Faster reconstruction of segments using a spare memory unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10324814-B2
Application number	US-201715494571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2017
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Techniques for faster reconstruction of segments using a dedicated spare memory unit are described. Zone segments in memory units are associated with a dedicated spare memory unit. The zone segments are reconstructed in the dedicated spare memory unit in response to a failed memory unit except for an identified failed zone segment of the failed memory unit. The identified failed zone segment of the failed memory unit is retained in the dedicated spare unit. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
segmenting memory units of a memory unit group into a plurality of zone segments;
associating the plurality of zone segments with a spare memory unit;
assigning the spare memory unit as a first replacement memory unit for a first memory unit based upon a prediction that the first memory unit will fail;
retaining zone segments, in the first replacement memory unit, that relate to zone segments within the first memory unit; and
copying remaining zone segments in the first memory unit to the first replacement memory unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
retaining a failed zone segment in an idle state within the spare memory unit.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
retaining a set of previously copied zone segments in the spare memory unit, wherein the set of previously copied zone segments, included in the spare memory unit, relate to zone segments in the first memory unit predicted to fail.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
assigning a spare disk to a disk in a disk group predicted to fail.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
utilizing the first replacement memory unit in place of the first memory unit based upon a determination that the first memory unit failed.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
retaining the first replacement memory unit in an idle state based upon a determination that the first memory unit is operational.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
reconstructing, within the spare memory unit, zone segments of the plurality of zone segments in memory units that are operational.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
reconstructing, within the spare memory unit, zone segments of the plurality of zone segments in memory units that are predicted to be operational.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
reconstructing, within the spare memory unit, failed zone segments from a failed memory unit that corresponds to the spare memory unit.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
performing a mirror copy into the spare memory unit for a write operation into one of the plurality of zone segments.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
specifying that a total number of the plurality of zone segments is to equal a total number of memory units in the memory unit group, the total number of memory units in the memory unit group comprising parity memory units assigned to the memory unit group.

12. A computing device, comprising:
a memory having stored thereon instructions; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to:
segment memory units of a memory unit group into a plurality of zone segments;
associate the plurality of zone segments with a spare memory unit;
assign the spare memory unit as a first replacement memory unit for first memory unit based upon a prediction that the first memory unit will fail;
retain zone segments, in the first replacement memory unit, that relate to zone segments within the first memory unit; and
copy remaining zone segments in the first memory unit to the first replacement memory unit.

13. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
retain a failed zone segment in an idle state within the spare memory unit.

14. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
retain a set of previously copied zone segments in the spare memory unit, wherein the set of previously copied zone segments, included in the spare memory unit, relate to zone segments in the first memory unit predicted to fail.

15. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
perform a mirror copy into the spare memory unit for a write operation into one of the plurality of zone segments.

16. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
utilize the first replacement memory unit in place of the first memory unit based upon a determination that the first memory unit failed.

17. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
retain the first replacement memory unit in an idle state based upon a determination that the first memory unit is operational.

18. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
reconstruct, within the spare memory unit, zone segments of the plurality of zone segments in memory units that are operational.

19. The computer device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
reconstruct, within the spare memory unit, failed zone segments from a failed memory unit that corresponds to the spare memory unit.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:
segment memory units of a memory unit group into a plurality of zone segments;
associate the plurality of zone segments with a spare memory unit;
assign the spare memory unit as a first replacement memory unit for a first memory unit based upon a prediction that the first memory unit will fail;
retaining zone segments, in the first replacement memory unit, that relate to zone segments within the first memory unit; and
copy remaining zone segments in the first memory unit to the first replacement memory unit.

Assignees

• Netapp Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Arvind
• Bysani Premnath

Classifications

• G06F11/1076

  Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0619

  in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors · CPC title

• G06F3/065

  Replication mechanisms · CPC title

• G06F3/0689

  Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD · CPC title

• G06F11/1666

  where the redundant component is memory or memory area · CPC title