Method and means for verification of write data

Claim 1

A system for verifying write data to be recorded in a fault tolerant disk drive array having at least a first rotatable disk for receiving data during at least a first revolution thereof comprising; a host interface for providing input blocks of write data, a means for generating host error check characters appended to said write data blocks; a controller coupled to said interface, said controller including a write data path network and a read data path network coupled to the output of said write data path network, said read data path network being operated independently of said write data path network; said write data path network including means for dividing said data blocks into subblocks to be passed through respective ports, and port generator means for appending port error check characters to said data subblocks; said read data path network including first means for checking said host error check characters and second means for checking said port error check characters, said read data path network being enabled when said data subblocks are being written to the disk array, said read data path network receiving said data subblocks only from said write data path network and not from the disk array, when said read data path network is enabled during writing of said data subblocks to the disk array, said read data path network, including said first and second means for checking, being used in making a determination related to validity of said data subblocks, wherein said validity determination is made during the same revolution of the first disk as said data subblocks are being written to the first disk, said read data path network further including means for providing data validity information related to the validity of said data subblocks, said data validity information indicating at least one invalid data subblock when a determination is made as to said one data block's invalidity; processing means communicating with said means for providing for using said data validity information to control said write data path network to re-send another data subblock based on said one invalid data subblock to the disk array.

Claim 2

A system for verifying write data to be recorded in a fault tolerant disk drive array having at least a first rotatable disk for receiving data during at least a first revolution thereof comprising; a host interface for providing input blocks of write data, a means for generating host error check characters appended to said write data blocks; a controller coupled to said interface, said controller including a write data path network and a read data path network coupled to the output of said write data path network, said read data path network being operated independently of said write data path network; said write data path network including means for dividing said data blocks into subblocks to be passed through respective ports, and port generator means for appending port error check characters to said data subblocks; said read data path network including first means for checking said host error check characters and second means for checking said port error check characters, said read data path network being enabled when said data subblocks are being written to the disk array, said read data path network receiving said data subblocks only from said write data path network and not from the disk array, when said read data path network is enabled during writing of said data subblocks to the disk array, said read data path network, including said first and second means for checking, being used in making a determination related to validity of said data subblocks, wherein said validity determination is made during the same revolution of the first disk as said data subblocks are being written to the first disk, said read data path network further including means for providing data validity information related to the validity of said data subblocks, said data validity information indicating at least one invalid data subblock when a determination is made as to said one data block's invalidity; processing means communicating with said means for providing for using said data validity information to control said write data path network to re-send another data subblock based on said one invalid data subblock to the disk array.

Claim 12

A method for verifying write data to be recorded in a fault tolerant disk drive array having at least a first rotatable disk for receiving data during at least one revolution thereof comprising the steps of: providing blocks of write data; generating host error check characters appended to said write data blocks; dividing said data blocks into subblocks to be passed through respective ports; appending port error check characters to said data subblocks; sending said data subblocks to the disk array from a write data path network; storing said data subblocks using the first disk and during one revolution thereof; enabling a read data path network at the same time said data subblocks are being sent to the disk array; receiving said data subblocks from said write data path network and not from the disk array, when said read data path network is enabled during sending of said data subblocks to the disk array; checking said host error check characters and said port error check characters in said read data path network; making a determination in said read data path network as to validity of said data subblocks during said same one revolution of the first disk; storing data validity information related to said data subblocks; checking said data validity information using processing means; controlling said write data path to re-try sending valid data subblocks when said checking indicates that at least one of said data subblocks is not valid.

Claim 13

A method for verifying write data to be recorded in a fault tolerant disk drive array having at least a first rotatable disk for receiving data during at least one revolution thereof comprising the steps of: providing blocks of write data; generating host error check characters appended to said write data blocks; dividing said data blocks into subblocks to be passed through respective ports; appending port error check characters to said data subblocks; sending said data subblocks to the disk array from a write data path network; storing said data subblocks using the first disk and during one revolution thereof; enabling a read data path network at the same time said data subblocks are being sent to the disk array; receiving said data subblocks from said write data path network and not from the disk array, when said read data path network is enabled during sending of said data subblocks to the disk array; checking said host error check characters and said port error check characters in said read data path network; making a determination in said read data path network as to validity of said data subblocks during said same one revolution of the first disk; storing data validity information related to said data subblocks; checking said data validity information using processing means; controlling said write data path to re-try sending valid data subblocks when said checking indicates that at least one of said data subblocks is not valid.