Applied Micro Circuits Corporation

Summit Data Systems LLC

Alex Ga Hing Tang

Paul Roger Stonelake

Christophe Therene

Richard L Harris

A disk array controller detects disk drive power-on-reset events that may cause a disk drive to lose uncommitted write data stored in its cache. When an unexpected disk drive power-on-reset event is detected, the disk array controller may initiate an appropriate corrective action. For example, the disk array controller may initiate a disk drive rebuild operation, or may re-send a set of write commands to the disk drive.

Disk array controller capable of detecting and correcting for unexpected disk drive power-on-reset events

A disk array controller reliably detects disk drive power-on-reset events that may cause a disk drive that has uncommitted write data stored in its cache to lose such data. The methods for detecting the power-on-reset events include operating the disk drives in an ATA security mode in which a power-on-reset of a disk drive will cause the drive to enter a locked state in which data transfer commands are aborted; and tracking power cycle count attributes of the disk drives over time. When a disk drive power-on-reset event is detected, the disk array may be efficiently restored to an operational state by re-executing or 'replaying' a set of write commands that are cached within the disk array controller. The invention is also applicable to single-disk-drive storage systems.

Storage system with disk drive power-on-reset detection

A disk array controller reliably detects disk drive power-on-reset events that may cause a disk drive that has uncommitted write data stored in its cache to lose such data. The methods for detecting the power-on-reset events include operating the disk drives in an ATA security mode in which a power-on-reset of a disk drive will cause the drive to enter a locked state in which data transfer commands are aborted; and tracking power cycle count attributes of the disk drives over time. When a disk drive power-on-reset event is detected, the disk array may be efficiently maintained in an operational state by re-executing or 'replaying' a set of write commands that are cached within the disk array controller. The invention is also applicable to single-disk-drive storage systems.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Alex Ga Hing Tang