Patent ID: 8352781

Claim:
A data storage subsystem comprising: a data storage array; read-write logic coupled to said data storage array; a parity generator coupled to said read-write logic and configured to generate and store write check data during write operations to said data storage array and generate read check data during read operations on said data storage array; a parity checker coupled to said parity generator and configured to verify the write check data with the read check data, identify defective data read-write elements during read operations on said data storage array, and generate a parity error signal corresponding to each one of the defective data read-write elements; a Built-In Self Test (BIST) generator coupled to said data storage array and said parity checker and configured to monitor the parity error signal, and based upon each occurrence of the parity error signal, operate only on the corresponding one of the identified defective data read-write elements to determine defective data storage elements therein without operating on a remainder of said data storage array; and a restoration mechanism coupled to said data storage array and configured to restore valid operation of the defective data read-write elements including the defective data storage elements in said data storage array.