IP Library Granted Patent US 8,090,981
Granted Patent B1
US 8,090,981 · App. 12/758,659 · Granted Jan 3, 2012

Auto-configuration of RAID systems

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,090,981
App. No.
12/758,659
Granted
Jan 3, 2012
Kind
B1
Abstract

A computer-implemented method of automatically configuring a platform of storage devices includes querying components of the platform to gather information about the capability of the platform, locating one or more storage devices within the platform, automatically determining one or more RAID levels that are supported by the platform, and automatically configuring one or more storage devices within the platform as a RAID system having a particular RAID level, where the particular RAID level is selected based on the capability of the platform.

Claims (57)

1. A method comprising

receiving information associated with a storage platform for configuring the storage platform as a RAID-based platform;

determining an existing configuration associated with the storage platform; and

configuring the storage platform as the RAID-based platform based on the existing configuration including:

identifying a highest RAID level supported by the storage platform, and

configuring the RAID-based platform using the highest RAID level.

2. The method of claim 1 , where receiving the information includes receiving information associated with at least one of a number of storage devices associated with the storage platform, a storage capacity of each storage device, or a channel to which each storage device is connected.

3. The method of claim 1 , where receiving the information includes receiving information associated with hardware and software components of the storage platform.

4. The method of claim 1 , where determining the existing configuration includes determining whether the storage platform is associated with a RAID controller.

5. The method of claim 4 , where configuring the storage platform includes:

configuring the storage platform as a hardware-based RAID platform if the storage platform is associated with a RAID controller; and

configuring the storage platform as a software-based RAID platform if the storage platform is not associated with a RAID controller.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving user input including a user-selected RAID level; and

if the storage platform is a RAID-based platform, reconfiguring the RAID-based platform to replace the highest RAID level with the user-selected RAID level.

7. The method of claim 6 , where identifying the highest RAID level includes selecting a highest RAID level from the one or more determined RAID levels.

8. The method of claim 6 , where configuring the RAID-based platform includes configuring the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 1 platform if two storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration.

9. The method of claim 6 , where configuring the RAID-based platform includes configuring the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 5 platform if three storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration.

10. The method of claim 6 , where, if three storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration, configuring the RAID-based platform includes:

configuring the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 1 platform; and

configuring one of the three storage devices as a hot spare storage device.

11. The method of claim 6 , where configuring the RAID-based platform includes configuring the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 5 platform with a hot spare storage device if more than three storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration.

12. The method of claim 1 , where determining an existing configuration includes:

identifying one or more storage devices available for RAID-based configuration; and

determining one or more RAID levels supported by the one or more identified storage devices.

13. A system comprising:

a data processing apparatus; and

a memory in data communication with the data processing apparatus and storing instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving information associated with a storage platform for configuring the storage platform as a RAID-based platform;

determining an existing configuration associated with the storage platform based on the received information; and

configuring the storage platform as the RAID-based platform based on the existing configuration including:

identifying a highest RAID level supported by the storage platform, and

configuring the RAID-based platform using the highest RAID level.

14. The system of claim 13 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to receive information associated with at least one of a number of storage devices associated with the storage platform, a storage capacity of each storage device, and a channel to which each storage device is connected.

15. The system of claim 13 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to receive information associated with hardware and software components of the storage platform.

16. The system of claim 13 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to determine whether the storage platform is associated with a RAID controller.

17. The system of claim 16 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to:

configure the storage platform as a hardware-based RAID platform if the storage platform is associated with a RAID controller; and

configure the storage platform as a software-based RAID platform if the storage platform is not associated with a RAID controller.

18. The system of claim 13 , where the memory further includes instructions executable by the data processing apparatus and upon such execution cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input including a user-selected RAID level; and

reconfiguring the RAID-based platform to replace the highest RAID level with the user-selected RAID level.

19. The system of claim 18 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to select a highest RAID level from the one or more determined RAID levels.

20. The system of claim 18 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to configure the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 1 platform if two storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration.

21. The system of claim 18 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to configure the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 5 platform if three storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration.

22. The system of claim 18 , where, if three storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration, where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to:

configure the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 1 platform; and

configure one of the three storage devices as a hot spare storage device.

23. The system of claim 18 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to configure the RAID-based platform as a RAID level 5 platform with a hot spare storage device if more than three storage devices are identified as available for RAID-based configuration.

24. The system of claim 13 , where the instructions cause the data processing apparatus to:

identify one or more storage devices available for RAID-based configuration; and

determine one or more RAID levels supported by the one or more identified storage devices.

25. A system comprising:

one or more clients in communication with a host, the host in communication with a storage platform associated with one or more storage devices and configured to grant the one or more clients access to the one or more storage devices, where the host is further configured to:

identify one or more RAID levels supported by the one or more storage devices;

identify a highest RAID level from the one or more identified RAID levels; and

configure the storage platform as a RAID-based platform using the highest RAID level.

Assignments (19)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059333/0222 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2018
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047103/0206 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 25, 2018
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 046426/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2018
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS (U.S.), INC.
Reel/Frame 046251/0271 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 3, 2016
From: MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC. (F/K/A PMC-SIERRA, INC.); MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS (U.S.), INC. (F/K/A PMC-SIERRA US, INC.)
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 037689/0719 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2016
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: PMC-SIERRA, INC.; PMC-SIERRA US, INC.; WINTEGRA, INC.
Reel/Frame 037675/0129 →
SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 6, 2013
From: PMC-SIERRA, INC.; PMC-SIERRA US, INC.; WINTEGRA, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 030947/0710 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2011
From: ADPT CORPORATION
To: PMC-SIERRA, INC.
Reel/Frame 026330/0778 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2011
From: KALMAN, DEAN; KNIGHT, CLINTON D.
To: ADAPTEC, INC.
Reel/Frame 026324/0193 →
MERGER Recorded May 23, 2011
From: ADAPTEC, INC.
To: ADPT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 026324/0383 →