RAID REBUILD USING FILE SYSTEM AND BLOCK LIST

• US 20090271659A1
• Filed: 11/16/2008
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Haustein, Nils, Troppens, Ulf, Winarski, Daniel James, Klein, Craig A.
• Application Number:
  US12/271,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20090271659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk

Abstract

This embodiment (a system) addresses and reduces the RAID build time by only rebuilding the used blocks and omitting the unused blocks. This starts after a disk drive from a RAID system is failed and replaced and storage controller starts the process of rebuilding the data on the new disk drive. Storage controller determines the logical volumes that must be rebuilt, send a message requesting only used blocks for these logical volumes from the volume manager and then uses this information and only rebuild the used blocks for the failed disk system.

Claims

1. A system for rebuilding a redundant array of independent disks using used block list propagation in a distributed storage module in a first network, said system comprising:

a computer module; and

a first storage module;

wherein said computer module comprises an application, a volume manager, an adaptor,

said application uses said volume manager to read and write data to said first storage module,

said first storage module comprises a storage controller, and a plurality of storage media,

said adaptor translates said volume manager'"'"'s read and write commands to specific said first storage module read and write commands,

said first network comprises a local area network,

in case of degrading mode of first storage media of said plurality of storage media failing,

said first failing storage media is replaced;

said storage controller determines all logical volumes of said first failing storage media, wherein each of said logical volumes is a plurality of logical blocks;

said storage controller determines support for communication with said volume manager of said computer module;

if said storage controller does not support communicating with said volume manager, said storage controller calculates said logical blocks of all said logical volume,

said storage controller rebuilds said logical blocks, said storage controller rebuilds all storage module stripes;

if said storage controller does support communicating with said volume manager,

said storage controller sends message to said volume manager over said first network,

said message is requesting all used logical blocks,

said used logical blocks are all used said logical blocks for said logical volume for said first failing storage media,

said message includes said logical volume for said first failing storage media;

said volume manager receives said message;

said volume manager extracts said logical volume from said message;

said volume manager calculates all said used logical blocks for said logical volume;

said volume manager creates a list of said used logical blocks, wherein said list includes all calculated said used logical blocks;

said volume manager creates second message, wherein said second message includes said list;

said volume manager sends said second message to said storage controller over said first network;

said storage controller receives said second message from said volume manager over said first network;

said storage controller extracts said list from said second message;

said storage controller extracts said used logical blocks from said list;

said storage controller rebuilds said logical volume from said used logical blocks; and

said storage controller rebuilds all said storage module stripes with low task priority.