Patent · US Active

Power conservation in a composite array of data storage devices

US7966451B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
7References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 5, 2008
Grant dateJun 21, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 11, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02D10/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Operating a composite array of data storage devices, such as hard disk drives, to conserve power includes storing data in block-level stripes with parity on a composite array including a controller and at least three data storage devices. The composite array includes a hot spare distributed across the data storage devices. The method further comprises placing one of the data storage devices in a standby state, operating the rest of the data storage devices in an active state, and controlling logical operations of the controller and the read and write operations of the active data storage devices to substitute for read and write operations on the standby device. For example, the controller can read redundant data on the active drives and compute data identical to the data on the standby drive to substitute for reading the standby drive. Furthermore, the controller can write a modified version of data on the standby drive to a spare block to substitute for writing to the standby drive.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.