Method and system for more efficiently providing a copy in a raid data storage system

Patent 6415296 Issued on July 2, 2002. Estimated Expiration Date:

March 31, 2019. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Method and apparatus for generating snapshot copies for data backup in a raid subsystem
Patent #: 5790773
Issued on: 08/04/1998
Inventor: DeKoning, et al.

Method for allocating files in a file system integrated with a RAID disk sub-system
Patent #: 6038570
Issued on: 03/14/2000
Inventor: Hitz, et al.

Method and system for providing an instant backup in a RAID data storage system
Patent #: 6058054
Issued on: 05/02/2000
Inventor: Islam, et al.

Method for allocating files in a file system integrated with a raid disk sub-system
Patent #: 6138126
Issued on: 10/24/2000
Inventor: Hitz, et al.

Method and apparatus for reducing processor operations when adding a new drive to a raid-6 drive group Patent #: 6304941
Issued on: 10/16/2001
Inventor: Lyons, et al.

Inventors

Application

No. 282715 filed on 03/31/1999

US Classes:

707/200, FILE OR DATABASE MAINTENANCE707/204, Archiving or backup711/162Backup

Examiners

Primary: Shah, Sanjiv
Assistant: Fleurantin, Jean Bolte

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

G06F 017/30

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for more efficiently providing a copy of a portion of a source drive of a plurality of drives in a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) data storage system. The portion of the source drive includes a plurality of segments. The method and system include providing the copy of the plurality of segments from the source drive to the target drive. The plurality of segments can be modified during the step of providing the copy. The method and system further include providing another copy of a portion of the plurality of segments that have been modified since the step of providing the copy commenced if a portion of the plurality of segments have been modified since copying commenced.