Patent ID: 7580956

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for rating reliability of storage devices, the method comprising: assigning a reliability rating for a first group of storage devices to a first rating, wherein the first group of storage devices includes a first storage device and one or more other storage devices, wherein the first rating indicates an expected reliability that is the same for each individual one of the storage devices in the first group; receiving first information indicating one or more operational characteristics for one or more of the storage devices in the first group; and in response to said receiving, changing the reliability rating for the first group of storage devices to a second rating different from the first rating, wherein the second rating indicates an expected reliability that is the same for each individual one of the storage devices in the first group; wherein said changing the reliability rating for the first group of storage devices to the second rating indicates that the expected reliability for all storage devices in the first group, including the first storage device, has changed, even though the one or more operational characteristics prompting the change to the reliability rating do not apply to the first storage device.