Lenovo (singapore) Pte. Ltd.

Donald R Frame

Jeffrey R Hobbet

Michael Scott Mettler

Daryl Carvis Cromer

Kenneth Dean Timmons

Howard J Locker

Tin-Lup Wong

Michael Terrell Vanover

Philip Lee Childs

Masahiko Nagai

David Timothy Zimmerman

A method and apparatus are disclosed for concatenating a first RAID and a second RAID. The apparatus includes a concatenation module and a direction module. The concatenation module concatenates a first Redundant Array of Independent Disks ('RAID') with a second RAID into a top-level RAID. The first RAID and the second RAID may have disparate operational characteristics. The direction module directs storage operations to one of the first RAID and the second RAID based on a direction policy.

Concatenating a first raid with a second raid

An apparatus and method are disclosed for distributing writes asymmetrically. An asymmetric distribution module calculates an asymmetric distribution of writes for a plurality of drives. A write module writes data to each drive in accordance with the asymmetric distribution of writes.

Apparatus and method for distributing writes asymmetrically among drives

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for memory upgrade optimization. A requirements modulereceives one or more of a capacity upgrade goalfor an overall capacity of the arrayand a performance upgrade goalfor an overall performance of the array. An analysis moduleidentifies a first potential capacity changethat can be achieved at a lower overall performance and a second potential capacity changethat can be achieved at a higher overall performance. A reconfiguration modulegenerates one or more of a first reconfiguration recommendationcalculated to yield an overall capacity improvement that takes into consideration the capacity upgrade goaland the first potential capacity changeand a second reconfiguration recommendationcalculated to yield an overall performance improvement that takes into consideration the performance upgrade goaland the second potential capacity change

Apparatus, system, and method for memory upgrade path optimization

An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for memory configuration analysis. A classification moduledeterminesan overall performance of an arrayof memory devicesin a computer memory, wherein overall performance has a substantially inverse relationship with a highest quantity of members of a subset of the array and a substantially direct relationship with an individual performance capability of the members. A counting moduletakes a countof members of the arraywhose individual performance capability variesin a selected direction from the overall performance of the array. A comparison moduletakes a selected action such as issuing a memory configuration warningif the count crosses a predetermined thresholdcomprising a predetermined percentage for comparison with the count, as qualified by the individual performance capability, divided by an unqualified count of members of the array

Apparatus, system, and method for memory configuration analysis

An approach is provided that loads software files, such as an operating system, on a hybrid storage device. The hybrid storage device is a device that includes a nonvolatile storage device and a nonvolatile memory cache. The nonvolatile memory cache has less storage capacity than the nonvolatile storage device. The nonvolatile memory cache is preset ('pinned') to data corresponding to an initial set of address ranges of the nonvolatile storage device, such as all or part of the operating system that was loaded onto the nonvolatile storage device. A system usage metric is initialized along with a threshold value. The nonvolatile memory cache remains pinned to the initial set of address ranges until the system usage metric reaches the threshold value. When the system usage metric reaches the threshold value, then a caching algorithm is used to determine what data should be cached to the nonvolatile memory cache.

Cache mapping for solid state drives

A method and apparatus are disclosed for automatic solid state drive performance recovery. A detection module detects a first SSD exceeding a fragmentation threshold. A plurality of drives comprises the first SSD and stores a data copy of data stored on the first SSD. An erase module erases a mapping table for the first SSD. The mapping table maps Logical Block Addresses LBA to physical addresses for the first SSD. A rebuild module rebuilds the data and the mapping table on the first SSD from the data copy.

Method and apparatus for automatic solid state drive performance recovery

The instant invention broadly contemplates balancing of asymmetric RAID arrays based on application usage patterns. The instantly claimed invention broadly contemplates balancing the type of workload and delivery of the work load in asymmetric RAID arrays by intelligently implementing different types of applications on disks strategically positioned to deliver workload to the RAID channel that is most capable of handling the work load. The invention makes use of the fact that some applications are more large block, sequential transfer dependant while other applications are more small block, high random, high IOP dependent, and places these applications accordingly within the asymmetric RAID array.

Asymmetric load balancing for RAID storage systems

A system, method, and program product is provided that recovers from a sector error affecting a critical file. A damaged sector prevents a critical file from being read prevents the computer system from booting. A controller records a sector number corresponding to the damaged sector. The system is rebooted using an alternative boot media. The system accesses the primary nonvolatile storage media after the rebooting. The damaged sector number is read from the error log and a file map is used to determine the critical file that is stored in the damaged sector. A backup copy of the critical file is retrieved from a backup media. The backup copy is written to the primary media using undamaged sectors and the critical file is mapped to the undamaged sectors. The system is subsequently booted successfully from the primary nonvolatile storage media.

Recovering from hard disk errors that corrupt one or more critical system boot files

Arrangements and methods for implementing a 'spin-down policy' for HDD motors that is 'smart', flexible and admirably achieves an objective of ensuring prolonged motor life as just discussed. To this end, one specific implementation involves (among other things) the addition of a dedicated cache that acts as a buffer element of sorts for writing or obtaining data during a period when a motor may be spun down, especially (but not necessarily exclusively) in instances when a notebook needs to be running for a large portion of the day. Other analogous implementations are of course possible that would achieve similar ends.

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Apex, NC, United States of America

Donald R Frame