  The effect of redundancy on the aging of an efficient Maximum Distance
Separable (MDS) parity--protected distributed storage system that consists of
multidimensional arrays of storage units is explored. In light of the
experimental evidences and survey data, this paper develops generalized
expressions for the reliability of array storage systems based on more
realistic time to failure distributions such as Weibull. For instance, a
distributed disk array system is considered in which the array components are
disseminated across the network and are subject to independent failure rates.
Based on such, generalized closed form hazard rate expressions are derived.
These expressions are extended to estimate the asymptotical reliability
behavior of large scale storage networks equipped with MDS parity-based
protection. Unlike previous studies, a generic hazard rate function is assumed,
a generic MDS code for parity generation is used, and an evaluation of the
implications of adjustable redundancy level for an efficient distributed
storage system is presented. Results of this study are applicable to any
erasure correction code as long as it is accompanied with a suitable structure
and an appropriate encoding/decoding algorithm such that the MDS property is
maintained.
