Patent ID: 7617361

Claim:
A computer implemented method for increasing an amount of data protected in a Redundant Array of Independent Disks, the computer implemented method comprising: responsive to receiving a request to configure a plurality of physical disk drives that include a plurality of different storage capacities having a common denominator into a Redundant Array of Independent Disks, dividing an entire storage capacity of each of the plurality of different storage capacities having the common denominator into one or more primary elements that are same-sized capacity blocks of data based on the entire storage capacity of a smallest physical disk drive in the plurality of physical disk drives so that the entire storage capacity of each of the plurality of different storage capacities is included within one or more of the primary elements; and arranging the primary elements to form a plurality of valid Redundant Array of Independent Disks parity sets to increase the amount of data protected in the Redundant Array of Independent Disks, wherein each of the plurality of valid Redundant Array of Independent Disks parity sets must include a primary element of the primary elements from at least three or more physical disk drives in the plurality of physical disk drives.