Distributedly storing raid data in a raid memory and a dispersed storage network memory

• US 8,725,940 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Resch, Jason K., Markison, Timothy W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THAN VINH
• Application Number:
  US12/983,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20110213928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 711/114, 711/147, 711/202
• US Class Current: 711/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0727 in a storage system, e.g. in a DASD or network based storage system drivers for digital recording or reproducing units G06F3/06; circuits for error detection or correction within digital recording or reproducing units G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1028 Distributed, i.e. distributed RAID systems with parity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0614 Improving the reliability of storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0647 Migration mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/065 Replication mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0665 at area level, e.g. provisioning of virtual or logical volumes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/068 Hybrid storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0685 Hybrid storage combining heterogeneous device types, e.g. hierarchical storage, hybrid arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method begins by a processing module receiving redundant array of independent disks (RAID) data and determining whether to store the RAID data in at least one of a RAID format and in a dispersed storage network (DSN) format. The method continues with the processing module converting at least a portion of the RAID data into at least one set of encoded data slices when the at least a portion of the RAID data is to be stored in the DSN format. The method continues with the processing module outputting the at least one set of encoded data slices to a DSN memory.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a processing module of a computing device, the method comprises:

receiving redundant array of independent disks (RAID) data;

determining whether to store the RAID data in at least one of a RAID format and in a dispersed storage network (DSN) format;

when at least a portion of the RAID data is to be stored in the DSN format, converting the at least a portion of the RAID data into at least one set of encoded data slices; and

outputting the at least one set of encoded data slices to a DSN memory.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining to store the RAID data in the RAID format and in the DSN format;

outputting the RAID data to a RAID memory;

converting the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

outputting the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining to store the RAID data in the DSN format only;

converting the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

outputting the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining to store the RAID data in the RAID format only; and

outputting the RAID data to a RAID memory.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

when a remaining portion of the RAID data is to be stored in the RAID format, determining whether to convert the RAID data from a first RAID format to a second RAID format; and

when the RAID data is to be converted from the first RAID format to the second RAID format, converting the RAID data from the first RAID format to the second RAID format.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

converting the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

outputting at least one set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory; and

outputting at least one other set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a RAID memory.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprises:

converting the at least one other set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices into the RAID format prior to outputting.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

converting the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

outputting a sub-set of each of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory; and

outputting remaining encoded data slices of each of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a RAID memory.

9. A computer comprises:

an interface;

a memory; and

a processing module operable to;

receive, via the interface, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) data;

determine whether to store the RAID data in at least one of a RAID format and in a dispersed storage network (DSN) format;

convert the at least a portion of the RAID data into at least one set of encoded data slices when at least a portion of the RAID data is to be stored in the DSN format; and

output, via the interface, the at least one set of encoded data slices to a DSN memory.

10. The computer of claim 9, wherein the processing module further functions to:

determine to store the RAID data in the RAID format and in the DSN format;

output, via the interface, the RAID data to a RAID memory;

convert the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

output, via the interface, the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory.

11. The computer of claim 9, wherein the processing module further functions to:

determine to store the RAID data in the DSN format only;

convert the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices; and

output, via the interface, the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory.

12. The computer of claim 9, wherein the processing module further functions to:

determine to store the RAID data in the RAID format only; and

output, via the interface, the RAID data to a RAID memory.

13. The computer of claim 9, wherein the processing module further functions to:

determine whether to convert the RAID data from a first RAID format to a second RAID format when a remaining portion of the RAID data is to be stored in the RAID format; and

convert the RAID data from the first RAID format to the second RAID format when the RAID data is to be converted from the first RAID format to the second RAID format.

14. The computer of claim 9, wherein the processing module further functions to:

convert the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

output, via the interface, at least one set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory; and

output, via the interface, at least one other set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a RAID memory.

15. The computer of claim 14, wherein processing module further functions to:

convert the at least one other set of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices into the RAID format prior to outputting.

16. The computer of claim 9, wherein the processing module further functions to:

convert the RAID data into a plurality of sets of encoded data slices;

output, via the interface, a sub-set of each of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to the DSN memory; and

output, via the interface, remaining encoded data slices of each of the plurality of sets of encoded data slices to a RAID memory.