Patent ID: 8074112

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a redundant array of independent disk (RAID) controller configured to control a plurality of storage devices constituting a RAID disk array; a volatile memory coupled to the RAID controller, the volatile memory configured to store data accessible by the RAID controller; a non-volatile memory coupled to the RAID controller; a memory interface configured to interface between the volatile memory and the non-volatile memory; a main power supply configured to supply power to the volatile memory and the RAID controller; and a temporary power supply configured to, in response to a failure of the main power supply, supply power to the volatile memory and the RAID controller; wherein the RAID controller is further configured to detect the failure of the main power supply, and in response to having detected the failure of the main power supply, transfer data from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory; and wherein the temporary power supply is further configured to cease supplying power to the volatile memory and the RAID controller subsequent to, and in response to, completion of the transfer of data from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory, wherein the data is transferred, in response to detecting the failure of the main power supply, from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory through the memory interface, by bypassing the RAID controller.