Redundant disk array with real-time lost data reconstruction

A data recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising:

• a system management controlling portion communicable with a host system;
• a recording/reproducing portion for recording and reproducing data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• a plurality of data controlling portions controlled by said system management controlling portion and connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus, for sending units of continuous real-time data to said recording/reproducing portion in time slots which are divided into a plurality of time periods and for receiving continuous real-time data from said recording/reproducing portion;
• error detection means for detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data;
• said error detection means identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• reconstruction means for reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted;
• said reconstruction means including a controlling portion for controlling said recording/reproducing portion, wherein when said error detection means detects corrupted data, said reconstruction means causes said recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data in the time slots assigned by said system management controlling portion from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium.

A data recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising:

• a recording/reproducing portion for recording and reproducing data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• each disk array having a parallel-to-serial data converter and a serial-to-parallel data converter for converting input parallel data to serial data and output serial data to parallel data, respectively;
• a plurality of data controlling portions controlled by said system management controlling portion and connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus, for sending units of continuous real-time data to said recording/reproducing portion in time slots which are divided into a plurality of time periods and for receiving continuous real-time data from said recording/reproducing portion;
• error detection means for detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data;
• said error detection means identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• reconstruction means for reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted;
• said reconstruction means including a controlling portion for controlling said recording/reproducing portion, wherein when said error detection means detects corrupted data, said reconstruction means causes said recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium in the remaining time periods of the time slot following the sending and receipt of data by said data controlling portion.

A data recording/reproducing apparatus for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising:

• a recording/reproducing portion for recording and reproducing data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• each disk array having a parallel-to-serial data converter and a serial-to-parallel data converter for converting input parallel data to serial data and output serial data to parallel data, respectively;
• a plurality of data controlling portions controlled by said system management controlling portion and connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus, for sending units of continuous real-time data to said recording/reproducing portion in time slots which are divided into a plurality of time periods and for receiving continuous real-time data from said recording/reproducing portion;
• error detection means for detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data;
• said error detection means identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• reconstruction means for reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted;
• said reconstruction means including a controlling portion for controlling said recording/reproducing portion, wherein when said error detection means detects corrupted data, said reconstruction means causes said recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium in the time slots assigned.

A data recording/reproducing method for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising the steps of:

• (a) causing a recording/reproducing portion to record and reproduce data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• said recording/reproducing portion having a plurality of data controllers connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus;
• each of said plurality of data controllers being operable to input and output continuous real-time data;
• (b) detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data and identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• (c) reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted by controlling the recording/reproducing portion, wherein when corrupted data is detected the controlling portion detects a blank time period for which a host system has not accessed the data recording/reproducing apparatus;
• said reconstruction step causing the recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data in said blank time period from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium.

A data recording/reproducing method for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising the steps of:

• (a) causing a system management controlling portion to communicate with a host system;
• (b) causing a recording/reproducing portion to record and reproduce data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• (c) causing a plurality of data controlling portions controlled by said system management controlling portion and connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus, to send units of continuous real-time data to the recording/reproducing portion in time slots which are divided into a plurality of time periods and receiving continuous real-time data from said recording/reproducing portion;
• (d) detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data and identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• (e) reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted by controlling the recording/reproducing portion, wherein when corrupted data is detected data reconstruction is performed by causing the recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data in the time slots assigned by said system management controlling portion from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium.

A data recording/reproducing method for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising the steps of:

• (a) causing a recording/reproducing portion to record and reproduce data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• each disk array having a parallel-to-serial data converter and a serial-to-parallel data converter for converting input parallel data to serial data and output serial data to parallel data, respectively;
• (b) causing a plurality of data controlling portions controlled by said system management controlling portion and connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus, to send units of continuous real-time data to the recording/reproducing portion in time slots which are divided into a plurality of time periods and receiving continuous real-time data from said recording/reproducing portion;
• (c) detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data and identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• (d) reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted by controlling the recording/reproducing portion, wherein when corrupted data is detected data reconstruction is performed by causing the recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium in the remaining time periods of the time slot following the sending and receipt of data by said data controlling portion.

A data recording/reproducing method for recording and reproducing data to and from a plurality of redundant disk arrays that are accessible in parallel, said apparatus having means for reconstructing in real-time corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data, comprising the steps of:

• (a) causing a recording/reproducing portion to record and reproduce data to and from said plurality of redundant disk arrays;
• each disk array being comprised of a plurality of record mediums;
• each disk array having a parallel-to-serial data converter and a serial-to-parallel data converter for converting input parallel data to serial data and output serial data to parallel data, respectively;
• (b) causing a plurality of data controlling portions controlled by said system management controlling portion and connected in parallel to said plurality of redundant disk arrays through a parallel data input bus and a parallel data output bus, to send units of continuous real-time data to the recording/reproducing portion in time slots which are divided into a plurality of time periods and receiving continuous real-time data from said recording/reproducing portion;
• (c) detecting corrupted data caused by an error in recording or reproducing the data and identifying a specific record medium wherein said error occurred;
• and
• (d) reconstructing in real-time the data which was corrupted by controlling the recording/reproducing portion, wherein when corrupted data is detected data reconstruction is performed by causing the recording/reproducing portion to reconstruct the data from the redundant disk arrays and from error correction data recorded on another record medium in the time slots assigned.