Virtual disk drive system and method
First Claim
1. A method of data instant replay, comprising the steps of:
- creating an abstract volume of disk space blocks from a plurality of RAID devices;
allocating the disk space blocks of the abstract volume;
writing data to the allocated disk space blocks;
generating a snapshot for the abstract volume;
storing an address index of the snapshot; and
accessing the snapshot via the stored address index.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A disk drive system and method capable of dynamically allocating data is provided. The disk drive system may include a RAID subsystem having a pool of storage, for example a page pool of storage that maintains a free list of RAIDs, or a matrix of disk storage blocks that maintain a null list of RAIDs, and a disk manager having at least one disk storage system controller. The RAID subsystem and disk manager dynamically allocate data across the pool of storage and a plurality of disk drives based on RAID-to-disk mapping. The RAID subsystem and disk manager determine whether additional disk drives are required, and a notification is sent if the additional disk drives are required. Dynamic data allocation and data progression allow a user to acquire a disk drive later in time when it is needed. Dynamic data allocation also allows efficient data storage of snapshots/point-in-time copies of virtual volume pool of storage, instant data replay and data instant fusion for data backup, recovery etc., remote data storage, and data progression, etc.
124 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of data instant replay, comprising the steps of:
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creating an abstract volume of disk space blocks from a plurality of RAID devices; allocating the disk space blocks of the abstract volume; writing data to the allocated disk space blocks; generating a snapshot for the abstract volume; storing an address index of the snapshot; and accessing the snapshot via the stored address index. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of data instant replay, comprising the steps of:
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defining a default size of disk space of a RAID subsystem which forms a pool of storage; allocating the pool of storage; writing data to the allocated pool of storage; generating a snapshot for the pool of storage; storing an address index of the snapshot; and accessing the snapshot via the stored address index. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A disk drive system, capable of replaying data, comprising:
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abstract means for generating at least one abstraction of disk space blocks from a plurality of RAID devices; allocating means for allocating the disk space blocks of the abstraction; writing means for writing data to the allocated disk space blocks; fusing means for generating a snapshot for the abstraction; storing means for storing an address index of the snapshot; and accessing means for accessing the snapshot via the stored address index.
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Specification