card includes an array of automated disk drive controllers, each of which controls one respective disk drive. The disk drive controllers are connected to a microcontroller by a control bus and are connected to an automated coprocessor by a packet-switched bus. The coprocessor accesses system memory and a local buffer. In operation, the disk drive controllers respond to controller commands from the microcontroller by accessing their respective disk drives, and by sending packets to the coprocessor over the packet-switched bus. The packets carry I/O data (in both directions, with the coprocessor filling-in packet payloads on I/O writes), and carry transfer commands and target addresses that are used by the coprocessor to access the buffer and system memory.