SCALING PERFORMANCE FOR RAID STORAGE CONTROLLERS BY PREDICTIVELY CACHING DATA FOR HOST WRITE REQUESTS

摘要

Methods and structure for predictively caching data to service host write requests. One embodiment includes a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage controller able to manage a RAID volume implemented on a plurality of storage devices. The storage controller includes a memory able to store a queue of write requests that are directed to the RAID volume, and an Input/Output (I/O) processor. The I/O processor is able to detect a stream of write requests in the queue that are directed to a sequence of Logical Block Addresses (LBAs) at the RAID volume, to predict, based on the stream, LBAs for new write requests, to cache data for the predicted LBAs from the storage devices to the storage controller, to receive the new write requests, and to utilize the cached data from the predicted LBAs to generate parity data for the new write requests.

主权项

1. A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) storage controller operable to manage a RAID volume implemented on a plurality of storage devices, the storage controller comprising:
a memory operable to store a queue of write requests that are directed to the RAID volume; and an Input/Output (I/O) processor operable to detect a stream of write requests in the queue that are directed to a sequence of Logical Block Addresses (LBAs) at the RAID volume, to predict, based on the stream, LBAs for new write requests, to cache data for the predicted LBAs from the storage devices to the storage controller, to receive the new write requests, and to utilize the cached data for the predicted LBAs to generate parity data for the new write requests.