Expansion of RAID subsystems using spare space with immediate access to new space
AssigneeRAIDCore, Inc.
InventorsChris R. Franklin, Jeffrey T. Wong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method to expand a RAID subsystem from a first array of disk drives to a second array of disk drives. The first array includes a set of data disk drives storing old data and spare space, and the second array includes the first array and at least one new disk drive. First, the old data are distributed among the set of data disk drives and at least one new disk drive while, at the same time, new data are mapped to the spare space. Upon completion of the distribution, the new data are copied from the spare space to the set of data disk drives and at least one new disk drive to enable concurrent expansion of the first array while accessing the old and the new data.
Claims11
A method for expanding a RAID subsystem from a first array of disk drives to a second array of disk drives, the first array including a set of data disk drives storing old data and spare space, and the second array including the first array and at least one new disk drive, comprising:
- distributing the old data among the set of data disk drives and at least one new disk drive while mapping new data to the spare space;
- and
- copying, upon completion of the distribution, the new data from the spare space to the set of data disk drives and at least one new disk drive to enable concurrent expansion of the first array while accessing the old and the new data.
An expandable RAID subsystem, comprising:
- a first array of disk drives including a set of data disk drives storing old data and spare space;
- a second array of disk drives including the first array and at least one new disk drive;
- means for distributing the old data among the set of data disk drives and at least one new disk drive while mapping new data to the spare space;
- and
- means for copying, upon completion of the distributing, the new data from the spare space to the set of data disk drives and at least one new disk drive to enable concurrent expansion of the first array while accessing the old and the new data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.