Multiple disk drive array with plural parity groups
First Claim
1. A multiple disk drive array for use in storing and/or retrieving data within a multi-user information system in a generally uniform distribution, the multiple disk drive array comprising:
- a plurality of disk drives;
error correction means for treating the disk drives as a plurality of parity groups of disk drives within said plurality of disk drives, each of said parity groups having a disk drive designated as a parity drive; and
controller means for communicating data to and/or from said plurality of disk drives by distributing data to and/or receiving data from said parity groups in a substantially uniform distribution.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of disk drive memories are operatively coupled to a plurality of disk drive controllers. The disk drives are operatively grouped and coupled to a plurality of communication busses, each bus being coupled to a respective disk drive controller. A plurality of segment buffers are coupled to the disk drive controllers and a parity error correction system is coupled to the segment buffers. The error correction system is coupled to an input/output circuit through a plurality of buffers and an interface circuit. A processor communicates with the output buffers, the error correction system, and the segment buffers to control the storage and retrieval of data to and from the array of disk drives. The error correction system establishes a plurality of relatively small parity groups among the disk drives, each parity group having a designated parity drive. The number of drives within each parity group is maintained at a substantially reduced number to provide high speed system response to user inputs and changes and to improve system reliability. Data is uniformly distributed among the parity groups and the disk drives therein.
42 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A multiple disk drive array for use in storing and/or retrieving data within a multi-user information system in a generally uniform distribution, the multiple disk drive array comprising:
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a plurality of disk drives; error correction means for treating the disk drives as a plurality of parity groups of disk drives within said plurality of disk drives, each of said parity groups having a disk drive designated as a parity drive; and controller means for communicating data to and/or from said plurality of disk drives by distributing data to and/or receiving data from said parity groups in a substantially uniform distribution. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A multiple disk drive array for use in storing and/or retrieving data within a multi-user video server, the multiple disk drive array comprising:
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a plurality of communication busses; a plurality of disk drive groups, each of said disk drive groups having at least one disk drive coupled to one of said communication busses; a plurality of disk controllers, each coupled to one of said communication busses, for storing data on and/or retrieving data from said disk drives of a respective disk drive group in a substantially uniform distribution; and error correction means for treating the disk drives as parity groups, each of said parity groups having a parity drive and at least one active disk drive. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A multiple disk drive array for use in storing and retrieving data within a multi-user video server system, the multiple disk drive array comprising a plurality of disk drives organized into a plurality of parity groups having data substantially uniformly distributed among said parity groups, each parity group having plural active drives and a designated parity drive and each parity group having its respective data stored in a substantially uniform distribution among its active disk drives, the number of said parity groups being about the same as or larger than the number of disk drives in each of said parity groups.
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25. A multiple disk drive array for use in storing and retrieving data within a multi-user information system accessible to a plurality of users (Nv), the multiple disk drive array comprising a plurality of disk drives, each disk drive having a minimum data location time interval (Td), organized into a plurality of parity groups (G), each parity group having a designated parity drive, said number of parity groups being selected to provide a system response time for user access (Tserv) in accordance with the following:
space="preserve" listing-type="equation">Tserv=(Nv×
Td)/G.
Specification