Virtual Disk Drive System and Method
14 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A disk drive system and method capable of dynamically allocating data is provided. The disk drive system may include a RAID subsystem having a pool of storage, for example a page pool of storage that maintains a free list of RAIDs, or a matrix of disk storage blocks that maintain a null list of RAIDs, and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller. The RAID subsystem and disk manager dynamically allocate data across the pool of storage and a plurality of disk drives based on RAID-to-disk mapping. The RAID subsystem and disk manager determine whether additional disk drives are required, and a notification is sent if the additional disk drives are required. Dynamic data allocation and data progression allow a user to acquire a disk drive later in time when it is needed. Dynamic data allocation also allows efficient data storage of snapshots/point-in-time copies of virtual volume pool of storage, instant data replay and data instant fusion for data backup, recovery etc., remote data storage, and data progression, etc.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1-13. -13. (canceled)
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14. A method of data progression in a disk drive system, comprising the steps of:
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determining a cost of operating for each of a plurality of RAID devices;
classifying each of the plurality of RAID devices based on the cost;
continuously checking data on the RAID devices to determine whether there is data to be moved from one classification of RAID device to another; and
moving data stored on RAID devices of one classification to RAID devices of another classification. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A disk drive system, comprising:
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a RAID subsystem comprising a pool of storage; and
a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller configured to;
determine an operating cost of each of a plurality of RAID devices of the RAID subsystem;
check data on the plurality of RAID devices to determine whether there is data to be moved from one RAID device to another of different operating cost; and
move data stored on RAID devices of one operating cost to RAID devices of another. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A disk drive system capable of data progression, comprising:
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calculation means for determining a cost of operating for each of a plurality of RAID devices;
classification means for classifying each of the plurality of RAID devices based on the cost;
status checking means for continuously checking data on the RAID devices to determine whether there is data to be moved from one classification of RAID device to another; and
transfer means for moving data stored on RAID devices of one classification to RAID devices of another classification.
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Specification