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Parity block configuration in an array of storage devices

  • US 5,537,567 A
  • Filed: 03/14/1994
  • Issued: 07/16/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A storage subsystem for a computer system, comprising:

  • storage subsystem controller, said controller having a processor and a memory;

    a plurality of data storage units coupled to sad controller,a first group of at least three data storage units coupled to said controller,wherein addressable storage space in said plurality of data storage units corresponds to a two-dimensional array of storage blocks, each column of said array representing a different one of said data storage units, and each row of said array representing a discrete range of storage locations within each storage unit;

    means for computing parity blocks from data stored in data storage blocks, wherein each parity block is computed from data stored in a corresponding set of data storage blocks, each said data storage block of said set being located on a different one of said data storage units;

    means for storing said parity blocks on one or more parity rows in said first group of at least three data storage units of said array, said parity rows being fewer than half of all the rows of said array, each of said parity rows comprising a plurality of storage blocks containing parity blocks, wherein each parity block is stored on a storage unit different from any of the storage units containing storage blocks of the set of storage blocks corresponding to said parity block and;

    a second group of at least one data storage unit, the storage blocks of said second group containing data, each storage block containing data in said second group being associated with a parity block in said first group of said at least three data storage units.

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