Data storage drive rebuild with parity generation offload using peer-to-peer data transfers

A memory controller, comprising:

• a storage interface for coupling the memory controller to a plurality of data storage devices;
• a communication interface for receiving read requests, each read request comprising a request to read identified data from a failed data storage device in a set of data storage devices comprising three or more of the plurality of data storage devices;
• and
• a command processing module for processing a respective read request by performing a sequence of operations, including:
• identifying a parity data storage device in the set of data storage devices that generated and contains parity corresponding to the identified data;
• sending a reconstruction request, corresponding to the read request, to a respective data storage device comprising the parity data storage device to reconstruct the identified data, wherein the reconstruction request commands the respective data storage device to retrieve, via peer-to-peer read requests, from other data storage devices in the set of data storage devices, data from one or more data blocks, and to reconstruct the identified data based on the retrieved data from the one or more data blocks and parity data locally stored at the parity data storage device;
• and
• receiving the identified data from the respective data storage device.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by a memory controller configured to be coupled to a plurality of data storage devices, the one or more programs comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors of the memory controller, cause the memory controller to:

• receive read requests, each read request comprising a request to read identified data from a failed data storage device in a set of data storage devices comprising three or more of the plurality of data storage devices;
• and
• process a respective read request by performing a sequence of operations, including:
• identifying a parity data storage device in the set of data storage devices that generated and contains parity corresponding to the identified data;
• sending a reconstruction request, corresponding to the read request, to a respective data storage device comprising the parity data storage device to reconstruct the identified data, wherein the reconstruction request commands the respective data storage device to retrieve, via peer-to-peer read requests, from other data storage devices in the set of data storage devices, data from one or more data blocks, and to reconstruct the identified data based on the retrieved data from the one or more data blocks and parity data locally stored at the parity data storage device;
• and
• receiving the identified data from the respective data storage device.

A memory controller, comprising:

• a storage interface for coupling the memory controller to a plurality of data storage devices;
• a communication interface for receiving drive rebuild requests, each drive rebuild request comprising a request to rebuild, in a replacement data storage device in a set of data storage devices comprising three or more of the plurality of data storage devices, contents of a failed data storage device;
• and
• a command processing module for processing a respective drive rebuild request, the command processing module including:
• identifying, means for identifying a parity data storage device in the set of data storage devices that generated and contains parity corresponding to the replaced data storage device;
• sending means for sending the identity of the parity data storage device to the replacement data storage device;
• and
• for each range of blocks that stored at least some valid data in the failed data storage device, sending means for sending a block range rebuild request to the replacement data storage device to rebuild the range of blocks;
• wherein the block range rebuild request commands the replacement data storage device to receive, via peer-to-peer read requests, from other data storage devices in the set of data storage device, one or more data blocks and a parity block, and to reconstruct data corresponding to the range of blocks based on the one or more data blocks and parity block received via the peer-to-peer read requests.