Dynamic RAID Data Distribution for Resilient Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current data storage and transmission methods are prone to data loss, corruption, and insecurity, especially in cases of hardware failure, theft, or catastrophic events, and lack flexibility in capacity expansion and resilience against multiple disk failures.
Innovation Solution
A method that recursively divides data into subsets and generates parity data for recreation, allowing dynamic growth and distribution across separate storage locations, enhancing resilience and security through encryption and authentication codes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RAID arrays are configured with fixed number of disks and predetermined capacity, then data protection against individual disk failures is achieved, but system flexibility and capacity expansion are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic RAID configuration where the number of disks and array capacity can be changed without rebuilding. The system dynamically adjusts the RAID configuration by remapping data blocks when disks are added or removed, allowing capacity expansion while maintaining data protection. This resolves the contradiction by making the previously fixed RAID configuration adaptable to changing storage requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the RAID array into multiple data blocks that can be independently mapped to different physical disks. This segmentation allows individual disks to be added or removed while the system remaps the data blocks to the new configuration, enabling capacity expansion without requiring complete array rebuild while maintaining data protection through distributed block storage.
2Ease of operation
If disks are located near to each other in RAID arrays, then configuration simplicity is maintained, but resilience to catastrophic events is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the RAID array configuration from a single location to multiple physical locations by distributing data blocks across disks at different sites. The logical array structure maintains simplicity while the physical distribution across multiple dimensions (locations) provides resilience to catastrophic events, as data can be recovered from disks at different locations if one location is affected.
3Reliability
If nested level RAID arrays are configured to improve resilience, then protection against further disk failures is enhanced, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal RAID configuration that provides enhanced resilience without requiring nested RAID levels. The system uses a standardized data block structure and parity distribution mechanism that works across all disks in the array, providing protection against multiple disk failures while maintaining configuration simplicity and avoiding the complexity of nested RAID architectures.
4Ease of operation
If data is stored without separation into subsets and parity data, then storage simplicity is maintained, but data integrity and recovery capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent automatically segments data into data blocks and distributes them across multiple disks with corresponding parity blocks. This segmentation provides data integrity and recovery capability while maintaining storage simplicity from the user perspective, as the system handles the block division and distribution transparently without requiring complex user configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates parity copies of data blocks that are distributed across the array. These parity copies enable data recovery without requiring complex user intervention, maintaining storage simplicity while ensuring data integrity through automated redundancy and recovery mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Storing, retrieving, transmitting and receiving data (20) by a) separating the data into a plurality of data subsets (A, B); b) generating parity data (P) from the plurality of data subsets (A, B) such that any one or more of the plurality of data subsets may be recreated from the remaining data subsets and the parity data (P). Steps a and b may be repeated on any one or more each of the plurality of data subsets and parity data providing further data subsets and further parity data; and d) storing each of the further data subsets and further parity data in separate storage locations (380) or transmitting the further data subsets and further parity data.