RAID Array Auto-Initialization (RAAI) Method

In a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a method for efficiently selecting a host write process for optimal data redundancy and performance, the method comprising:

• a RAID controller maintaining a parity construction progress record (PCPR) of initialized bins, where each bin includes a plurality of data and parity stripes;
• receiving host-generated data to be written into a bin;
• in response to the bin not being recorded in the PCPR, using a peer-read I/O write process to write the data into the bin;
• and,
• in response to the bin being recorded in the PCPR, using a Read-Modify-Write (RMW) I/O write process to write the data into the bin.

In a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a method for efficiently initializing a RAID array, the method comprising:

• a RAID controller identifying drives in a RAID array capable of receiving a “WriteRepeatedly” command to write zeros data, where a “WriteRepeatedly” command writes a host-generated data pattern repeatedly to media in an identified drive;
• in response to identifying drives capable of receiving the “WriteRepeatedly” command, initializing bins in the identified drives using the “WriteRepeatedly” command to simultaneously write zeros data into the identified drives;
• and,
• in response to identifying drives incapable of receiving the “WriteRepeatedly” command, initializing bins in the incapable drives using a plurality of zeroing commands to incrementally write zeros data into every data and parity striplet.