Intelligent disk array controller

Claim 2

For use with a computer system having a fault tolerant, intelligent mass storage disk array subsystem having individual disk and disk array parameters and associated status information for the disk and disk array, a method for performing disk sector analysis for all drives within the disk array, the steps comprising: (a) initializing a current disk memory location based upon the disk array and disk drive status information and current disk parameters; (b) determining whether the disk array is in the process of carrying out disk operations, and if carrying out such operations, suspending operation of the method of the present invention for a predetermined period of time and repeating this step (b) until disk operations are not being carried out; (c) performing a read operation on the current disk memory location; (d) checking the results of the read operation to determine if the read operation has failed and upon detection of a failure, indicating the disk media failure for the current disk memory location; (e) incrementing to a successive disk memory location; and (f) continuously performing steps (b) through (e) for all disk memory locations for all disks located within the disk array.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of initializing disk memory location further includes determining if the computer system has been reset and if having been reset, initializing the current disk memory location to a predetermined disk memory location within the disk array.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining if the disk array is active further includes determining if the disk array controller has received but not acted upon a input or output operation request.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, wherein the step of determining whether the disk array is active further includes determining whether the disk on which the current disk memory location is located is currently being regenerated.

Claim 6

For use with a computer system having a fault tolerant, intelligent mass storage disk array subsystem, a method for performing disk sector analysis for all drives within the disk array, the steps comprising: (a) determining disk and disk array parameters and current status information; (b) initializing a current disk memory location based upon the disk array and disk drive status information and current disk parameters; (c) determining whether the disk array is in the process of carrying out disk operations, and if carrying out such operations, suspending operation of the method of the present invention for a predetermined period of time and repeating these steps until disk operations are not being carried out; (d) generating a read request for the current disk memory location and queuing the read request for execution by the disk array controller; (e) checking the results of the read request to determine if the read request has failed and upon detection of a failure, indicating the disk media failure for the current disk memory location; (f) incrementing to a successive disk memory location; and (g) continuously performing steps (c) through (f) for all disk memory locations for all disks located within the disk array.

Claim 7

For use with a computer system having a fault tolerant, intelligent mass storage disk array subsystem, a method for performing disk sector analysis for all drives within the disk array, the steps comprising: (a) determining disk and disk array parameters and current status information; (b) initializing a current disk memory location based upon the disk array and disk drive status information and current disk parameters; (c) determining whether the disk array is in the process of carrying out disk operations, and if carrying out such operations, suspending operation of the method of the present invention for a predetermined period of time and repeating these steps until disk operations are not being carried out; (d) generating a read request for the current disk memory location and queuing the read request for execution by the disk array controller; (e) checking the results of the read request to determine if the read request has failed and upon detection of a failure, indicating the disk media failure for the current disk memory location; (f) incrementing to a successive disk memory location; and (g) continuously performing steps (c) through (f) for all disk memory locations for all disks located within the disk array.

Claim 8

The method of claim 5, wherein the step of initializing disk memory location further includes determining if the computer system has been reset and if having been reset, initializing the current disk memory location to a predetermined disk memory location within the disk array.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein the step of determining if the disk array is active further includes determining if the disk array controller has received but not acted upon a input or output operation request.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7, wherein the step of determining whether the disk array is active further includes determining whether the disk on which the current disk memory location is located is currently being regenerated.

Claim 11

The method of claim 5, wherein the step of determining disk and disk array parameters further includes reading disk and disk array parameter information from a reserved disk memory location of a disk.