RAID 7: Optimized Asynchrony for High I/O Rates as well as High Data Transfer Rates

Architectural Features:

1. All I/O transfers are asynchronous, independently controlled and cached including host interface transfers

2. All reads and write are centrally cached via the high speed x-bus

3. Dedicated parity drive can be on any channel

4. Fully implemented process oriented real time operating system resident on embedded array control microprocessor

5. Embedded real time operating system controlled communications channel

6. Open system uses standard SCSI drives, standard PC buses, motherboards and memory SIMMs

7. High speed internal cache data transfer bus (X-bus)

8. Parity generation integrated into cache

9. Multiple attached drive devices can be declared hot standbys

10. Manageability: SNMP agent allows for remote monitoring and management

Characteristics/Advantages

1. Overall write performance is 25% to 90% better than single spindle performance and 1.5 to 6 times better than other array levels

2. Host interfaces are scalable for connectivity or increased host transfer bandwidth

3. Small reads in multi user environment have very high cache hit rate resulting in near zero access times

4. Write performance improves with an increase in the number of drives in the array

5. Access times decrease with each increase in the number of actuators in the array

6. No extra data transfers required for parity manipulation

7. RAID 7 is a registered trademark of Storage Computer Corporation.

Disadvantages

1. One vendor proprietary solution

2. Extremely high cost per MB

3. Very short warranty

4. Not user serviceable

5. Power supply must be UPS to prevent loss of cache data

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