Method for Automatic RAID Configuration on Data Storage Media

• US 20080059698A1
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ali, Ahmad, Michael, Tesfamariam, Kabir, Rezwanul
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

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.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing data on an unconfigured data storage medium, wherein the data identifies a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configuration policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage medium is combined with a data information system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein storing further comprises:

storing the data on two or more data storage media.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing data on a RAID controller to facilitate communication of the controller with the medium.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the medium as a RAID container is selected from the group consisting of identifying the container as a RAID 0 container, a RAID 1 container, a RAID 2 container, a RAID 3 container, a RAID 4 container, a RAID 5 container, and a RAID 6 container.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage medium is selected from the group consisting of a hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash disk, and a compact disk.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

installing the data storage medium into a data information handling system, wherein the data information handling system comprises a RAID controller.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing communication between the data storage medium and the RAID controller.

9. An apparatus for storing data comprising:

a data storage medium having RAID configuration data stored thereon, wherein the data storage medium is otherwise unconfigured.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

an information handling system in communication with the data storage medium.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the data medium further comprises two or more data storage media.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the information handling system further comprises a RAID controller.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the RAID configuration data comprises data selected from the group consisting of a RAID 0 container, RAID 1 container, RAID 2 container, RAID 3 container, RAID 4 container, RAID 5 container, and a RAID 6 container.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the data storage medium is selected from the list consisting of hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash disk, and a compact disk.

15. A method comprising:

reading data on a data storage medium wherein the data identifies a RAID default configuration policy; and

configuring a virtual disk based on the RAID default configuration policy.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a post message providing information concerning the method.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

embedding RAID policy data into the data storage medium.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

invoking a basic input output system (BIOS) configuration utility for configuring the virtual disk.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the RAID default configuration policy comprises data selected from the group consisting of a RAID 0 container, RAID 1 container, RAID 2 container, RAID 3 container, RAID 4 container, RAID 5 container, and a RAID 6 container.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the data storage medium is selected from the group consisting of hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash disk, and a compact disk.