Selection of data arrays

• US 7,783,917 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kubo, Robert Akira, Sheppard, Jacob Lee, Lovrien, Kurt Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonzo; Bryce P
• Application Number:
  US11/679,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20080209253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 714 5- 8, 714/42
• US Class Current: 714/6.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1096 Parity calculation or recalculation after configuration or reconfiguration of the system

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and article of manufacture, wherein a plurality of data arrays coupled to a storage controller is maintained. Data arrays are selected from the plurality of data arrays based on predetermined selection rules. Data is stored redundantly in the selected data arrays by writing the data to the selected data arrays.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

maintaining a plurality of RAID arrays coupled to a storage controller;

selecting RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on predetermined selection rules; and

storing data redundantly in the selected RAID arrays by writing the data to the selected RAID arrays, wherein if a first RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays is in a better rank detail state than a second RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly, wherein good rank detail states are better than rebuilding rank detail states, wherein rebuilding rank detail states are better than exposed rank detail states, and wherein exposed rank detail states are better than degraded rank detail states.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays further comprises:

selecting three RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules, in response to determining that the plurality of RAID arrays has more than three RAID arrays.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of dual loops couple the plurality of RAID arrays to the storage controller, wherein a selected first RAID array is preferred to be in a different dual loop than a selected second RAID array.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the predetermined selection rules used for selecting the RAID arrays are based on a weighting of the reliability and the performance of drive types of the plurality of RAID arrays, wherein if the first RAID array is better than the second RAID array based on the weighting, then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein while selecting the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules:

a rank detail state selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion;

the dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank drive type selection prioritization criterion; and

the rank drive type selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank RAID type selection prioritization criterion.

6. A storage controller in communication with a plurality of RAID arrays, the storage controller comprising:

memory; and

processor, coupled to the memory, wherein the processor executes operations, the operations comprising;

(i) selecting RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on predetermined selection rules; and

(ii) storing data redundantly in the selected RAID arrays by writing the data to the selected RAID arrays, wherein if a first RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays is in a better rank detail state than a second RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly, wherein good rank detail states are better than rebuilding rank detail states, wherein rebuilding rank detail states are better than exposed rank detail states, and wherein exposed rank detail states are better than degraded rank detail states.

7. The storage controller of claim 6, wherein the selecting of the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays further comprises:

selecting three RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules, in response to determining that the plurality of RAID arrays has more than three RAID arrays.

8. The storage controller of claim 7, wherein a plurality of dual loops couple the plurality of RAID arrays to the storage controller, wherein a selected first RAID array is preferred to be in a different dual loop than a selected second RAID array.

9. The storage controller of claim 7, wherein the predetermined selection rules used for selecting the RAID arrays are based on a weighting of the reliability and the performance of drive types of the plurality of RAID arrays, wherein if the first RAID array is better than the second RAID array based on the weighting, then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly.

10. The storage controller of claim 6, wherein while selecting the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules:

a rank detail state selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion;

the dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank drive type selection prioritization criterion; and

the rank drive type selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank RAID type selection prioritization criterion.

11. An article of manufacture including code, wherein the code performs operations on a computer, the operations comprising:

maintaining a plurality of RAID arrays coupled to a storage controller;

selecting RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on predetermined selection rules; and

storing data redundantly in the selected RAID arrays by writing the data to the selected RAID arrays, wherein if a first RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays is in a better rank detail state than a second RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly, wherein good rank detail states are better than rebuilding rank detail states, wherein rebuilding rank detail states are better than exposed rank detail states, and wherein exposed rank detail states are better than degraded rank detail states.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the selecting of the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays further comprises:

selecting three RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules, in response to determining that the plurality of RAID arrays has more than three RAID arrays.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein a plurality of dual loops couple the plurality of RAID arrays to the storage controller, wherein a selected first RAID array is preferred to be in a different dual loop than a selected second RAID array.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 12, wherein the predetermined selection rules used for selecting the RAID arrays are based on a weighting of the reliability and the performance of drive types of the plurality of RAID arrays, wherein if the first RAID array is better than the second RAID array based on the weighting, then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein while selecting the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules:

a rank detail state selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion;

the dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank drive type selection prioritization criterion; and

the rank drive type selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank RAID type selection prioritization criterion.

16. A method for deploying computing infrastructure, comprising integrating computer-readable code into a computing system, wherein the code in combination with the computing system is capable of performing:

maintaining a plurality of RAID arrays coupled to a storage controller;

selecting RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on predetermined selection rules; and

storing data redundantly in the selected RAID arrays by writing the data to the selected RAID arrays, wherein if a first RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays is in a better rank detail state than a second RAID array of the plurality of RAID arrays then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly, wherein good rank detail states are better than rebuilding rank detail states, wherein rebuilding rank detail states are better than exposed rank detail states, and wherein exposed rank detail states are better than degraded rank detail states.

17. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein the selecting of the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays further comprises:

selecting three RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules, in response to determining that the plurality of RAID arrays has more than three RAID arrays.

18. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 17, wherein a plurality of dual loops couple the plurality of RAID arrays to the storage controller, wherein a selected first RAID array is preferred to be in a different dual loop than a selected second RAID array.

19. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 17, wherein the predetermined selection rules used for selecting the RAID arrays are based on a weighting of the reliability and the performance of drive types of the plurality of RAID arrays, wherein if the first RAID array is better than the second RAID array based on the weighting, then the first RAID array is selected in preference to the second RAID array for storing the data redundantly.

20. The method for deploying computing infrastructure of claim 16, wherein while selecting the RAID arrays from the plurality of RAID arrays based on the predetermined selection rules:

a rank detail state selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion;

the dual loop separation selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank drive type selection prioritization criterion; and

the rank drive type selection prioritization criterion is provided a higher priority in the predetermined selection rules than a rank RAID type selection prioritization criterion.