Method for writing contiguous arrays of stripes in a RAID storage system

A storage system comprising:

• a plurality of storage devices each comprising:
• a plurality of storage blocks;
• and
• a storage manager in communication with the plurality of storage devices, the storage manager writing data to predetermined storage blocks across a plurality of stripes and to predetermined storage blocks within each storage device so as to substantially maximize chain length of storage blocks within a storage device while substantially minimizing the calculation of error correction parameters across each stripe of the plurality of stripes.

A system for managing the storage of data, the system comprising:

• a plurality of storage devices each having a plurality of storage blocks;
• a storage device manager in communication with the plurality of storage blocks;
• a block layout information generator in communication with the storage device manager and the plurality of storage blocks;
• and
• an error correction parameter calculator in communication with the plurality of storage blocks and the storage device manager,
• wherein the storage device manager, in response to the block layout information from the block layout information generator, controls the execution of an I/O operation by identifying storage blocks for use by the I/O operation so as to substantially maximize chain length within the storage device while substantially minimizing the calculation by the error correction parameter calculator of error correction parameters across a stripe.

A method for managing storage of data in storage blocks, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating block layout information;
• dynamically determining a first number of error correction calculations;
• dynamically determining a second number corresponding to a chain length;
• and
• in response to the block layout information, controlling the execution of an I/O operation by identifying storage blocks for use by the I/O operation so as to have a chain length of the second number within a storage device while performing the first number of calculations of error correction parameters across a stripe.