System architecture based on asymmetric raid storage

A method for providing a semiconductor storage device (SSD) system architecture based on a configurable asymmetric redundant array of independent disks (RAID) storage, comprising:

• an asymmetric RAID controller coupled to a host computer;
• and
• a set of storage drives coupled to the asymmetric RAID controller,
• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is adapted to acquire and evaluate a set of storage performance parameters including latency, throughput, and capacity at runtime and dynamically change the RAID configuration of each of the set of storage drives based on the evaluation,
• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is configured to store a beginning part of a file or block in a storage drive having relatively lower latency among the set of storage drives and to simultaneously store a latter part of the file or block in a storage drive having relatively higher latency among the set of storage drives based on the dynamically changed RAID configuration of each storage drive, when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives, and
• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is dynamically configured at runtime to store a larger part of the file or block in a first storage drive having relatively higher throughput or relatively higher capacity among the set of storage drives when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives, and store only the remaining smaller part of the same file or block in a second storage drive having relatively lower throughput or relatively lower capacity among the set of storage drives when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives;
• and wherein a ratio of a volume of the larger part of the file or block and a volume of the smaller part of the same file or block corresponds to a ratio of the relative capacity of the first storage drive and the relative capacity of the second storage drive or corresponds to a ratio of the relative throughput of the first storage drive and the relative throughput of the second storage drive.

A configurable disk array system including a set of storage drives and an asymmetric RAID controller for controlling storing of data in RAID format, wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is adapted to acquire and evaluate a set of storage performance parameters including latency, throughput, and capacity at runtime and dynamically change the RAID configuration of each of the set of storage drives based on the evaluation,

• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is configured to store a beginning part of a file or block in a storage drive having relatively lower latency among the set of storage drives and to simultaneously store a latter part of the file or block in a storage drive having relatively higher latency among the set of storage drives based on the dynamically changed RAID configuration of each storage drive, when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives, and
• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is dynamically configured at runtime to store a larger part of the file or block in a first storage drive having relatively higher throughput or relatively higher capacity among the set of storage drives when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives, and store only the remaining smaller part of the same file or block in a second storage drive having relatively lower throughput or relatively lower capacity among the set of storage drives when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives;
• and wherein a ratio of a volume of the larger part of the file or block and a volume of the smaller part of the same file or block corresponds to a ratio of the relative capacity of the first storage drive and the relative capacity of the second storage drive or corresponds to a ratio of the relative throughput of the first storage drive and the relative throughput of the second storage drive.

A method for providing a configurable disk array system including a set of storage drives and an asymmetric RAID controller for controlling storing of data in RAID format, wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is adapted to acquire and evaluate a set of storage performance parameters including latency, throughput, and capacity at runtime and dynamically change the RAID configuration of each of the set of storage drives based on the evaluation,

• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is configured to store a beginning part of a file or block in a storage drive having relatively lower latency among the set of storage drives and to simultaneously store a latter part of the file or block in a storage drive having relatively higher latency among the set of storage drives based on the dynamically changed RAID configuration of each storage drive, when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives, and
• wherein the asymmetric RAID controller is dynamically configured at runtime to store a larger part of the file or block in a first storage drive having relatively higher throughput or relatively higher capacity among the set of storage drives when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives, and store only the remaining smaller part of the same file or block in a second storage drive having relatively lower throughput or relatively lower capacity among the set of storage drives when the file or block is stored in the set of storage drives:
• and wherein a ratio of a volume of the larger part of the file or block and a volume of the smaller part of the same file or block corresponds to a ratio of the relative capacity of the first storage drive and the relative capacity of the second storage drive or corresponds to a ratio of the relative throughput of the first storage drive and the relative throughput of the second storage drive.