Abstract: A system, method and software for reporting logical volume information on software RAID (redundant array of independent disks) enabled storage devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, a volume manager may be queried to identify one or more software RAID volumes and to determine their operating state. The information handling system's operating system may be queried to identify the storage devices included on the system and their operating state. After correlating the software RAID volumes to respective storage devices, a worst case operating state between the software RAID volumes and the storage devices may be reported to a light emitting diode (LED) driver. The LED driver may then command one or more chassis LED to illuminate in a manner that communicates the worst case operating state of one or more of software RAID volumes.

Abstract: A system and method for correlating the command queue depth of the servers of a storage area network to the command queue depth of the storage controllers of the computer network are provided. For each storage controller, the servers are identified that have logical ownership of the logical storage units managed by each respective storage controller. For each storage controller, the execution throttle levels for those servers that have logical ownership over logical storage units of the storage controller are verified according to rules governing the command throughput of the servers and the storage controllers.

Abstract: A method for mapping disk drives of a data storage system to server connection slots. The method may be used when an SAS expander is used to add additional disk drives, and maintains the same drive numbering scheme as would exist if there were no expander. The method uses the IDENTIFY address frame of an SAS connection to determine whether a device is connected to each phy of a controller port, and whether the device is an expander or end device (disk drive).

Abstract: A system and method is disclosed for managing access command transmitted to a storage controller during the period that a device coupled to the storage controller is undergoing a firmware update. The storage controller manages access commands directed to the storage controller so that the access command may be managed in a manner that does not disrupt the firmware update processor or the completion of the access command itself. The storage controller enters a guard mode in which the firmware of the storage controller intercepts commands directed to the device undergoing a firmware update. Depending on the characteristics of the access command, the data of the command may be generated from other drives in a redundant drive array or the command may be saved to a cache or journal for later processing.

Abstract: An architecture and method for executing write commands in a storage array is disclosed. The data strips of the data stripes of the storage array each include a parity check bit. The parity strip of each stripe includes a plurality of parity check bits, each of which is uniquely associated with one of the data strips of the stripes. The inclusion within each data stripe of parity bits associated with each data strip and the party strip provides a method for identifying a corrupted or degraded data condition that occurs as a result of a server failing fails during a write command.

Abstract: A system and method for rebuilding a storage drive utilizes a rebuild management module within a RAID controller to conduct a substantially sequential rebuild operation on a rebuild disk. When the rebuild management module receives host I/O requests during a rebuild operation, these requests are facilitated using other disks. After the substantially sequential rebuild is complete, the rebuild management module updates the rebuild disk based upon the host I/O requests received during the sequential rebuild operation.

Abstract: If a hardware-based RAID (redundant array of independent disks) engine fails, the system can use a driver-based RAID engine in place of the hardware-based RAID engine. Using the driver-based RAID engine may reduce system downtime, and provide redundancy for the RAID system without requiring extra hardware.

Abstract: A cluster network is disclosed that includes a set of nodes coupled to a storage enclosure. The storage enclosure includes an arbiter for managing contention for ownership of the storage drives of the storage enclosure. The arbiter receives ownership commands and arbitrates the ownership of the storage drives on the basis of the commands and the current ownership settings of the affected storage drives. The arbiter is coupled to the SAS expander or multiplexer in the storage enclosure that routes communications to each of the storage drives of the storage enclosure.

Abstract: A method of providing data security between RAID controller and disk drives is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, a method of providing data security between a redundant array of inexpensive/independent disk (RAID) controller and disk drives in an information handling system includes assigning a key from a plurality of keys in the RAID controller. The key scrambles data written to a disk drive in a RAID. The method further including scrambling the data sent from the RAID controller to the disk drive such that the scrambling operably changes the pattern of the data written to the disk drive such that the data is readable from the disk drive by using the key to descramble the data. The method further including storing the data on the disk drive, reading the data from the disk drive and unscrambling the data received from the disk drive based on the key.

Abstract: When a storage drive used as part of a redundant storage system is rebuilt, a drive controller obtains information for the rebuild process from an operating system (OS) specific agent. The information may include a bitmap, which indicates portions of a logical unit being used by the operating system. The bitmap is provided to a controller specific agent, which manipulates the bitmap into a form indicating which physical portions of the storage drive correspond to the portions of the logical unit being used by the operating system. The storage controller uses the bitmap to rebuild those portions of the physical storage drive being used by the operating system prior to rebuilding other portions of the physical storage device.

Abstract: A system, method and software for enhancing a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) rebuild process are provided. In association with the RAID, one or more bit maps is maintained corresponding to one or more data blocks of the RAID. During input/output (I/O) operations directed to the RAID, the I/O operations are evaluated to determine whether an operation will modify a data block of the RAID. If a data block is to be modified by an I/O operation, the bit map is preferably marked to indicate which data blocks of the RAID are being modified. In the event of disk failure, the bit map may be referenced in association with a disk reconstruction process such that only those data block having been modified before disk failure are reconstructed and these data blocks having not been modified remain substantially free from reconstructive operations.

Abstract: A bus reset control module associated with a fibre-SCSI bridge manages target resets sent from a fibre bus to one or more SCSI buses to reduce or eliminate unnecessary bus resets of SCSI buses having sequential devices, such as tape storage drives. The bus reset control module accepts target resets from a fibre bus host to intercept the initiation of bus resets and communicates with target devices of the SCSI bus to determine whether the target devices are faulty. The bus reset control module issues bus resets to SCSI buses having a faulty target device but prevents issuance of bus resets to SCSI buses that do not have a faulty target device so that a sequential device interfaced with a SCSI bus is not subject to a bus reset if all devices associated with the SCSI bus are operating properly.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method, system and software to backup a data volume containing snapshots using a block copy process and a raw data enabled device. In addition, the present disclosure provides a method, system and software for restoring snapshots to a snapshot volume that then allows system volume restoration to a selected point-in-time image.

Abstract: An information handling system includes first and second servers in communication with shared storage. The shared storage may include a shared operating-system storage subdivision containing unmodified operating system data, as well as first and second delta storage subdivisions containing operating-system data configured for the first and second servers, respectively. The information handling system may also include one or more delta drivers that use the shared operating-system storage subdivision and the first and second delta storage subdivisions to provide first and second virtual storage subdivisions for booting first and second instances of an operating system, where each instance may be configured differently for each server. For example, for operations from the first server involving modified and unmodified portions of the first virtual storage subdivision, the delta driver may automatically access the first delta storage subdivision and the shared operating-system storage subdivision, respectively.

Abstract: A method, software and system are disclosed for enabling multi-path error recovery of failed communicators with sequential storage device systems. In one embodiment, an information handling system (IHS) coupled to a sequential storage device via first and second communication paths is provided. Information exchanges between the IHS and the sequential storage device are monitored for communication path failure. In response to a failure event on a primary communication path, status of the halted information exchange is maintained by a host bus adapter and its supporting software on the IHS and in a fibre channel interface module of the sequential storage device. Status information regarding the halted information exchange is communicated to a fail-over host bus adapter of the IHS. The information exchange is completed on the fail-over communications path beginning from the point of failure such that data of the sequential information exchange is maintained in order.

Abstract: A method, system and software for reduced resource parity based RAID creation are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a filter driver is incorporated between a volume manager driver and a disk driver of an operating system running on an information handling system. In operation, the filter driver preferably intercepts all read and write operations to the data portion of the parity based RAID volume, and instead of processing the read and write operations to the data in accordance with normal procedures, substitutes responses expected by the read or write requesting application. In operation, parity based RAID build times are dramatically reduced through the elimination of non-critical data portion accesses and by prioritizing RAID configuration operations.

Abstract: A system, method and software for reporting logical volume information on software RAID (redundant array of independent disks) enabled storage devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, a volume manager may be queried to identify one or more software RAID volumes and to determine their operating state. The information handling system's operating system may be queried to identify the storage devices included on the system and their operating state. After correlating the software RAID volumes to respective storage devices, a worst case operating state between the software RAID volumes and the storage devices may be reported to a light emitting diode (LED) driver. The LED driver may then command one or more chassis LED to illuminate in a manner that communicates the worst case operating state of one or more of software RAID volumes.

Abstract: In the present disclosure, a method and system is provided for generating worldwide names. The method and system includes reading a media access control (MAC) address associated with a network interface card (NIC). A fiber channel device associated with the NIC is then identified. A world wide name for the identified fiber channel device is then generated by appending a vendor specific identifier assigned to the fiber channel device to the MAC address obtained from the NIC.

Abstract: A bus reset control module associated with a fibre-SCSI bridge manages target resets sent from a fibre bus to one or more SCSI buses to reduce or eliminate unnecessary bus resets of SCSI buses having sequential devices, such as tape storage drives. The bus reset control module accepts target resets from a fibre bus host to intercept the initiation of bus resets and communicates with target devices of the SCSI bus to determine whether the target devices are faulty. The bus reset control module issues bus resets to SCSI buses having a faulty target device but prevents issuance of bus resets to SCSI buses that do not have a faulty target device so that a sequential device interfaced with a SCSI bus is not subject to a bus reset if all devices associated with the SCSI bus are operating properly.

Abstract: An information handling system includes first and second servers in communication with shared storage. The shared storage may include a shared operating-system storage subdivision containing unmodified operating system data, well as first and second delta storage subdivisions containing operating-system data configured for the first and second servers, respectively. The information handling system may also include one or more delta drivers that use the shared operating-system storage subdivision and the first and second delta storage subdivisions to provide first and second virtual storage subdivisions for booting first and second instances of an operating system, where each instance may be configured differently for each server. For example, for operations from the first server involving modified and unmodified portions of the first virtual storage subdivision, the delta driver may automatically access the first delta storage subdivision and the shared operating-system storage subdivision, respectively.