Method for automatic RAID configuration on data storage media

• US 8,015,353 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2006
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ali, Ahmad, Michael, Tesfamariam, Kabir, Rezwanul
• Primary Examiner(s): Farrokh; Hashem
• Application Number:
  US11/469,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059698A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 714/6.22
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0632 by initialisation or re-initialisation of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A method of configuring a virtual disk for an information handling system is disclosed. The method comprises embedding a data structure onto a data storage medium prior to installing the medium into an information handling system. The data structure makes up a default policy for configuration of a RAID container using the data storage medium and is recognizable by a controller. When the controller identifies the data structure the controller will read the data structure and configure the medium having the structure into a virtual disk such as a RAID container.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing data on an unconfigured data storage medium, wherein the data identifies a redundant array of independent disks (RAID) default configuration policy stored on the unconfigured data storage medium, and wherein the RAID default configuration policy is written in a format that can be identified by a plurality of distinct RAID controllers;

adding the unconfigured data storage medium to an information handling system (IHS); and

creating a virtual disk after adding the unconfigured data storage medium to the IHS and detecting the RAID default configuration policy.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein storing further comprises:

storing the data on two or more data storage media.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing data on a RAID controller to facilitate communication of the controller with the unconfigured data storage medium.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the unconfigured data storage medium as a RAID container is selected from the group consisting of identifying the container as a RAID 0 container, a RAID 1 container, a RAID 2 container, a RAID 3 container, a RAID 4 container, a RAID 5 container, and a RAID 6 container.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the unconfigured data storage medium is selected from the group consisting of a hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash disk, and a compact disk.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the IHS comprises a RAID controller.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

providing communication between the unconfigured data storage medium and the RAID controller.

8. An apparatus for storing data comprising:

a data storage medium having a RAID default configuration policy stored thereon, wherein the data storage medium is otherwise unconfigured, and wherein the RAID default configuration policy is written in a format that can be identified by a plurality of distinct RAID controllers; and

an information handling system (IHS) in communication with the data storage medium, the IHS operable to create a virtual disk and to detect the RAID default configuration policy after adding the data storage medium to the IHS.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the data storage medium further comprises two or more data storage media.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the IHS further comprises a RAID controller.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the RAID default configuration data comprises data selected from the group consisting of a RAID 0 container, RAID 1 container, RAID 2 container, RAID 3 container, RAID 4 container, RAID 5 container, and a RAID 6 container.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the data storage medium is selected from the list consisting of hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash disk, and a compact disk.

13. A method comprising:

adding an unconfigured data storage medium to an information handling system (IHS),

the unconfigured data storage medium includes data that identifies a RAID default configuration policy stored on the unconfigured data storage medium, and wherein the RAID default configuration policy is written in a format that can be identified by a plurality of distinct RAID controllers; and

attempting detection of the RAID default configuration policy after adding the unconfigured data storage medium to the IHS and prior to creating a virtual disk.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a post message providing information concerning the method.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

creating a virtual disk based on the RAID default configuration policy.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

invoking a basic input output system (BIOS) configuration utility for configuring the virtual disk.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the RAID default configuration policy comprises data selected from the group consisting of a RAID 0 container, RAID 1 container, RAID 2 container, RAID 3 container, RAID 4 container, RAID 5 container, and a RAID 6 container.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the unconfigured data storage medium is selected from the group consisting of hard disk, a floppy disk, a flash disk, and a compact disk.