PMDS Array Codes With Small Sub-packetization, Small Repair Bandwidth/Rebuilding Access

Abstract: Partial maximum distance separable (PMDS) codes are a kind of erasure codes where the nodes are divided into multiple groups with each forming an MDS code with a smaller code length, thus they allow repairing a failed node with only a few helper nodes and can correct all erasure patterns that are information-theoretically correctable. However, the repair of a failed node of PMDS codes still requires a large amount of communication if the group size is large. Recently, PMDS array codes with each local code being an MSR code were introduced to reduce the repair bandwidth further. However, they require extensive rebuilding access and unavoidably a significant sub packetization level. In this paper, we first propose two constructions of PMDS array codes with two global parities that have smaller sub-packetization levels and much smaller finite fields than the existing one. One construction can support an arbitrary number of local parities and has $(1+\epsilon)$-optimal repair bandwidth (i.e., $(1+\epsilon)$ times the optimal repair bandwidth), while the other one is limited to two local parities but has significantly smaller rebuilding access and its sub packetization level is only $2$. In addition, we present a construction of PMDS array code with three global parities, which has a smaller sub-packetization level as well as $(1+\epsilon)$-optimal repair bandwidth, the required finite field is significantly smaller than existing ones.