Method and system for scrubbing data within a data storage subsystem

• US 20060218199A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kishi, Gregory T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/106 Correcting systematically all correctable errors, i.e. scrubbing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0683 Plurality of storage devices

Abstract

A method and system for scrubbing data within a data storage subsystem is disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method is provided for scrubbing data of a storage element within a data storage subsystem. In the described method embodiment, a request to access the storage element is processed utilizing a first processing module and access permission metadata associated with the storage element. A data scrub process is concurrently performed utilizing a second processing module by modifying the access permission metadata and validating data of the storage element substantially simultaneously with the processing.

Claims

1. A method for scrubbing data of a storage element within a data storage subsystem, said method comprising:

processing a request to access said storage element utilizing a first processing module and access permission metadata associated with said storage element; and

performing a data scrub process on said storage element utilizing a second processing module, wherein said performing comprises modifying said access permission metadata; and

validating data of said storage element substantially simultaneously with said processing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying comprises designating said storage element as read-only.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said processing comprises performing a read operation on said storage element.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said data on said storage element is associated with a first checksum data value and said validating comprises

generating a second checksum data value;

and

comparing said first checksum data value with said second checksum data value.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein

said storage element comprises active data and inactive data;

said validating comprises validating both said active data and said inactive data.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein performing said data scrub process further comprises:

performing said data scrub process in response to a determination that a utilization of said data storage subsystem is at or below a predetermined threshold.

7. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, which when executed by a processor, causes said processor to implement a method for scrubbing data of a storage element within a data storage subsystem, said method comprising:

processing a request to access said storage element utilizing a first processing module and access permission metadata associated with said storage element; and

performing a data scrub process on said storage element utilizing a second processing module, wherein said performing comprises modifying said access permission metadata; and

validating data of said storage element substantially simultaneously with said processing.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein said modifying comprises designating said storage element as read-only.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said processing comprises performing a read operation on said storage element.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said data on said storage element is associated with a first checksum data value and said validating comprises

generating a second checksum data value;

and

comparing said first checksum data value with said second checksum data value.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein

said storage element comprises active data and inactive data;

said validating comprises validating both said active data and said inactive data.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein performing said data scrub process further comprises:

performing said data scrub process in response to a determination that a utilization of said data storage subsystem is at or below a predetermined threshold.

13. A system for scrubbing data of a storage element within a data storage subsystem, said system comprising:

a storage device to store said storage element;

a plurality of processing modules coupled to said storage device to substantially simultaneously access and scrub data of said storage element, said plurality of processing modules comprising;

a first processing module to process a request to access said storage element utilizing access permission metadata associated with said storage element; and

a second processing module to modify said access permission metadata and validate data of said storage element.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said second processing module to modify said access permission metadata designates said storage element as read-only.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said request to access said storage element comprises a read operation request.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein

said data on said storage element is associated with a first checksum data value and

said second processing module to validate data of said storage element generates a second checksum data value;

and

compares said first checksum data value with said second checksum data value.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein

said storage element comprises active data and inactive data;

said second processing module to validate data of said storage element validates both said active data and said inactive data.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein said substantially simultaneous access and scrub is performed in response to a determination that a utilization of said data storage subsystem is at or below a predetermined threshold.