Providing parity in a RAID sub-system using non-volatile memory

Details Providing parity in a RAID sub-system using non-volatile memory Providing parity in a RAID sub-system using non-volatile memory

2006-01-17

2006-01-17

Le, Dieu-Minh (Department: 2114)

Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery

Data processing system error or fault handling

Reliability and availability

C714S711000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06988219

ABSTRACT:
The present invention is a method for providing error correction for an array of disks using non-volatile random access memory (NV-RAM). Non-volatile RAM is used to increase the speed of RAID recovery from a disk error(s). This is accomplished by keeping a list of all disk blocks for which the parity is possibly inconsistent. Such a list of disk blocks is much smaller than the total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem. The total number of parity blocks in the RAID subsystem is typically in the range of hundreds of thousands of parity blocks. Knowledge of the number of parity blocks that are possibly inconsistent makes it possible to fix only those few blocks, identified in the list, in a significantly smaller amount of time than is possible in the prior art. The technique for safely writing to a RAID array with a broken disk is complicated. In this technique, data that can become corrupted is copied into NV-RAM before the potentially corrupting operation is performed.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4761785 (1988-08-01), Clark et al.
patent: 5088081 (1992-02-01), Farr
patent: 5134619 (1992-07-01), Henson et al.
patent: 5146588 (1992-09-01), Crater et al.
patent: 5195100 (1993-03-01), Katz et al.
patent: 5208813 (1993-05-01), Stallmo
patent: 5235601 (1993-08-01), Stallmo et al.
patent: 5239640 (1993-08-01), Froemke et al.
patent: 5255270 (1993-10-01), Yanai et al.
patent: 5274799 (1993-12-01), Brant et al.
patent: 5305326 (1994-04-01), Solomon et al.
patent: 5315602 (1994-05-01), Noya et al.
patent: 5335235 (1994-08-01), Arnott
patent: 5390327 (1995-02-01), Lubbers et al.
patent: 5452444 (1995-09-01), Solomon et al.
patent: 5488731 (1996-01-01), Mendelsohn
patent: 5550975 (1996-08-01), Ichinomiya et al.
patent: 5948110 (1999-09-01), Hitz et al.
patent: 0 492 808 (1992-07-01), None
patent: 0 497 067 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 0 559 488 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 0 569 313 (1993-11-01), None
patent: 0 829 956 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 0 747 829 (1996-12-01), None
patent: 0 756 235 (1997-01-01), None
patent: 0 462 917 (1999-09-01), None
patent: 1 031 928 (2000-08-01), None
patent: 1 031 928 (2000-08-01), None
patent: 4-278641 (1992-10-01), None
patent: WO 91/13405 (1991-09-01), None
patent: WO 94/29795 (1994-12-01), None
patent: WO 98/21658 (1998-05-01), None
Menon et al. “The Architecture of a Fault-Tolerant Cached RAID Controller,” Proceedings of the 20thAnnual International Symposium on Computer Architecture, May 16-19, 1993, pp. 76-86, IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamitos, CA.
Gray et al. “Parity Striping of Disc Arrays: Low-Cost Reliable Storage with Acceptable Throughput.” Proceedings of the International Conference on Very Large Data Bases, 16thInternational Conference, Aug. 13-16, 1990, pp. 148-161, Brisbane, Australia.
IBM Corporation, “Mapping the VM Text Files to the Aix Text Files.”IBM Technical Discosure Bulletin, Jul. 1990, p. 341, vol. 33, No. 2.
Nass, Richard.“Connect Disk Arrays to EISA or PCI Syses.”Electronic Design, Nov. 11, 1993, pp. 152-154, vol. 41, No. 23.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Providing parity in a RAID sub-system using non-volatile memory does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Providing parity in a RAID sub-system using non-volatile memory, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Providing parity in a RAID sub-system using non-volatile memory will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3591028