Patent ID: 7444360

Claim:
A method, comprising: generating signature data indicating a plurality of metadata copy locations, each location identifying one of a plurality of storage devices and a copy location within the storage device, wherein each location contains one copy of metadata, wherein the metadata includes system configuration information, wherein each copy of the signature data includes a generation number wherein a first and second processing systems are capable of accessing the metadata and signature data in the storage devices, and wherein the first processing system and second processing system maintain a first and second copy of the signature data, respectively; storing a copy of the signature data with each copy of the metadata in the storage devices; reading one copy of the metadata from one of the storage devices to obtain system configuration information to use to operate; incrementing the generation number in each copy of the signature data in response to changing the locations in which the copy of the metadata is included; performing an initialization by the first processing system; determining a valid copy of the signature data on one of the storage devices or processing system; staying off line in response to determining that no signature data is valid; and updating all accessible copies of the signature data in the metadata locations indicated in the determined valid copy of signature data and the first and second copies of the signature data with the validated copy of the signature data.