Patent ID: 6983335

Claim:
A disk drive managing method for managing disk drive in multiple disk-array system, said method comprising the steps of: providing an interface operable to access a plurality of disk-arrays coupled thereto, where data is distributed across each disk-array of said plurality of disk-arrays independently of said distribution across other disk-arrays of said plurality of disk-arrays; reading an array configuration from a disk drive coupled to a corresponding disk-array coupled to said interface, said array configuration including an array signature and a plurality of serial check sums, each of said plurality of serial check sums corresponding to a disk drive belonging to said corresponding disk-array; validating said array signature of said disk drive; reading said plurality of serial check sums of another disk drive coupled to said corresponding disk-array; determining if said disk-array corresponding to said plurality of serial check sums read in said serial check sums reading step is recorded as one of said plurality of disk-arrays coupled to said interface; and recording said serial check sum corresponding to said disk drive in said plurality of serial check sums of said corresponding disk-array.