Apparatus and method to assign network addresses in a storage array

An article of manufacture comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code disposed therein to assign network addresses to a storage array disposed in an information storage and retrieval system comprising (P) data storage devices disposed in (N) data storage device assemblies, wherein each of said (N) data storage device assemblies comprises (M) data storage devices, wherein (P) is equal to or greater than 4, and wherein (N) is greater than or equal to 2, and wherein (M) is greater than or equal to 2, the computer readable program code comprising a series of computer readable program steps to effect:

• generating (Q) network addresses, wherein (Q) is less than (P);
• assigning each of said (Q) network addresses to a different data storage device, wherein said (P) data storage devices comprise (Q) data storage devices assigned a network address and (P-Q) data storage devices not assigned a network address;
• configuring said (N) data storage device assemblies to comprise a spare data storage device assembly and a first storage array comprising (N×1) active data storage device assemblies, wherein each data storage device configured in said first storage array is assigned a network address, and wherein the (i)th spare data storage device disposed in said spare data storage device assembly is assigned a network address, and wherein (i) is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (M);
• detecting a failed data storage device, wherein said failed data storage device is disposed in a degraded data storage device assembly, wherein said first storage array comprises said degraded data storage device assembly;
• forming a second storage array comprising said first storage array, except said failed data storage device, in combination with said (i)th spare data storage device.

A computer program product usable with a programmable computer processor having computer readable program code embodied therein to assign network addresses to a storage array disposed in a data storage and retrieval system, wherein said data storage and retrieval system further comprises (P) data storage devices disposed in (N) data storage device assemblies, wherein each of said (N) data storage device assemblies comprises (M) data storage devices, wherein (P) is equal to or greater than 4, and wherein (N) is greater than or equal to 2, and wherein (M) is greater than or equal to 2, comprising:

• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to generate (Q) network addresses, wherein (Q) is less than (P);
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to assign each of said (Q) network addresses to a different data storage device, wherein said (P) data storage devices comprise (Q) data storage devices assigned a network address and (P-Q) data storage devices not assigned a network address;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to configure said (N) data storage device assemblies to comprise a spare data storage device assembly and a first storage array comprising (N−1) active data storage device assemblies, wherein each data storage device configured in said first storage array is assigned a network address, and wherein the (i)th spare data storage device disposed in said spare data storage device assembly is assigned a network address, and wherein (i) is greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to (M);
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to detect a failed data storage device, wherein said failed data storage device is disposed in a degraded data storage device assembly, wherein said first storage array comprises said degraded data storage device assembly;
• computer readable program code which causes said programmable computer processor to form a second storage array comprising said first storage array, except said failed data storage device, in combination with said (i)th spare data storage device.