Multidimensional parity protection system
First Claim
1. A data storage system for multidimensional parity protection of at least three dimensions, comprising:
- (a) a housing for containing a plurality of Na conventional disk drives, wherein Na is the number of disk drives and N is greater than two, and a is an integer of at least three, representing the dimensionality of parity protection;
(b) a plurality of at least Na conventional data disk drives for storing data located within said housing;
(c) a plurality of parity disk drives sufficient in number to provide mirrored, multidimensional, orthogonal parity arrays in at least three dimensions, and equal in number to 2aNc, wherein a is as defined above, and c is a−
1, and wherein each of said conventional data disk drives is linked to at least a number of parity disk drives equal to a, and wherein said plurality of parity disk drives are mirrored for guarding data stored on said data disk drives in a mirrored parity arrangement, each of said conventional data disk drives thereby having a multidimensional parity relationship with at least four of said parity disk drives such that multidimensional, mirrored, orthogonal parity arrays of a dimensionality are established for each of said conventional disk drives and each of said conventional disk drives are related to at least two parity disk drives in each a dimension, thereby establishing a parity group for that conventional disk drive and other conventional disk drives sharing said same at least two parity disk drives in each a dimension;
(d) data reconstruction means coupled to each of said multidimensional, mirrored orthogonal parity arrays for reconstructing data from any failed conventional disk drive in a given dimensional parity group by combining data from other of said conventional disk drives and parity disk drives in its orthogonal parity arrays;
(e) a plurality of first processors at a first level connected directly to said plurality of control cards, said first processors having control and processing intelligence;
(f) a plurality of second processors at a second level connected indirectly to said plurality of control cards, said first processors having control and processing intelligence; and
, (g) sufficient software, memory and hardware within said processors to establish both dynamic and static hierarchical control of said plurality of parity disk drives using distributing intelligence.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A data storage system for multidimensional parity protection includes a housing for containing a plurality of conventional disk drives for storing data wherein each of the conventional data disk drives is symmetrically linked to at least three parity disk drives for guarding data stored on the data disk drives. Each of the conventional data disk drives thereby have a three dimensional parity relationship with three parity data disk drives such that a three dimensional, mirrored, orthogonal parity array is established. The data storage system further includes a failure detection component coupled to the three dimensional, mirrored, orthogonal parity arrays for detecting and indicating the failure of any disk in the mirrored, orthogonal parity arrays. In addition, a data reconstruction component is coupled to the three dimensional, mirrored orthogonal parity arrays for reconstructing data from any failed disk by combining data from other parity disks in the orthogonal parity arrays.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A data storage system for multidimensional parity protection of at least three dimensions, comprising:
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(a) a housing for containing a plurality of Na conventional disk drives, wherein Na is the number of disk drives and N is greater than two, and a is an integer of at least three, representing the dimensionality of parity protection;
(b) a plurality of at least Na conventional data disk drives for storing data located within said housing;
(c) a plurality of parity disk drives sufficient in number to provide mirrored, multidimensional, orthogonal parity arrays in at least three dimensions, and equal in number to 2aNc, wherein a is as defined above, and c is a−
1, and wherein each of said conventional data disk drives is linked to at least a number of parity disk drives equal to a, and wherein said plurality of parity disk drives are mirrored for guarding data stored on said data disk drives in a mirrored parity arrangement, each of said conventional data disk drives thereby having a multidimensional parity relationship with at least four of said parity disk drives such that multidimensional, mirrored, orthogonal parity arrays of a dimensionality are established for each of said conventional disk drives and each of said conventional disk drives are related to at least two parity disk drives in each a dimension, thereby establishing a parity group for that conventional disk drive and other conventional disk drives sharing said same at least two parity disk drives in each a dimension;
(d) data reconstruction means coupled to each of said multidimensional, mirrored orthogonal parity arrays for reconstructing data from any failed conventional disk drive in a given dimensional parity group by combining data from other of said conventional disk drives and parity disk drives in its orthogonal parity arrays;
(e) a plurality of first processors at a first level connected directly to said plurality of control cards, said first processors having control and processing intelligence;
(f) a plurality of second processors at a second level connected indirectly to said plurality of control cards, said first processors having control and processing intelligence; and
,(g) sufficient software, memory and hardware within said processors to establish both dynamic and static hierarchical control of said plurality of parity disk drives using distributing intelligence. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A data storage system for multidimensional parity protection of at least three dimensions for connection to a plurality of conventional disk drives equal in number to Na, wherein Na is the number of disk drives and N is greater than two, and a is an integer of at least three, representing the dimensionality of parity protection for retrofit connection to a plurality of conventional data disk drives, which comprises:
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(a) a plurality of parity disk drives sufficient in number to provide mirrored, multidimensional, orthogonal parity arrays in at least three dimensions, and equal in number to 2aNc, wherein a is as defined above, and c is a−
1, and wherein each of said conventional data disk drives is linked to at least a number of parity disk drives equal to a, and wherein said plurality of parity disk drives are mirrored for guarding data stored on said data disk drives in a mirrored parity arrangement, each of said conventional data disk drives thereby having a multidimensional parity relationship with at least four of said parity disk drives such that multidimensional, mirrored, orthogonal parity arrays of a dimensionality are established for each of said conventional disk drives and each of said conventional disk drives are related to at least two parity disk drives in each a dimension, thereby establishing a parity group for that conventional disk drive and other conventional disk drives sharing said same at least two parity disk drives in each a dimension;
(b) connection means for functionally connecting said parity disk drives to said conventional data disk drives;
(c) data reconstruction means coupled to each of said multidimensional, mirrored orthogonal parity arrays for reconstructing data from any failed conventional disk drive in a given parity group by combining data from other of said conventional disk drives and parity disk drives in its orthogonal parity arrays;
(d) a plurality of controller cards for providing access and control over a collection of disks;
(e) a plurality of intelligence for parity calculation in each dimension;
(f) a plurality of first processors at a first level connected directly to said plurality of control cards, said first processors having control and processing intelligence;
(g) a plurality of second processors at a second level connected indirectly to said plurality of control cards, said first processors having control and processing intelligence;
(h) a plurality of third processors at a third level having intelligence, said third processors being connected to at least one of said plurality of first processors and said plurality of second processors; and
, (i) sufficient software, memory and hardware within said processors to establish both dynamic and static hierarchical control of said plurality of parity disk drives using distributing intelligence.- View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification