An architecture and method for executing write commands in a storage array
is disclosed. The data strips of the data stripes of the storage array
each include a parity check bit. The parity strip of each stripe includes
a plurality of parity check bits, each of which is uniquely associated
with one of the data strips of the stripes. The inclusion within each
data stripe of parity bits associated with each data strip and the party
strip provides a method for identifying a corrupted or degraded data
condition that occurs as a result of a server failing fails during a
write command.