System, method, and computer program product for providing data redundancy in a plurality of storage devices

• US 8,090,980 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: SandForce, Inc. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Danilak, Radoslav
• Primary Examiner(s): MASKULINSKI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US11/942,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 714/6.22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0611 in relation to response time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0661 Format or protocol conversion arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0688 Non-volatile semiconductor memory arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for providing data redundancy in a plurality of storage devices. In operation, storage commands are received for providing data redundancy in accordance with a first data redundancy scheme. Additionally, the storage commands are translated for providing the data redundancy in accordance with a second data redundancy scheme. Furthermore, the translated storage commands are outputted for providing the data redundancy in a plurality of storage devices.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

via a standard storage subsystem interface, receiving first storage commands from a computer and reducing a number of writes to produce second storage commands;

via a disk controller, receiving the second storage commands and producing third storage commands that are in accordance with a first data redundancy scheme to provide data redundancy;

translating the third storage commands in accordance with a second data redundancy scheme;

outputting the translated storage commands in a plurality of storage devices; and

avoiding randomization of data by providing the data redundancy after the reducing.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first data redundancy scheme includes a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-1 data redundancy scheme.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second data redundancy scheme includes a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-5 data redundancy scheme.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second data redundancy scheme includes a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-6 data redundancy scheme.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage devices include a mechanical storage device.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the mechanical storage device includes a disk drive.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the storage devices include a solid state storage device.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the solid state storage device includes flash memory.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the flash memory includes NAND flash memory.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the NAND flash memory includes single-level cell (SLC) NAND flash memory.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the NAND flash memory includes multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash memory.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the solid state storage device includes dynamic random access memory (DRAM).

13. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising detecting a disconnection of a power source of the storage devices.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, and further comprising providing power to the storage devices, in response to the detection of the disconnection of the power source.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein power is provided to the storage devices until at least a point when no data loss will occur as a result of the disconnection of the power source.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the power is provided utilizing a capacitor.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the power is provided utilizing a battery.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the third storage commands are compatible with a Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein at least one of the storage devices includes flash memory.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein one of the first data redundancy scheme or the second data redundancy scheme includes one of a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-10 data redundancy scheme, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-50 data redundancy scheme, a redundant array of independent disks (RAID)-60 data redundancy scheme, and a square parity redundancy scheme.

21. A system, comprising:

standard storage subsystem interface means for receiving computer storage commands from a computer;

write reduction means for reducing a number of writes to produce write-reduced storage commands;

disk controller means for receiving the write-reduced storage commands from the write reduction means and producing data redundancy storage commands that are in accordance with a first data redundancy scheme to provide data redundancy;

translation means for translating the data redundancy storage commands in accordance with a second data redundancy scheme;

storage device interface means for outputting the translated storage commands in a plurality of storage devices; and

wherein the system is enabled to avoid randomization of data via receiving the write-reduced storage commands by the disk controller means from the write reduction means.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

a write reducing circuit enabled to receive computer storage commands from a computer and to reduce a number of writes to produce write-reduced storage commands;

a data redundancy circuit comprised in a disk controller and enabled to receive the write-reduced storage commands from the write reducing circuit and to produce data redundancy storage commands that are in accordance with a first data redundancy scheme to provide data redundancy;

a storage device circuit enabled to translate the data redundancy storage commands to storage device storage commands in accordance with a second data redundancy scheme and to provide the storage device storage commands to a plurality of storage devices; and

wherein the apparatus is enabled to avoid randomization of data via receiving the write-reduced storage commands by the data redundancy circuit from the write reducing circuit.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 22, and further comprising the storage devices.