Abstract: Methods and structure for splitting Input/Output (I/O) for Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) systems. One embodiment is a system that includes a processor of a host, and a memory of the host. The processor and the memory implement a device driver for communicating with a physically distinct RAID controller. The device driver is able to receive an I/O request, from an Operating System of the host, that is directed to a RAID volume. The device driver is further able to determine that the controller includes dedicated circuitry for handling I/O requests directed to a single RAID strip. Responsive to determining that the controller includes such dedicated circuitry, the device driver is able to identify RAID strip boundaries within the received request, and to generate multiple child I/O requests that are each directed to a single strip of the volume and correspond to the identified strip boundaries.

Abstract: An apparatus having one or more memories and a controller is disclosed. The memories are divided into a plurality of regions. Each regions is divided into a plurality of blocks. The blocks correspond to a plurality of memory addresses respectively. The controller is configured to (i) receive data from a host, (ii) generate metadata that maps a plurality of host addresses of the data to the memory addresses of the memories and (iii) write sequentially into a given one of the regions both (a) a portion of the data and (b) a corresponding portion of the metadata.

Abstract: Disclosed is a microprocessor based system with a dynamically selectable Operating System that is capable of providing unique operating systems based upon current hardware states without user intervention. The system will determine the current state of the system and select from a plurality of operating systems the best operating system to load. In normal operating conditions the system will select the most full-featured and robust operating system. If, for example, the system loses alternating-current power, the system will shutdown, reboot, and automatically select an operating system with very limited capabilities and limited power consumption to allow the system to retrieve important data from the cache and store the data to a data storage device.