# US 2019/0171541 A1 · Method and system for predicting storage device failures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171541 A1 - Document ID: US20190171541A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/252,234 - Filed: 2019-01-18 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-09-11 - Assignees: Dell Products L.P. - Applicants: Dell Products, LP - Inventors: Robert B. Jacoby - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171541A1 ## CPC - G06F 11/3034: {where the computing system component is a storage system, e.g. DASD based or network based (digital input from or digital output to record carriers G06F3/06; digital recording or reproducing G11B20/18; for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097)} - G06F 11/008: {Reliability or availability analysis} - G06F 11/3409: {for performance assessment} - G06F 11/3485: {for I/O devices} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The invention pertains to a method and information handling system (IHS) for predicting storage device failures. An embodiment of the method of the present invention begins by obtaining data regarding input and output of the at least one storage device. Next, the obtained data is normalized to determine a duty cycle of the at least one storage device. Finally, using the normalized data, a likelihood of failure of the at least one storage device is determined. In another example embodiment, a failure indicator is associated with the at least one storage device based upon the determined likelihood of failure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer implemented method comprising: determining a total number of reads and writes to each physical drive of a logical storage device implemented by the physical drives in a RAID configuration as a function of (i) data regarding reads and writes committed by an operating system to the logical storage device and (ii) a number of reads and writes, caused by the RAID configuration, to each physical drive for each read and write committed by the operating system to the logical storage device; determining a likelihood of failure for each physical drive in the plurality of physical drives based on the total number of reads and writes to each physical drive determined; and replacing at least one of the physical drives based on the likelihood of failures determined. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the data regarding reads and writes committed by the operating system to the logical storage device comprises at least one of: a number of reads; a number of writes; a size of one or more reads; and a size of one or more writes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining a likelihood of failure of the logical storage device based on the total number of reads and writes to each physical drive determined. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the likelihood of failure of the logical storage device is further based on device configuration information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein the device configuration information comprises at least one of: a number of Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) sets; a total number of disks; a number of disks per RAID set; and a full/partial stripe ratio. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein a higher number of reads and writes indicates increased likelihood of failure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: populating a database with an indication of the likelihood of failure of each physical drive determined. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the indication of the likelihood of failure is a high, medium, or low failure indicator. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the indication of the likelihood of failure is a high, medium, or low failure indicator, and the method further comprises: modifying the indication to be one of high-plus, medium-plus, or low-plus using pre-established failure data that is based upon one or more hardware characteristics of each physical drive. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: modifying the likelihood of failure determined for a given physical drive using pre-established failure data that is based upon one or more hardware characteristics of the given physical drive. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 wherein the pre-established failure data based upon one or more hardware characteristics of the given physical drive comprises at least one of: storage device size; storage device speed; storage device class; and RAID type. ### Claim 12 An information handling system (IHS) comprising: a processor; and a memory with computer code instructions stored thereon, the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions being configured to cause the IHS to: determine a total number of reads and writes to each physical drive of a logical storage device implemented by the physical drives in a RAID configuration as a function of (i) data regarding reads and writes committed by an operating system to the logical storage device and (ii) a number of reads and writes, caused by the RAID configuration, to each physical drive for each read and write committed by the operating system to the logical storage device; determine a likelihood of failure for each physical drive in the plurality of physical drives based on the total number of reads and writes to each physical drive determined; and replace at least one of the physical drives based on the likelihood of failures determined. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The IHS of claim 12 wherein the data regarding reads and writes committed by the operating system to the logical storage device comprises at least one of: a number of reads; a number of writes; a size of one or more reads; and a size of one or more writes. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The IHS of claim 12 wherein the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, are further configured to cause the IHS to: determine a likelihood of failure of the logical storage device based on the total number of reads and writes to each physical drive determined. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The IHS of claim 14 where, in determining the likelihood of failure of the logical storage device, the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, are further configured to cause the IHS to: determine the likelihood of failure of the logical storage device based on device configuration information. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The IHS of claim 15 wherein the device configuration information comprises at least one of: a number of Redundant Array of Independent Disk (RAID) sets; a total number of disks; a number of disks per RAID set; and a full/partial stripe ratio. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The IHS of claim 12 wherein a higher number of reads and writes indicates increased likelihood of failure. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The IHS of claim 12 wherein the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, are further configured to cause the IHS to: populate a database with an indication of the likelihood of failure of each physical drive determined. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The IHS of claim 12 wherein the processor and the memory, with the computer code instructions, are further configured to cause the IHS to: modify the likelihood of failure determined for a given physical drive using pre-established failure data that is based upon one or more hardware characteristics of the given physical drive. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when loaded and executed by a processor coupled to an apparatus, causes the apparatus to: determine a total number of reads and writes to each physical drive of a logical storage device implemented by the physical drives in a RAID configuration as a function of (i) data regarding reads and writes committed by an operating system to the logical storage device and (ii) a number of reads and writes, caused by the RAID configuration, to each physical drive for each read and write committed by the operating system to the logical storage device; determine a likelihood of failure for each physical drive in the plurality of physical drives based on the total number of reads and writes to each physical drive determined; and replace at least one of the physical drives based on the likelihood of failures determined.