Patent ID: 8909859

Claim:
A method for implementing a sustained large block random write performance mechanism for multiple shingled magnetic recording (SMR) drives in a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) comprising: providing a single Solid State Drive (SSD) with the multiple SMR drives in the RAID; using said SSD only in a hot spare mode with the multiple SMR drives, identifying a large block random write event for a SMR drive in the RAID; activating said SSD in said hot spare mode responsive to the identified large block random write event for the SMR drive; temporarily receiving new incoming writes for the identified SMR drive with said SSD preempting use of the identified SMR drive; ending the hot spare mode for said SSD and continuing with normal writing only using SMR drives in the RAID; and identifying a recovery mode for the identified SMR drive responsive to ending said hot spare mode, and moving data from said SSD to the identified SMR drive.