Patent ID: 7774542

Claim:
A method comprising: storing data blocks in a fast access buffer during Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) reconfiguration operations according to an ordering of the data blocks in one or more source RAID devices; moving the data blocks in the fast access buffer to correspond to an ordering for the data blocks to be stored in one or more target RAID devices, wherein the moving is performed according to a number of the target RAID devices to receive the data blocks responsive to a RAID device controller, and wherein the number of target RAID devices is different than a number of the source RAID devices; enabling an external device to access at least one of the data blocks stored in the fast access buffer during RAID reconfiguration operations when the external device initiates data access operations that target at least one of the source RAID devices or the target RAID devices; and transmitting data blocks from the fast access buffer to the target RAID devices responsive to the RAID device controller.