Logical Data Size Maintenance in RAID Storage Arrays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional protected storage systems face inefficiencies and high costs when expanding physical resources to accommodate growing data, as they require substantial alterations to data structures and relocation of data across storage devices.
Innovation Solution
A system that maintains a consistent logical data size with variable protection stripe size in an array of independent disks, allowing for flexible configuration and expansion by selecting a number of logical data blocks and configuring storage devices to store data in multiple stripes with parity information, enabling efficient data storage and retrieval without the need for extensive reorganization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If physical resources are increased to accommodate more data, then storage capacity is improved, but data structures must be substantially altered and data must be moved to other locations
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides storage resources into logical units (data blocks, stripes, and parity groups) that can be independently configured. When physical resources change, only the affected segments need reconfiguration rather than the entire data structure, reducing the time and complexity of expansion operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic stripe width adjustment where the system can adapt stripe configuration based on available physical resources. This allows the storage system to flexibly reconfigure data distribution across disks without requiring complete data restructuring, enabling efficient resource scaling.
2Quantity of substance
If physical resources are changed to accommodate more data, then storage capacity is improved, but data must be moved to other locations in the hard disk drive storage devices
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces logical abstractions (logical data blocks, stripe groups, and parity information) as intermediaries between physical storage resources and data. This layering allows physical reconfiguration without direct data movement, as the logical structure absorbs the changes and presents a stable interface to applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a logical dimension to physical storage by creating multiple levels of abstraction (disks → stripes → data blocks → data). This dimensional transformation allows reconfiguration to occur at the physical level while maintaining stability at the logical level, eliminating the need for data relocation.
3Reliability
If conventional protected storage systems are used, then data protection is provided, but the systems are time-consuming and costly when changing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows dynamic adjustment of stripe width and parity distribution parameters without changing the fundamental protection mechanism. When resources change, only numerical parameters (number of stripes, blocks per stripe) are modified rather than the entire protection structure, maintaining data protection while simplifying reconfiguration.
Data Source
AI summary
The described technology is generally directed towards maintaining a consistent logical data size with variable protection stripe size in an array of independent disks system. According to an embodiment, a system can comprise a processor that can execute computer executable components stored in a memory, and storage devices. The components can receive a configuration from another node of the redundant array of independent disks system based on a selected number of logical data blocks to configure disks, and configure, based on the selected number, the storage devices to store data in a number of stripes, with the logical data blocks mapping to the storage devices. The data can be stored in the storage devices, wherein parity information for a stripe of the number of stripes is stored for the stored data, and wherein a logical data block of the number of logical data blocks corresponds to the stored data.