massive array of idle disks LastModified: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
In storage terminology a massive array of idle disks, or MAID as it is abbreviated, is a technology that uses a large group of hard disk drives, hundreds or even thousands, with only those drives that are needed actively spinning at any given time. MAID is a storage system solution that reduces both wear on the drives and also reduces power consumption. Because only specific disks spin at a given time, what is not in use is literally a massive array of idle disks, which also means the system produces less heat than other large storage systems. One type of MAID is called the Copan array (Copan Systems Inc.). The Copan array treats drives in the array similar to a tape library (VTL) where only what is needed is actually powered. A Copan array can contain hundreds of terabytes of disks which share supply, controller, and cabinet. See also disk array.
COPAN Systems COPAN Systems' Enhanced MAID (Massive Array of Idle Disks) Virtual Tape Library (VTL) solutions offer the best of both worlds between disk and tape technologies, and provide the performance, scalability, reliability, and affordability that is ideally suited for managing persistent data. Enterprise Storage Forum Storage Management, Storage Networking, Business Continuity, Hardware, Industry News, IP Storage, Outsourcing and more for Enterprise Storage. MAID Technology Blog with Chris Santilli MAID utilizes the state transitions of a disk drive offline/inactive to online/active and vice versa. Webopedia's Quick Reference Section Use this Webopedia reference section for information on common Internet and computer facts and occurrences. Webopedia's Quick Reference Section: Blade servers Whether you call it a server blade or blade server, there is no denying that these cost-efficient, slim and less power-consuming servers are a hit for high-performance computing as well as for the small and midsize business (SMB).	related categories: Data Storage Hardware related terms: array blade server computer cabinet computer enclosure data data at rest hard disk drive hardware power supply storage virtual tape library Shopping massive array disk Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: Network Storage 8 Model Matches Hard Drives 0 Store Offers