Patent ID: 8140751

Claim:
A system defining a power-aware redundant array of identical disks (PARAID), the system comprising a plurality of disks, each disk storing at least one of a plurality of data blocks, wherein the data blocks are allocated among the plurality of disks in a skewed striping pattern, said skewed striping pattern comprising replicating a portion of said plurality of data blocks to provide different predetermined sets of disks, wherein each of said different sets of disks provides access to said plurality of data blocks using a different number of disks, wherein said different predetermined sets of disks define a series of gears within said plurality of disks, each gear in the series of gears having a progressively higher capacity; and a PARAID disk manager for selectively powering on one or more combinations of the plurality of disks to transition between the series of gears according to an order of the series of gears, wherein the combinations are based upon system-user demand usage.