Emc Corporation

Anthony D Andrews

David C Stallmo

Candace Brinkman

A redundant array storage system in which a reserved area of a multiplicity of data storage units can be reliably synchronized, even if the synchronization cycle is interrupted by an unforeseen event or situation, such as sudden loss of power to the system or a component failure. By maintaining two groups or partitions of data storage units and updating only one group at a time, and by having a global table which provides information regarding which group of storage units is being updated, the present invention allows the system to reliably determine which of the data storage units maintain valid data in their reserved area and to conform the reserved areas of the other group of data storage units to the valid values, without the use of additional hardware devices.

Method for synchronizing reserved areas in a redundant storage array

A redundant array storage system including storage units divided into two logical arrays. The redundant array storage system further includes a plurality of array control units which are all fully utilized to control data transfers between the logical arrays and a central processing unit, each controller being capable of taking over the task of a failed controller. In normal operation, each redundant array controller may only access data stored in a logical array assigned to that controller. If the other redundant array controller fails, the remaining controller may access the data stored in the logical array assigned to the failed controller only through a secondary control process that is independent from the primary control process of the remaining controller. Thus, the invention prevents parity data associated with user data placed in storage from being corrupted by attempts of two or more array control units to access the same redundancy group of data concurrently.

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Boulder, CO, United States of America

Anthony D Andrews