RAID Adapter Offloading Secure Erase to Sub-Processors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional RAID storage systems face disruptions and resource burdens during disk-related maintenance operations, such as firmware updates, data scrubbing, and secure data erasure, as these tasks require substantial adapter and fabric resources, affecting system access and reliability.
Innovation Solution
Offloading disk-related operations to distributed sub-processors within the RAID storage system, allowing the RAID adapter to dispatch commands to disk array processors for execution, thereby reducing adapter burden and maintaining access to other drives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the RAID adapter performs disk-related maintenance operations (firmware updates, data scrubbing, secure erase), then the operations can be executed, but the adapter and fabric resources are substantially burdened and system access is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the maintenance operation execution function from the RAID adapter to dedicated disk array processors. The RAID adapter only initiates commands and receives results, while the actual firmware updates, data scrubbing, and secure erase operations are performed by disk array processors that are dedicated to these maintenance tasks, thereby removing the resource burden from the RAID adapter during these operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces disk array processors as intermediary components between the RAID adapter and the disk drives. These processors act as mediators that handle the resource-intensive maintenance operations, allowing the RAID adapter to maintain system access availability while still enabling maintenance operations to be executed through the intermediary processors.
2Productivity
If the RAID adapter opens a dedicated path to perform maintenance operations on individual drives, then the operations can be executed, but all ports configured for that path cannot be used to access other devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into multiple independent processing units: the RAID adapter for system management, disk array processors for maintenance operations, and multiple ports for device access. This segmentation allows maintenance operations to be executed on individual drives without blocking access to other devices, as each segment operates independently with its own dedicated resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the maintenance operation execution from the RAID adapter's dedicated path to separate disk array processors. This extraction allows the RAID adapter to maintain multiple open paths simultaneously for different devices, while maintenance operations are performed by the extracted disk array processors without blocking other device accesses.
3Productivity
If substantial adapter and fabric resources are used for maintenance operations, then the operations can be completed, but system bandwidth usage increases and performance of other operations is impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the resource-intensive maintenance operation execution from the RAID adapter and fabric to dedicated disk array processors. This extraction reduces system bandwidth consumption during maintenance operations, as the disk array processors have their own dedicated resources and do not consume the main system fabric bandwidth that is needed for other operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by providing disk array processors with dedicated resources for maintenance operations. These processors can perform firmware updates, data scrubbing, and secure erase operations using their own resources without consuming system bandwidth, thereby enabling maintenance operation completion while minimizing impact on other system operations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A storage system includes a RAID adapter, disk array switches, sub-processors, and hard disk drives (HDDs). A disk-related operation is initiated in the RAID adapter. The RAID adapter dispatches a command to a disk array processor (or sub-processor) in an enclosure for the processor to perform the operation on one or more drives. The adapter may dispatch the command to a processor in a single enclosure through a disk array switch or to processors in multiple enclosures through switches in the upstream enclosures. The adapter is then free to perform other functions. The processor commences the specified operation on one or more selected drives, either sequentially one at a time or sequentially more than one (or all) at a time. Upon completion of the operation, the results are transmitted by the processor and received by the adapter. Thus, by offloading the task to the distributed sub-processors, the burden on the RAID adapter is significantly reduced, system bandwidth usage is reduced, and access to other drives within the enclosure (as well as within other enclosures) may be maintained. Tasks which may be offloaded in such a manner include, but are not limited to, drive firmware updating, drive scrubbing and secure data erasure.