A redundant array of independent disks (RAID) system comprises N storage arrays. Each of the N storage arrays comprise a target processing module and 1 to M hard disk drives, where M and N are integers greater than 1. A data processing module assigns a first data storage request for a first data block to one of the target processing modules for processing of error checking and correcting (ECC) data for the first data block. The one of the target processing modules sends a first portion of the first data block and ECC data associated with the first data block to another of the target processing modules.