SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTELLIGENT DISK REBUILD AND LOGICAL GROUPING OF SAN STORAGE ZONES

• US 20090013213A1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adaptec Incorporated (Steel Partners Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Adaptec Incorporated (Steel Partners Holdings LP)
• Inventors: MacFarland, Jeffrey, Kalman, Dean
• Application Number:
  US12/167,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013213A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4405 Initialisation of multiprocessor systems

Abstract

A method of rebuilding a replacement drive used in a RAID group of drives is disclosed. The rebuilding method includes tracking data modification operations continuously during use of the drives. The method also includes saving the tracked data modifications to a log in a persistent storage, where the tracked data modifications are associated with stripe data present on the drives. Then, rebuilding a failed one of the drives with a replacement drive. The rebuilding is facilitated by referencing the log from the persistent storage, and the log facilitating reading only portions of stripe data from surviving drives and omitting reading of portions from the drives where no data was written. Thus, the rebuilding only rebuilds the stripe data to the replacement drive. Also provided is a zoning method, which enables logical zone creation from storage area networks.

Claims

1. A method of rebuilding a replacement drive used in a RAID group of drives, comprising:

tracking data modification operations continuously during use of the drives;

saving the tracked data modifications to a log in a persistent storage, the tracked data modifications being associated with stripe data present on the drives; and

rebuilding a failed one of the drives with a replacement drive, the rebuilding being facilitated by referencing the log from the persistent storage, and the log facilitating reading only portions of stripe data from surviving drives and omitting reading of portions from the drives where no data was written, so that the rebuilding only rebuilds the stripe data to the replacement drive.

2. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 1, wherein RAID level-5 writes data in stripes across multiple drives.

3. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the replacement drive is rebuilt using the stripe data present on surviving drives that did not experience a failure, and the replacement drive completes the RAID group of drives.

4. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 1, wherein modification operation include one or more of write operations, delete operations, or update operations.

5. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the log identifies particular stripes to rebuild.

8. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 1, wherein the log is stored in a relational database, a disk drive, a ROM, or a Flash Memory.

6. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 6, wherein the log provides flags identifying written or no data.

7. The method of rebuilding a replacement drive as recited in claim 6, wherein rebuild time is reduced as a percentage of amount of stripes not requiring rebuild.

9. A method of creating storage area network zones, comprising:

identifying a plurality of storage devices;

assigning each of the plurality of storage devices to a logical group, the logical group being identified by characteristics;

presenting the plurality of storage devices as part of the logical group without regard to enclosure identifications;

assigning access control properties to the logical group, which provide access to the plurality of storage devices.

10. A method of creating storage area network zones as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more grouping rules are created and stored in a storage area network zone.

11. A method of creating storage area network zones as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

discovering each storage device in the zone; and

retrieving properties of each storage.

12. A method of creating storage area network zones as recited in claim 10, wherein the characteristics include one or more of location, name, purpose, physical attribute, or logical attribute.