Creating logical disk drives for raid subsystems
AssigneeNetApp, Inc.
InventorsDoug Coatney, Radek Aster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer storage system includes multiple disk trays, each disk tray holding two or more physical disks. The disks on a single tray are virtualized into a single logical disk. The single logical disk reports to the RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks) subsystem, creating the impression that there is one large capacity disk. In one implementation, each disk in the tray is allocated to a different RAID group. By allocating the disks in a tray to different RAID groups, if the tray is removed, only a portion of several different RAID groups are removed. This arrangement permits a simple reconstruction of the RAID groups if a disk tray is removed from the system.
Claims25
1-19. (canceled)
A method for configuring logical storage devices for redundant arrays of independent devices (RAID) groups in a storage system, comprising:
- identifying multiple storage devices as a first logical unit to a RAID controller that controls a RAID subsystem, such that the RAID controller operates on the first logical unit instead of the individual storage devices in the first logical unit;
- and
- assigning the storage devices of the first logical unit to different RAID groups in the RAID subsystem.
A computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for configuring redundant arrays of independent devices (RAID) groups in a storage system, comprising:
- instructions for creating a first logical storage device including multiple physical storage devices that are installed in a first physical tray;
- instructions for creating a second logical storage device including multiple physical storage devices that are installed in a second physical tray;
- instructions for creating a first RAID group including at least one of the physical storage devices of the first logical storage device and at least one of the physical storage devices of the second logical storage device;
- and
- striping data of the first RAID group across the first logical storage device and the second logical storage device, such that the physical storage devices of the first logical storage device are allocated to different RAID groups and that the physical storage devices of the second logical storage device are allocated to different RAID groups.
A storage server, comprising:
- a RAID controller configured to send commands for controlling a logical storage device;
- a storage device driver in communication with the RAID controller, the storage device driver configured to receive the commands from the RAID controller;
- and
- a tray, comprising:
- a tray adapter in communication with the storage device driver;
- and
- multiple physical storage devices in communication with the tray adapter;
- wherein the physical storage device driver is configured to:
- determine which of the physical storage devices belongs to the logical storage device;
- and
- determine which of the physical storage devices is to receive the commands intended for the logical storage device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.