Increased data availability with SMART drives

• US 20040103246A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LSI Logic Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chatterjee, Paresh, Hallyal, Basavaraj, Mishra, Ragendra, Biswas, Chayan
• Granted Patent: US 6,892,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/004 Error avoidance G06F11/07 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/008 Reliability or availability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1096 Parity calculation or recalculation after configuration or reconfiguration of the system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1662 the resynchronized component or unit being a persistent storage device re-synchronization of failed mirror storage G06F11/2082; rebuild or reconstruction of parity RAID storage G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2094 Redundant storage or storage space G06F11/2056 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system and method for increased data availability. In an aspect of the present invention, a method includes receiving a SMART indication from a data storage device included in a plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array. Data from the data storage device which originated the SMART indication is replicated to a second data storage device. The second data storage device was not originally configured in the RAID array with the plurality of data storage devices for data storage. The data storage device which originated the SMART indication from the RAID array is removed, thereby resulting the second data storage device and the plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a SMART indication from a data storage device included in a plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array;

replicating data from the data storage device which originated the SMART indication to a second data storage device, the second data storage device not originally configured in the RAID array with the plurality of data storage devices for data storage; and

removing the data storage device which originated the SMART indication from the RAID array, thereby resulting the second data storage device and the plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array.

2. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising writing a new configuration automatically by RAID firmware of the RAID array.

3. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising reading data from the data storage originating the SMART indication when a read command is received for data stored by the data storage device originating the SMART indication, wherein the read is performed during the replicating step.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising writing data to the data storage device originating the SMART indication and the second data storage device when a write command is received for data stored by the data storage device originating the SMART indication.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the write is performed during the replicating step.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the second drive is inserted in an empty slot in the RAID array.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising recovering data if a media error occurs during replication, the data recovered from other data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices of the RAID array.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the second data storage device is a HOTSPARE, receiving and replicating are performed automatically and without user intervention.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising verifying media of the plurality of data storage devices, and if a media error occurs, rebuilding blocks of data from other data storage devices.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein there is not an available slot in the RAID array, the RAID array configured in a redundant configuration, replacing the data storage device which originated the SMART indication with the second data storage device.

11. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising removing a data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices which did not originate the SMART indication and replacing the removed data storage device with the second data storage device so that data is replicated from the data storage device which originated the SMART indication to the second data storage device, once replication is complete, the data storage device which originated the SMART indication is replaced with the removed data storage device.

12. A system, comprising:

a plurality of data storage devices capable of giving a SMART indication, the plurality of data storage device arranged as a RAID array, in which a SMART indication from a data storage device is issued, data from the data storage device which originated the SMART indication is replicated to a second data storage device that was not originally configured for data storage in the RAID array with the plurality of data storage devices, and the data storage device which originated the SMART indication from the RAID array is removed after replication is completed, thereby resulting the second data storage device and the plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array.

13. The system as described in claim 12, wherein a new configuration is written automatically by RAID firmware of the RAID array after replication is completed in response to a new ordering of the data storage devices.

14. The system as described in claim 12, wherein a read command is received for data stored by the data storage device originating the SMART indication, data is read from the data storage originating the SMART indication, the read capable of being performed during replication.

15. The system as described in claim 12, wherein a write command is received for data to be stored by the data storage device originating the SMART indication, data is written to the data storage device originating the SMART indication and the second data storage device, the write being performed during replication.

16. The system as described in claim 12, wherein the second drive is inserted in an empty slot in the RAID array.

17. The system as described in claim 12, wherein data is recovered if a media error occurs during replication, the data recovered from other data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices of the RAID array.

18. The system as described in claim 12, wherein the second data storage device is a HOTSPARE, replicating is performed automatically and without user intervention.

19. The system as described in claim 12, wherein media of the plurality of data storage devices is verified, and if a media error occurs, blocks of data from other data storage devices are utilized to rebuild the media error.

20. The system as described in claim 12, wherein there is not an available slot in the RAID array, the RAID array configured in a redundant configuration, the data storage device which originated the SMART indication is replaced with the second data storage device.

21. The system as described in claim 12, further comprising removing a data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices which did not originate the SMART indication and replacing the removed data storage device with the second data storage device to that data is replicated from the data storage device which originated the SMART indication to the second data storage device, once replication is complete, the data storage device which originated the SMART indication is replaced with the removed data storage device.

22. A method, comprising:

receiving a SMART indication from a data storage device included in a plurality of data storage devices configured as a RAID array;

removing a data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices which did not originate the SMART indication;

replacing the removed data storage device with a second data storage device, the second data storage device not originally configured in the RAID array with the plurality of data storage devices for data storage,

replicating data from the data storage device which originated the SMART indication to a second data storage device;

removing the data storage device which originated the SMART indication from the RAID array; and

replacing the data storage device which originated the SMART indication in the RAID array with the removed data storage device.