Granted Patent B1

US 8,689,042 · App. 13/163,581 · Granted Apr 1, 2014

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A method for redundant data storage across multiple storage devices, the method comprising:

storing a collection of data chunks as a plurality of N−1 data stripes across N daughter-memory-cards including non-volatile memory, where N is three or more, wherein each data chunk of up to N data chunks forming a data stripe is stored in a different daughter-memory-card;

storing a parity stripe across the N daughter-memory-cards including N−1 data parity chunks and one meta parity chunk;

wherein each Kth daughter-memory-card of N−1 daughter-memory-cards stores a Kth data parity chunk of the N−1 parity chunks computed as parity of up to N data chunks forming the Kth data stripe; and

wherein an Nth daughter-memory-card of the N daughter-memory-cards stores the meta parity chunk computed as parity of the N−1 data parity chunks stored in the respective N−1 daughter-memory-cards.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

reading a first data stripe of data across the N daughter-memory-cards.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

reading the first data parity chunk from the parity stripe in response to reading the first data stripe;

computing a first computed parity of the N−1 data chunks forming the first data stripe read; and

comparing the first computed parity with the first data parity chunk.

4. A method for redundant data storage across multiple storage devices, the method comprising:

storing a collection of data chunks as a plurality of N−1 data stripes across N daughter-memory-cards including non-volatile memory, where N is three or more, wherein each data chunk of up to N data chunks forming a data stripe is stored in a different daughter-memory-card;

storing a parity stripe across the N daughter-memory-cards including N−1 data parity chunks and one meta parity chunk, wherein the N−1 data chunks and the one data parity chunk or meta parity chunk in a daughter-memory-card collectively has a size of one write page into non-volatile memory;

reading a first data stripe of data across the N daughter-memory-cards

wherein each Kth daughter-memory-card of N−1 daughter-memory-cards stores a Kth data parity chunk of the N−1 parity chunks computed as parity of up to N data chunks forming the Kth data stripe; and

wherein an Nth daughter-memory-card of the N daughter-memory-cards stores the meta parity chunk computed as parity of the N−1 data parity chunks stored in the respective N−1 daughter-memory-cards.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein

the write page size is four kilobytes.

6. A method for redundant data storage across multiple storage devices, the method, further comprising:

storing a collection of data chunks as a plurality of N−1 data stripes across N daughter-memory-cards including non-volatile memory, where N is three or more, wherein each data chunk of up to N data chunks forming a data stripe is stored in a different daughter-memory-card;

storing a parity stripe across the N daughter-memory-cards including N−1 data parity chunks and one meta parity chunk,

invalidating a data chunk in a data stripe by

marking a data chunk in a data stripe invalid, and

retaining the previous data in the data chunk for data redundancy until all data chunks in the data stripe are invalid;

wherein each Kth daughter-memory-card of N−1 daughter-memory-cards stores a Kth data parity chunk of the N−1 parity chunks computed as parity of up to N data chunks forming the Kth data stripe; and

wherein an Nth daughter-memory-card of the N daughter-memory-cards stores the meta parity chunk computed as parity of the N−1 data parity chunks stored in the respective N−1 daughter-memory-cards.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein a daughter-memory-card has failed and the method further comprises:

unplugging the failed daughter-memory-card from a socket in a baseboard;

plugging a new daughter-memory-card into the socket of the baseboard;

configuring the new daughter-memory-card for use within the baseboard;

recreating the data chunks of the failed daughter-memory-card in the new daughter-memory-card; and

recreating the data parity chunk or the meta parity chunk of the failed daughter-memory-card in the new daughter-memory-card.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a first daughter-memory-card has failed and the method further comprises:

recreating parity previously stored in the first daughter-memory-card including

recreating a first parity chunk by examining the N−2 parity chunks respectively stored in the second through Nth daughter-memory-cards.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprises:

recreating data previously stored in the first daughter-memory-card including

recreating a first data chunk of a first data stripe by examining the data chunks of the first data stripe stored in the second through Nth daughter-memory-cards and examining the recreated first parity chunk.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprises:

recreating an (N−1)th data chunk of an (N−1)th data stripe by examining the data chunks of the (N−1)th data stripe stored in the second through Nth daughter-memory-cards and examining an (N−1)th parity chunk stored in an (N−1)th daughter-memory-card.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Nth daughter-memory-card has failed and the method further comprises:

recreating data previously stored in the Nth daughter-memory-card including

recreating an Nth data chunk of the first data stripe by examining the data chunks of the first data stripe stored in the first through (N−1)th daughter-memory-cards and examining the first parity chunk stored in the first daughter-memory-card.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Nth daughter-memory-card has failed and the method further comprises:

recreating parity previously stored in the Nth daughter-memory-card including

recreating the meta parity chunk by computing the parity of the first through (N−1)th parity chunks respectively stored in the first through (N−1)th daughter-memory-cards.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprises:

recreating data previously stored in the Nth daughter-memory-card including

recreating each Nth data chunk of the first through (N−1)th data stripes by examining the data chunks of the first through (N−1)th data stripes stored in the first through (N−1)th daughter-memory-cards and examining each respective data parity chunk stored in each first through (N−1)th daughter-memory-cards.

Assignments (12)