Management of data redundancy based on power availability in mobile computer systems

• US 7,769,947 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Corrado, Francis, Leete, Brian A., Ranganathan, Sriram
• Primary Examiner(s): Chace; Christian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bertram; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/240,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2082 Data synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2087 with a common controller

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods that may be implemented in a mobile computer system. An exemplary method may include initiating a split of a storage volume of the mobile computer system. The storage volume may comply with a fault tolerant storage technology. Suitable technologies include, but are not limited to, those based on Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID). In one aspect, the initiation of the split of the storage volume may be based, at least in part, on power availability. Then, a reduction of a power consuming state of a first storage device of the volume may be initiated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a split of a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks (RAID) volume of a mobile computer system after switching from powering the mobile computer system with an alternating current (AC) power source to powering the mobile computer system with a battery, said RAID volume including a first storage device and a second storage device; and

initiating a reduction of a power consuming state of said first storage device of the RAID volume while on battery power.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording changes that are made to data on said second storage device of the RAID volume in a change log.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, after said recording the changes:

initiating an increase in the power consuming state of the first storage device, and making changes to data stored on the first storage device based at least in part on the changes recorded in the change log.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said making the changes comprises selectively copying portions of data recorded as having been changed in the change log from the second storage device to the first storage device.

5. A method comprising:

in response to switching from alternating current (AC) power to battery power, initiating a split of a Redundant Array of Independent (or Inexpensive) Disks level one (RAID-1) volume of a mobile computer system, wherein the RAID-1 volume includes at least a first storage device of the mobile computer system and a second storage device of the mobile computer system;

recording changes that are made to data of the first storage device in a change log; and

initiating regeneration of the RAID-1 volume by copying only a subset of the data of the first storage device to the second storage device, wherein the subset includes data of the first storage device that was recorded as having been changed in the change log.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

initiating a reduction in a power consuming state of the second storage device after said initiating the split; and

initiating an increase in the power consuming state of the second storage device before said initiating regeneration.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the change log comprises a bitmap, wherein each bit of the bitmap corresponds to a different portion of the first storage device, and wherein a value of each bit of the bitmap indicates whether or not data on a corresponding portion of the first storage device has been changed.

8. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including at least one of a disk and a memory that provides instructions that if executed result in a machine performing operations including,

initiating a split of a storage volume of a mobile computer system, the storage volume complying with a fault tolerant storage technology, based at least in part on whether power is provided from an outlet or from a direct current source of power, and

stopping a disk of a first storage device of the storage volume from spinning after initiating the split, wherein the disk of the first storage device is included within a chassis of the mobile computer system.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the instructions that if executed result in the machine initiating the split further comprise instructions that if executed result in the machine initiating the split in response to decoupling the mobile computer system from an alternating current power source or powering the mobile computer system when the mobile computer system is not coupled with an alternating current power source.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein the machine-accessible medium further provides instructions that if executed result in the machine recording changes that are made to data on a second storage device of the storage volume in a data structure.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the machine-accessible medium further provides instructions that if executed result in the machine performing operations including,

causing the disk of the first storage device to spin, and

selectively changing data stored on the first storage device based at least in part on the changes recorded in the data structure.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the instructions that if executed result in the machine selectively changing the data further comprise instructions that if executed result in the machine copying only portions of data recorded as having changed in the data structure from the second storage device to the first storage device.

13. A system comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled with the bus;

a DRAM memory coupled with the bus;

instructions stored on the DRAM memory that if executed result in the processor performing operations including,

initiating a split of a storage volume, the storage volume complying with a fault tolerant storage technology, based at least in part on whether power is provided from an alternating current source of power or a direct current source of power, and

stopping a disk of a first storage device of the storage volume from spinning, wherein the disk of the first storage device is included within a chassis of the system that also includes the processor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions that if executed result in the processor initiating the split further comprise instructions that if executed result in the processor initiating the split in response to decoupling the mobile computer system from an alternating current power source or powering the mobile computer system when the mobile computer system is not coupled with an alternating current power source.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that if executed result in the processor recording changes that are made to data on. a second storage device of the storage volume in a data structure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that if executed result in the processor performing operations including,

causing the disk of the first storage device to spin, and

selectively changing data stored on the first storage device based at least in part on the changes recorded in the data structure.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the instructions that if executed result in the processor selectively changing the data further comprise instructions that if executed result in the processor copying only portions of data recorded as having changed in the data structure from the second storage device to the first storage device.