RAID File Storage Energy Reduction via Single-Disk Activation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing RAID systems face challenges in efficiently storing and retrieving files while minimizing energy consumption, as they often require waking up multiple disks for file access, leading to increased power usage and inefficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method and storage device that determine a sequence number of a check block in a RAID stripe, allowing data blocks of a file to be written into a single storage apparatus, and upon access, only the relevant disk is activated, reducing the need for multiple disks to be powered on.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional RAID striping is used to distribute data blocks across multiple disks, then data security and storage capacity are improved, but energy consumption increases because multiple disks must be activated for file access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the RAID system into two functional parts: a single active storage apparatus that holds the complete file data, and multiple dormant storage apparatuses that serve as inactive mirrors. This segmentation allows the system to maintain RAID-level redundancy while activating only one disk for read/write operations, thereby reducing energy consumption while preserving data security through the dormant mirror copies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the check block (parity or redundancy data) from the traditional distributed striping pattern and consolidates it into a separate, dedicated storage apparatus. This extraction allows the main file data to be stored completely on one disk without requiring other disks to be active for redundancy calculations, thus reducing the number of activated disks while maintaining data security through the isolated check block.
2Quantity of substance
If data blocks of a file are distributed across multiple storage apparatuses in a RAID stripe, then storage capacity and data tolerance capability are improved, but the complexity of file retrieval increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments file storage by dedicating one storage apparatus to hold the complete file data while other apparatuses remain dormant or store only check blocks. This segmentation simplifies file retrieval because the system only needs to access one known location rather than coordinating multiple distributed blocks, thereby reducing retrieval complexity while maintaining storage capacity through the use of dormant mirror copies.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-determining which storage apparatus will hold the complete file data before writing begins. This preliminary assignment simplifies subsequent retrieval operations because the system already knows exactly where to find the file without needing to reconstruct it from distributed blocks across multiple active disks, thus reducing retrieval complexity while preserving storage capacity.
3Speed
If multiple disks are activated for file access in a RAID system, then data access speed is improved through parallel reading, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by activating only one storage apparatus for file access instead of multiple disks, which is sufficient for reading complete files since the entire file resides on that single apparatus. This partial activation maintains adequate access speed for archiving scenarios while significantly reducing power consumption compared to activating multiple disks in traditional striping configurations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide a tile processing method and a storage device. The method includes: receiving T tiles that are to be stored in a RAID; determining a sequence number of a check block in a stripe of the RAID; obtaining a data block, to be written into a storage apparatus, of the Kth file in the T files as the Kth data block in the stripe, where a value of K progressively increases from 1 to T, and the value of K is not equal to the sequence number of the check block in the stripe; obtaining the check block in the stripe according to data blocks in the stripe; and writing, into the T storage apparatuses, the data blocks in the stripe and the obtained check block in the stripe. By using the foregoing method, one file can be written into one storage apparatus of the RAID while ensuring security of file storage, thereby achieving a significant effect of energy saving when the file is read.