Disk drive power cycle screening method and apparatus for data storage system
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorThomas A. Schmitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a disk drive power cycle screening method and apparatus for a data storage system. In an exemplary aspect of the present invention, a disk drive power cycle screening method for a data storage system includes: (a) selecting one or more drives in a disk array for power cycle screening; (b) transferring data contained in the selected one or more drives to at least one receiving drive in the disk array; (c) cycling power for the selected one or more drives; (d) verifying that the selected one or more drives function properly; and (e) returning the data from the at least one receiving drive to the selected one or more drives.
Claims18
A disk drive power cycle screening method for a data storage system, comprising:
- selecting one or more normally operating disks in a disk array for power cycle screening;
- transferring data contained in said selected one or more drives to at least one receiving drive in said disk array;
- cycling power for said selected one or more drives;
- verifying that said selected one or more drives function properly;
- and
- returning said data from said at least one receiving drive to said selected one or more drives.
An apparatus for implementing a disk drive power cycle screening method for a data storage system, comprising:
- means for selecting one or more normally operating disks in a disk array for power cycle screening;
- means for transferring data contained in said selected one or more drives to at least one receiving drive in said disk array;
- means for cycling power for said selected one or more drives;
- means for verifying that said selected one or more drives function properly;
- and
- means for returning said data from said at least one receiving drive to said selected one or more drives.
A disk drive power cycle screening method for a RAID disk array, comprising:
- selecting a normally operating disk in a RAID disk array for power cycle screening;
- rerouting writes to said selected drive to a spare drive in said RAID disk array for storing;
- rebuilding reads for said selected drive with data drives of a RAID level that said selected drive is in;
- cycling power for said selected drive;
- verifying that said selected drive functions properly;
- and
- resynchronizing said selected drive by returning said writes from said spare drive to said selected drive.
An apparatus for implementing a disk drive power cycle screening method for a RAID disk array, comprising:
- means for selecting a normally operating disk in a RAID disk array for power cycle screening;
- means for rerouting writes to said selected drive to a spare drive in said RAID disk array for storing;
- means for rebuilding reads for said selected drive with data drives of a RAID level that said selected drive is in;
- means for cycling power for said selected drive;
- means for verifying that said selected drive functions properly;
- and
- means for resynchronizing said selected drive by returning said writes from said spare drive to said selected drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.