Abstract: A RAID system is provided which can be implemented as a hardware RAID system while avoiding certain shortcomings of previous RAID systems. The RAID system makes it possible to avoid or reduce the number of buffers or processors and can take advantage of drive logic to achieve RAID functions or enhancements. RAID functionality can be provided in a manner to accommodate one or more ATA drive interfaces. To avoid drive replacement problems, host requests for drive serial numbers are responded to with a mirror serial number. In one embodiment, the read address is used to select which drive will perform a read operation.

Abstract: A data volume rebuilder reduces the time required to reconstruct lost data in a RAID protected data volume operating with a failed physical disk drive. A data volume rebuilder uses the remaining functioning physical disk drives in the RAID protected data volume operating with the failed disk to regenerate the lost data and populate a virtual hot spare store allocated in a separate RAID protected data volume. The recovered data is distributed across the physical disk drives supporting the virtual hot spare store. Once the virtual hot spare store is populated, the data volume can recover from a subsequent failure of a second physical disk drive in either RAID group. After replacement of the failed physical disk drive, the data volume rebuilder moves the recovered data from the virtual hot spare store to the new physical disk drive.

Abstract: A method for configuring a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) includes the following steps. When a RAID instruction to access the RAID array is received, it is determined whether a removed hard drive unconnected to the RAID array is present in a hard drive list of the RAID array; when the removed hard drive unconnected to the RAID array is present in the hard drive list, the hard drive list of the RAID array is amended; it is detected whether a new hard drive connected to the RAID array is absent in the hard drive list; when the new hard drive connected to the RAID array is absent in the hard drive list, the hard drive list is amended; and the RAID instruction is executed to access the RAID array according to the hard drive list.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module generating a payload section of a dispersed storage network (DSN) frame regarding a check request operation by generating one or more slice name fields of the payload section to include one or more slice names corresponding to one or more encoded data slices and generating a transaction number field of the payload section to include a transaction number corresponding to the check request operation. The method continues with the processing module generating a protocol header of the DSN frame by generating a payload length field of the protocol header to include a payload length that represents a length of the payload section and generating remaining fields of the protocol header.

Abstract: A disk array provided with a RAID group in a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration with redundancy of two, the disk array includes, a data recovery technique selecting unit to select a technique for recovering data from a first failed disk to be recovered first, the technique being selected from among a plurality of techniques based on the type of storage apparatus included in the RAID group, and I/O conditions with respect to the RAID group, when failures occur in two storage apparatus in the RAID group, a data recovering unit to split recovered data from the first failed storage apparatus and writing the recovered data to two recovery storage apparatus in accordance with the data recovery technique selected by the data recovery technique selecting unit, and an aggregating unit to aggregate the recovered data onto one of the two recovery storage apparatus.

Abstract: A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system comprises N storage arrays, wherein each of the N storage arrays comprise a target processing module and 1 to M hard disk drives, where M and N are integers greater than 1. A data processing module selectively assigns error checking and correcting (ECC) processing for data blocks to selected ones of the target processing modules in a non-overlapping manner. A switch module provides communication paths between the data processing module and the N storage arrays and between each one of the N storage arrays and others of the N storage arrays.

Abstract: A system comprising a first memory, a second memory, and a controller. The first memory may be configured to store a first firmware. The second memory may be configured to store a second firmware similar to the first firmware stored on the first memory. The controller may be configured to (i) operate the first firmware stored on the first memory, (ii) discontinue operating the first firmware in response to a failure of the first firmware, and (iii) begin operating the second firmware after discontinuing operation of the first firmware.

Abstract: A computer storage system is described. A range of volume block numbers (VBNs) is assigned to a volume. A range of storage device block numbers (DBNs) is assigned to each of a plurality of storage devices. A first mapping parameters are created to map a first range of VBN numbers to a first selected range of DBNs using a first portion of a new storage device. A second mapping parameters are created to map a second range of VBN numbers to a second range of DBNs on a second portion of the new storage device.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a high fault tolerant memory system. The system includes a memory system having a memory controller, a plurality of memory modules and a mechanism. The plurality of memory modules are in communication with the memory controller and with a plurality of memory devices. The plurality of memory devices include at least one spare memory device for providing memory device sparing capability. The mechanism is for detecting that one of the memory modules has failed possibly coincident with a memory device failure on an other of the memory modules. The mechanism allows the memory system to continue to run unimpaired in the presence of the memory module failure and the possible memory device failure.

Abstract: A system and method for error correction and detection in a memory system. The system includes a memory controller, a plurality of memory modules and a mechanism. The memory modules are in communication with the memory controller and with a plurality of memory devices. The mechanism detects that one of the memory modules has failed possibly coincident with a memory device failure on an other of the memory modules. The mechanism allows the memory system to continue to run unimpaired in the presence of the memory module failure and the memory device failure.

Abstract: A method and system for copying operating system information to said at least two storage devices, selectively hiding at least one, but not all, of the storage devices from being accessed by the operating system, and selectively revealing one or more of said hidden storage devices as needed to permit access to the information stored therein.

Abstract: Proposed are a storage apparatus and a failure recovery method capable of performing failure recovery processing while reducing performance deterioration. Whether user data is written into a storage area provided by multiple storage mediums is managed for each stripe. When any one of the storage mediums is blocked due to a failure, correction copy processing is executed to the stripe written with the user data in preference to the stripe not written with the user data in a storage area provided by the multiple storage mediums, and correction copy processing is executed to the stripe not written with the user data in a storage area provided by the multiple storage mediums during spare time.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a logically contiguous group of at least three drives, a first loop, a second loop, and a compression/decompression circuit. Each of the drives comprises (i) a first region configured to store compressed data of a previous drive, (ii) a second region configured to store uncompressed data of the drive, (iii) a third region configured to store compressed data of a next drive. The first loop may be connected to the next drive in the logically contiguous group. The second loop may be connected to the previous drive of the logically contiguous group. The compression/decompression circuit may be configured to compress and decompress the data stored on each of the drives.

Abstract: A data management device accessible to a plurality of memories includes a risk unit which determines risk of failure associated with each of the plurality of memories, a selection unit which selects a memory from among the plurality of memories on the basis of the determined risk and a transmitting unit which transmits a replication instruction to another memory of the plurality of memories. The replication instruction causes replication of the data to be replicated that is stored in the selected memory.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module determining that a data storage request is a cloud data storage request. The method continues with the processing module determining at least one of a cloud storage access reliability indication and a cloud storage data reliability indication for the data storage request. The method continues with the processing module sending the data storage request and the at least one of cloud storage access reliability indication and cloud storage data reliability indication to a cloud storage system.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for handling disk drives in a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) configuration. The method may include detecting a disk drive received via insertion of the disk drive in a disk drive slot of an enclosure of the RAID configuration. Prior to the disk drive being received, it may be that fewer than a maximum number of supported disk drives are configured. It may also be the case that, after the disk drive is received, no more than the maximum number of supported drives are in-place within the enclosure of the RAID configuration. In such instances, and when the insertion is a cold insertion into an empty disk drive slot, the method may further include marking the disk drive as Un-configured good alias Ready. Further, if the disk drive is inserted into a missing disk drive slot and has a smaller storage capacity than that of the replaced disk drive previously in place within the missing disk drive slot, the method may further include marking the disk drive as FAIL.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for data storage with progressive redundant array of independent drives (“RAID”). A storage request receiver module, a striping module, a parity-mirror module, and a parity progression module are included. The storage request receiver module receives a request to store data of a file or of an object. The striping module calculates a stripe pattern for the data. The stripe pattern includes one or more stripes, and each stripe includes a set of N data segments. The striping module writes the N data segments to N storage devices. Each data segment is written to a separate storage device within a set of storage devices assigned to the stripe. The parity-mirror module writes a set of N data segments to one or more parity-mirror storage devices within the set of storage devices. The parity progression module calculates a parity data segment on each parity-mirror device in response to a storage consolidation operation, and stores the parity data segments.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method for controlling a controller connected to a plurality of storage units storing data, the controller including a cache and a buffer, the method comprising the steps of: storing data in the cache; generating parity data corresponding to the data and storing the parity data in the buffer; writing the data and the parity data into the plurality of the storage units; comparing the parity data stored in the buffer with the parity data written into and read out from at least one of the storage unit; deleting, when the parity data stored in the buffer is different from the parity data read out from the storage unit, the parity data from the buffer; and regenerating parity data from data stored in the cache and rewriting the regenerated parity data into at least one of the storage unit.

Abstract: A method of configuring a virtual disk for an information handling system is disclosed. The method comprises embedding a data structure onto a data storage medium prior to installing the medium into an information handling system. The data structure makes up a default policy for configuration of a RAID container using the data storage medium and is recognizable by a controller. When the controller identifies the data structure the controller will read the data structure and configure the medium having the structure into a virtual disk such as a RAID container.

Abstract: A method begins by a processing module receiving data for storage and interpreting the data to identify the data as redundant array of independent disks (RAID) data. The method continues with the processing module interpreting the RAID data to identify at least one of RAID block data and RAID parity data. When the RAID data includes RAID block data and RAID parity data the method continues with the processing module encoding the RAID block data in accordance with error coding dispersal storage function parameters to produce at least one set of encoded data slices and outputting the at least one set of encoded data slices to a dispersed storage network memory.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject matter described herein relate to storage configuration. In aspects, an interface is used to discover the existence, capacity, and characteristics of solid state storage. This information may be provided to a user or storage management process which may use the information to configure the solid state storage. When appropriate, bus bandwidth to the solid state storage as well as bandwidth to memory components of the solid state storage may be configured. Configuration and re-configuration may be performed automatically according to one or more policies maintained locally or remotely.

Abstract: A RAID group is configured and operated by using multiple storage drives 171 and expanders 112 and 121 connected with the storage drives 171. If a failure related to any storage drive 171 is detected, a storage system 10 which issues a broadcast and a discover command to the communication path of the storage drive 171 manages a broadcast inhibiting flag for setting the information showing whether to inhibit transmission of broadcast per storage drive 171. If a failure occurs to a storage drive 171 constituting a RAID group whose redundancy is lost, the storage system 10 sets the broadcast inhibiting flag to inhibiting the broadcast transmission, and if a failure related to the storage drive 171 occurs and the broadcast inhibiting flag of the storage drive 171 is being set to inhibiting the transmission, inhibits the transmission of the broadcast.

Abstract: A computer storage system includes a controller, a first storage device and a second storage device including at least one fast storage device. The controller is configured to perform data operations. The first storage device stores data, and the second storage device stores data redundant to the data stored in the first storage device.

Abstract: A method for configuring a storage array, comprising the steps of (A) configuring the storage array with a minimal number of components for initial testing; (B) sending a first symbol call command to the storage array to initiate a test of a structure of the storage array; (C) receiving a response from the storage array; and (D) determining whether the test passed in response to the response.

Abstract: A storage system including: a controller; and, a plurality of physical storage devices coupled to the controller and constituting a RAID group; wherein the controller provides one or more logical volumes belonging to the RAID group, each of the one or more logical volumes having a plurality of storage areas; one or more virtual volumes, wherein, when receiving a write request to a virtual volume of the one or more virtual volumes, the controller allocates a storage area in a logical volume to the virtual volume; and writes data to the allocated storage area, wherein, when a physical storage device of the plurality of physical storage devices fails, the controller selectively performs a RAID restore process to a storage area allocated to a virtual volume.

Abstract: A data processing system includes one or more nodes, each node including a memory sub-system. The sub-system includes a fine-grained, memory, and a less-fine-grained (e.g., page-based) memory. The fine-grained memory optionally serves as a cache and/or as a write buffer for the page-based memory. Software executing on the system uses a node address space which enables access to the page-based memories of all nodes. Each node optionally provides ACID memory properties for at least a portion of the space. In at least a portion of the space, memory elements are mapped to locations in the page-based memory. In various embodiments, some of the elements are compressed, the compressed elements are packed into pages, the pages are written into available locations in the page-based memory, and a map maintains an association between the some of the elements and the locations.

Abstract: A data memory system is described, where there may be an asymmetry in the time needed to write or erase data and the time needed to read data. The data may be stored using a RAID data storage arrangement and the reading, writing and erasing operations on the modules arranged such that the erasing and writing operations may be performed without significant latency for performing a read operation. Where a failure of a memory module in the memory system occurs, methods for recovering the data of the failed module are disclosed which may selected in accordance with policies that may relate to the minimizing the possibility of irretrievable data loss, or degradation of latency performance.