Patent ID: 7134053

Claim:
A method for evaluating performance of a RAID for streaming data, said method comprising: (a) identifying a configured RAID including at least a plurality of disk drives; (b) evaluating data transfer performance of the disk drives of the configured RAID; (c) comparing the data transfer performance with minimum performance criteria; and (d) certifying the configured RAID as suitable for streaming data when said comparing (c) indicates that the data transfer performance of the disk drives of the configured RAID exceeds the minimum performance criteria, wherein said evaluating (b) comprises: (b1) determining an average transfer time for at least one of the disk drives; (b2) transferring a first number of data blocks from the one of the disk drives; (b3) determining a measured transfer time for the time it takes for said transferring (a) to transfer the first number of data blocks from the one of the disk drives; (b4) determining whether the measured transfer time is substantially greater than the average transfer time; (b5) increasing a performance error count when said determining (b4) determines that the measured transfer time is substantially greater than the average transfer time; and (b6) repeating at least said transferring (b2) through said increasing (b5) for subsequent transfers of the first number of data blocks from the one of the disk drives, said repeating (b6) continuing until all the data blocks of the one of the disk drives has undergone data transfer therefrom.