Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for cabling a set of enclosures. Using a set of cables that comprises eight physical layers (PHYs), the set of enclosures are coupled together such that: for a first enclosure and each intermediate enclosure in the set of enclosures, at least four PHYs of the eight PHYs terminate within a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) (SAS) expander of the first enclosure and a SAS expander of each intermediate enclosure white passing through a remaining four PHYs of the eight PHYs without connecting to the respective SAS expander; and, for a last enclosure in the set of enclosures, all of the eight PHYs terminate in the SAS expander of the last enclosure.

Abstract: A RAID system, RAID controller, method, and computer program product for reducing the number of reads of XOR data in a multi-storage-enclosure RAID array includes a RAID array controller that implements a selected distributed RAID scheme. The RAID array controller determines a set of drives and logical block addresses corresponding to a parity group and divides the set of drives into subsets of drives that are located within each individual storage enclosure of the multiple storage enclosures. The controller issues a single EnclosureXOR Read to each storage enclosure corresponding to the subsets of drives to read enclosure-level intermediate XOR data calculated by each storage enclosure for each subset of drives and in response to receiving the enclosure-level intermediate XOR data results from all storage drives in the parity group, and calculates an array level XOR result by XORing the enclosure-level intermediate XOR data results from the storage enclosures.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for cabling a set of enclosures. Using a set of cables that comprises eight physical layers (PHYs), the set of enclosures are coupled together such that: for a first enclosure and each intermediate enclosure in the set of enclosures, at least four PHYs of the eight PHYs terminate within a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) (SAS) expander of the first enclosure and a SAS expander of each intermediate enclosure white passing through a remaining four PHYs of the eight PHYs without connecting to the respective SAS expander; and, for a last enclosure in the set of enclosures, all of the eight PHYs terminate in the SAS expander of the last enclosure.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for cabling a set of enclosures. Using a set of cables that comprises eight physical layers (PHYs), the set of enclosures are coupled together such that: for a first enclosure and each intermediate enclosure in the set of enclosures, at least four PHYs of the eight PHYs terminate within a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) (SAS) expander of the first enclosure and a SAS expander of each intermediate enclosure white passing through a remaining four PHYs of the eight PHYs without connecting to the respective SAS expander; and, for a last enclosure in the set of enclosures, all of the eight PHYs terminate in the SAS expander of the last enclosure.

Abstract: A RAID system, RAID controller, method, and computer program product for reducing the number of reads of XOR data in a multi-storage-enclosure RAID array includes a RAID array controller that implements a selected distributed RAID scheme. The RAID array controller determines a set of drives and logical block addresses corresponding to a parity group and divides the set of drives into subsets of drives that are located within each individual storage enclosure of the multiple storage enclosures. The controller issues a single EnclosureXOR Read to each storage enclosure corresponding to the subsets of drives to read enclosure-level intermediate XOR data calculated by each storage enclosure for each subset of drives and in response to receiving the enclosure-level intermediate XOR data results from all storage drives in the parity group, and calculates an array level XOR result by XORing the enclosure-level intermediate XOR data results from the storage enclosures.

Abstract: A RAID system includes a storage enclosure comprising a plurality of independent data storage devices. A processor is associated with the storage enclosure. The processor is configured for processing data for the plurality of storage devices of the storage enclosure. The processor is configured to receive a request to read intermediate XOR data based on data stored in two or more of the plurality of storage devices of the storage enclosure. The processor is further configured to read data from each of the two or more storage devices in response to receiving the request. The processor is configured to determine intermediate XOR data based on the data read from the two or more storage devices of the storage enclosure. The intermediate XOR data may be provided to a RAID storage controller and may be used in an XOR-based recovery process.

Abstract: A method for recovering data in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes implementing a RAID in a storage architecture comprising a RAID controller and a storage enclosure containing a set of storage drives belonging to the RAID. The RAID controller is configured to detect a failure condition associated with at least one of the storage drives in the set. In response to detecting the failure condition, the RAID controller sends, to the storage enclosure, an instruction to copy data from a first storage drive in the set to a second storage drive in the set as part of a RAID rebuild process. The storage enclosure receives the instruction and executes it without substantially involving the RAID controller in the copy process. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and computer system for a cable removal system. The embodiment may include a computing device that determines whether a user is contacting a network cable. The network cable is physical connection between a first device and a second device. The first device includes at least one network port. The embodiment may include a computing device determining whether an information transmission across the network cable can be rerouted based on determining that the user is contacting the network cable. The embodiment may include a computing device rerouting information transmission based on determining that the information transmission across the network cable can be rerouted. The embodiment may include a computing device alerting the user that there is no information transmission across the network cable based on rerouting the information transmission.

Abstract: A fault-tolerant storage system includes a first strand comprising a first initiating device connected to a first expansion device of a first set of serially connected expansion devices, a second strand comprising a second initiating device connected to a first expansion device of a second set of serially connected expansion devices, and a plurality of zoning switches that each connect an expansion device in the first set of serially connected expansion devices to a corresponding expansion device in the second set of serially connected expansion devices. A computer program product and method executed by a computer corresponding to the above system are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A RAID system includes a storage enclosure comprising a plurality of independent data storage devices. A processor is associated with the storage enclosure. The processor is configured for processing data for the plurality of storage devices of the storage enclosure. The processor is configured to receive a request to read intermediate XOR data based on data stored in two or more of the plurality of storage devices of the storage enclosure. The processor is further configured to read data from each of the two or more storage devices in response to receiving the request. The processor is configured to determine intermediate XOR data based on the data read from the two or more storage devices of the storage enclosure. The intermediate XOR data may be provided to a RAID storage controller and may be used in an XOR-based recovery process.

Abstract: A method for recovering data in a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes implementing a RAID in a storage architecture comprising a RAID controller and a storage enclosure containing a set of storage drives belonging to the RAID. The RAID controller is configured to detect a failure condition associated with at least one of the storage drives in the set. In response to detecting the failure condition, the RAID controller sends, to the storage enclosure, an instruction to copy data from a first storage drive in the set to a second storage drive in the set as part of a RAID rebuild process. The storage enclosure receives the instruction and executes it without substantially involving the RAID controller in the copy process. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for cabling a set of enclosures. Using a set of cables that comprises eight physical layers (PHYs), the set of enclosures are coupled together such that: for a first enclosure and each intermediate enclosure in the set of enclosures, at least four PHYs of the eight PHYs terminate within a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) (SAS) expander of the first enclosure and a SAS expander of each intermediate enclosure white passing through a remaining four PHYs of the eight PHYs without connecting to the respective SAS expander; and, for a last enclosure in the set of enclosures, all of the eight PHYs terminate in the SAS expander of the last enclosure.

Abstract: A fault-tolerant storage system includes a first strand comprising a first initiating device connected to a first expansion device of a first set of serially connected expansion devices, a second strand comprising a second initiating device connected to a first expansion device of a second set of serially connected expansion devices, and a plurality of zoning switches that each connect an expansion device in the first set of serially connected expansion devices to a corresponding expansion device in the second set of serially connected expansion devices. A computer program product and method executed by a computer corresponding to the above system are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and computer system for a cable removal system. The embodiment may include a computing device that determines whether a user is contacting a network cable. The network cable is physical connection between a first device and a second device. The first device includes at least one network port. The embodiment may include a computing device determining whether an information transmission across the network cable can be rerouted based on determining that the user is contacting the network cable. The embodiment may include a computing device rerouting information transmission based on determining that the information transmission across the network cable can be rerouted. The embodiment may include a computing device alerting the user that there is no information transmission across the network cable based on rerouting the information transmission.