Systems and methods for optimizing write accesses in a storage array
View Patent ↗A method may include storing data in one or more first-type stripes spanning a plurality of N storage resources and having N−1 data strips for storing the data and a parity strip for storing parity information for the data stored to the particular first-type stripe and each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a parity strip of the particular first-type stripe if the data to be stored exceeds a threshold size. If the data to be stored does not exceed a threshold size, the method may include storing the data in a second-type stripe and a third-type stripe each spanning N storage resources, such that each stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for the corresponding second-type strip or third-type strip.
1. A storage array comprising:
a plurality of storage resources; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of storage resources, the controller configured to:
receive a write operation;
determine whether a size of data to be written to the storage array in accordance with the write operation is greater than a threshold size;
in response to determining that the size of data is greater than the threshold size, store the data in one or more first-type stripes; and
in response to determining that the size of data is not greater than the threshold size:
store the data in a second-type stripe spanning the plurality of storage resources, such that the second-type stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for a third-type strip associated with the second-type strip and each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a metadata strip of the second-type stripe; and
store the data in a third-type stripe spanning the plurality of storage resources, such that the third-type stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for the second-type strip, each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a metadata strip of the third-type stripe, and each individual portion of data stored the data strips of the third-type stripe is stored on a different storage resource than it is within the second-type stripe;
wherein N is the number of the plurality of storage resources.
2. A storage array according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold size is equal to the size of a strip.
3. A storage array according to claim 1 , wherein each data strip, parity strip, and metadata strip are of equal size.
4. A storage array according to claim 1 , wherein each first-type stripe, second-type stripe, and third-type stripe are of equal size.
5. A storage array according to claim 1 , each first-type stripe comprising a RAID5 stripe.
6. A storage array according to claim 1 , the third-type stripe comprising a mirror of the second-type stripe in accordance with RAID1.
7. A storage array according to claim 1 , the controller comprising a RAID controller.
8. An information handling system comprising:
a processor;
a plurality of storage resources; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of storage resources and the processor, the controller configured to:
receive a write operation from the processor;
determine whether a size of data to be written to the storage array in accordance with the write operation is greater than a threshold size;
in response to determining that the size of data is greater than the threshold size, store the data in one or more first-type stripes; and
in response to determining that the size of data is not greater than the threshold size:
store the data in a second-type stripe spanning the plurality of storage resources, such that the second-type stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for a third-type strip associated with the second-type strip and each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a metadata strip of the second-type stripe; and
store the data in a third-type stripe spanning the plurality of storage resources, such that the third-type stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for the second-type strip, each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a metadata strip of the third-type stripe, and each individual portion of data stored the data strips of the third-type stripe is stored on a different storage resource than it is within the second-type stripe;
wherein N is the number of the plurality of storage resources.
9. An information handling system according to claim 8 , wherein the threshold size is equal to the size of a strip.
10. An information handling system according to claim 8 , wherein each data strip, parity strip, and metadata strip are of equal size.
11. An information handling system according to claim 8 , wherein each first-type stripe, second-type stripe, and third-type stripe are of equal size.
12. An information handling system according to claim 8 , each first-type stripe comprising a RAID5 stripe.
13. An information handling system according to claim 8 , the third-type stripe comprising a mirror of the second-type stripe in accordance with RAID1.
14. An information handling system according to claim 8 , the controller comprising a RAID controller.
15. A method comprising:
receiving a write operation for data to be stored in a storage array comprising a plurality of storage resources;
determining whether a size of data to be written to the storage array in accordance with the write operation is greater than a threshold size;
in response to determining that the size of data is greater than the threshold size, storing the data in one or more first-type stripes; and
in response to determining that the size of data is not greater than the threshold size:
storing the data in a second-type stripe spanning the plurality of storage resources, such that the second-type stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for a third-type strip associated with the second-type strip and each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a metadata strip of the second-type stripe; and
storing the data in a third-type stripe spanning the plurality of storage resources, such that the third-type stripe comprises N−1 data strips for storing the data and a metadata strip for storing address information for the second-type strip, each of the plurality of storage resources includes one of a data strip or a metadata strip of the third-type stripe, and each individual portion of data stored the data strips of the third-type stripe is stored on a different storage resource than it is within the second-type stripe;
wherein N is the number of the plurality of storage resources.
16. A method according to claim 15 , wherein the threshold size is equal to the size of a strip.
17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein each data strip, parity strip, and metadata strip are of equal size.
18. A method according to claim 15 , wherein each first-type stripe, second-type stripe, and third-type stripe are of equal size.
19. A method according to claim 15 , each first-type stripe comprising a RAID5 stripe.
20. A method according to claim 15 , the third-type stripe comprising a mirror of the second-type stripe in accordance with RAID1.