Patent ID: 7702853
Filing Date: 2010-04-20
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. A method of managing a data storage system, said method comprising: providing said data storage system, said data storage system comprising multiple memory devices in multiple storage units such that each storage unit comprises n memory devices and each memory device in each storage unit belongs to a different one of n memory arrays and comprises one of a hard disk drive, a random access memory device, an optical storage device and a magnetic tape storage device, wherein said n memory arrays comprise symmetric redundant arrays and wherein n is a number greater than 1; selectively controlling powering up and powering down of said multiple memory devices, wherein said selectively controlling comprises: associating said standby memory devices with corresponding write-journals on said active memory devices; providing said corresponding write-journals with a same level of protection as said standby memory devices; receiving new data; determining a target storage location for said new data; if said target location is one of said standby memory devices, writing said new data to a corresponding write-journal for said standby memory devices; and, powering back on said one of said standby memory devices and transferring said new data out of said corresponding write-journal and into said target storage location, said powering back on is performed one of on-demand, conditionally, and periodically, wherein said associating comprises one of the following: associating said standby memory devices with said corresponding write-journals such that each particular write-journal is associated with only one particular standby memory device and further such that an active memory device containing said particular write-journal is in a different storage unit as said particular standby memory device and is controlled by a different controllers than said particular standby memory, and associating said standby memory devices with said corresponding write-journals such that each particular write-journal is associated with only one particular standby memory device, such that as active memory device containing said particular write-journal is in a same storage unit as said particular standby memory device and such that each of said n memory arrays contains no more than one write-journal from any others of said n memory arrays.