Abstract: A very large virtual volume (e.g., in excess of 500 GB) is formed by distributing the disks in eleven, six-disk RAID-5 sets across the six busses of a primary local back-end controller. A spare disk is provided on each of the six busses. Each RAID-5 set is protected from the failure of a single disk by the spare disks on the busses, which can use the parity data stored in a RAID-5 set to rebuild the data stored on a failing disk and thereby restore redundancy to the RAID-5 set. Each RAID-5 set is also protected from the failure of a bus by the parity inherent in RAID-5. The RAID-5 sets are striped by a front-end controller connected to the primary local back-end controller, and the striped RAID-5 sets are presented to a host computer as a very large virtual volume. If the individual disks are 9.1 GB in size, the size of the very large virtual volume can reach 500.5 GB.

Abstract: A data storage apparatus and associated method is provided wherein a software system is resident in a memory space and is configured to encode data retrieved from a first number of logical units into a single channel in order to store the data in a second number of logical units.

Abstract: A data storage system apparatus and associated method with a virtualization engine connectable to a remote device over a network for passing access commands between the remote device and a storage space. A plurality of intelligent storage elements (ISEs) are configured for replicating data from a first ISE to a second ISE independently of access commands being simultaneously passed between the virtualization engine and the first ISE.

Abstract: A self-contained data storage subsystem is provided for a distributed storage system having a plurality of rotatable spindles, each supporting a storage medium adjacent a respective independently moveable actuator in a data storing and retrieving relationship therewith. A subsystem processor is adapted and integrated with the plurality of spindles, for mapping a virtual storage volume to the plurality of mediums for use by a remote device of the distributed storage system. The combination of the plurality of spindles into a common pool of reliable, provisionable, storage capacity is described. A method to increase the overall reliability, performance, while reducing cost with the combination is also described. By reducing cost, while increasing reliability and performance of the solution, a lower total cost of ownership is realized by users of the intelligent data system.

Abstract: An apparatus and associated method is provided with a virtualization engine connected to a remote device over a network for passing access commands between the remote device and a storage space. The data storage system also has a plurality of intelligent storage elements that are uniquely addressable by the virtualization engine for passing the access commands, wherein the intelligent storage elements are configured for migrating data from a first intelligent storage element to a second intelligent storage element independently of access commands being simultaneously passed between the virtualization engine and the first intelligent storage element.

Abstract: A very large virtual volume (e.g., in excess of 500 GB) is formed by distributing the disks in eleven, six-disk RAID-5 sets across the six busses of a primary local back-end controller. A spare disk is provided on each of the six busses. Each RAID-5 set is protected from the failure of a single disk by the spare disks on the busses, which can use the parity data stored in a RAID-5 set to rebuild the data stored on a failing disk and thereby restore redundancy to the RAID-5 set. Each RAID-5 set is also protected from the failure of a bus by the parity inherent in RAID-5. The RAID-5 sets are striped by a front-end controller connected to the primary local back-end controller, and the striped RAID-5 sets are presented to a host computer as a very large virtual volume. If the individual disks are 9.1 GB in size, the size of the very large virtual volume can reach 500.5 GB.

Abstract: A very large virtual storage volume formed by distributing disks in multiple, multi-disk RAID (redundant array of independent disks) sets across busses of a back-end controller. The multiple RAID sets are striped by a front-end controller connected to the back-end controller and presented to a host computer as a very large virtual storage volume.

Abstract: A data storage system adapted to maintain redundant data storage sets at a destination location(s) is disclosed. The data storage system establishes a copy set comprising a source volume and a destination volume. Data written to a source volume is automatically copied to the destination volume. The data storage system maintains a data log that may be activated when the destination volume is inaccessible due to, for example, a malfunction in the destination storage system or in the communication link between the source system and the destination system. I/O commands and the data associated with those commands are written to the data log, and after a destination system becomes available the information in the data log is merged into the destination volume to conform the data in the destination volume to the data in the source volume. The data log competes for disk capacity with other volumes on the system, and log memory is allocated as needed.

Abstract: A data replication management (DRM) architecture comprising a plurality of storage cells interconnected by a fabric. Flexibility in connectivity is provided by configuring each storage cell port to the fabric to handle both host data access requests and DRM traffic. Each storage cell comprises one or more storage controllers that can be connected to the fabric in any combination. Processes executing in the storage controller find a path to a desired destination storage cell. The discovery algorithm implements a link service that exchanges information related to DRM between the storage controllers. The DRM architecture is symmetric and peer cooperative such that each controller and storage cell can function as a source and a destination of replicated data. The DRM architecture supports parallel and serial “fan-out” to multiple destinations, whereby the multiple storage cells may implement data replicas.

Abstract: Disclosed is a managed reliability storage system and method. A data storage system comprises a plurality of storage devices and at least one storage device controller and may also include additional storage device controllers, one or more host systems, and one or more network connections. Aspects of the invention include reliable data storage formats, planned reliability management, threshold reliability management, and software data recovery. Reliable data formats include fault tolerant storage formats such as RAID and implementations thereof. Planned reliability management includes monitoring of system usage and adjustment of usage reflecting an optimal usage model, scheduled and event driven diagnostic execution and conditional adjustment of operating parameters of storage system components. Software data recovery provides copying and reconstruction of data through redundant data formats including parity, ECC, RLL and others encoding methods.

Abstract: Disclosed is a storage system and method that provides multi-path bus and component interconnection and isolation in a data storage system. A plurality of data storage devices in a removable assembly are connected to a fabric that is configurable to connect some or all of the data storage devices to a disc controller and configurable to isolate one or more data storage devices from the disc controller. Multiple controllers, fabrics, and interconnecting buses may be employed to provide redundancy in the event of a connector, bus, or controller failure. Computer program code operating in a host, interface controller, and/or disc controller configures the fabric to isolate failed devices and may be employed to optimize data transfer rates. Data storage devices may be multi-ported. The fabric may comprise any device or devices capable of configurably interconnecting data storage devices to one or more controllers and may comprise multiplexers, cross point switches, port bypass controllers.

Abstract: A very large virtual volume (e.g., in excess of 500 GB) is formed by distributing the disks in eleven, six-disk RAID-5 sets across the six busses of a primary local back-end controller. A spare disk is provided on each of the six busses. Each RAID-5 set is protected from the failure of a single disk by the spare disks on the busses, which can use the parity data stored in a RAID-5 set to rebuild the data stored on a failing disk and thereby restore redundancy to the RAID-5 set. Each RAID-5 set is also protected from the failure of a bus by the parity inherent in RAID-5. The RAID-5 sets are striped by a front-end controller connected to the primary local back-end controller, and the striped RAID-5 sets are presented to a host computer as a very large virtual volume. If the individual disks are 9.1 GB in size, the size of the very large virtual volume can reach 500.5 GB.