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A tutorial on Reed–Solomon coding for fault‐tolerance in RAID‐like systems
Author(s) -
Plank James S.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
software: practice and experience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.437
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1097-024X
pISSN - 0038-0644
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-024x(199709)27:9<995::aid-spe111>3.0.co;2-6
Subject(s) - programmer , raid , computer science , coding (social sciences) , coding theory , theoretical computer science , variable length code , programming language , algorithm , decoding methods , operating system , mathematics , statistics
It is well‐known that Reed‐Solomon codes may be used to provide error correction for multiple failures in RAID‐like systems. The coding technique itself, however, is not as well‐known. To the coding theorist, this technique is a straightforward extension to a basic coding paradigm and needs no special mention. However, to the systems programmer with no training in coding theory, the technique may be a mystery. Currently, there are no references that describe how to perform this coding that do not assume that the reader is already well‐versed in algebra and coding theory. This paper is intended for the systems programmer. It presents a complete specification of the coding algorithm plus details on how it may be implemented. This specification assumes no prior knowledge of algebra or coding theory. The goal of this paper is for a systems programmer to be able to implement Reed‐Solomon coding for reliability in RAID‐like systems without needing to consult any external references. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.