Individual file restore from block-level incremental backups by using client-server backup protocol
Granted: June 12, 2012
Patent Number:
8200638
A network storage server restores a selected file or files from a block-level backup of a data set that contains multiple files, by using a client-server backup protocol, without restoring the entire data set. The backup can include at least one incremental backup image, in which case the file can be restored at least partially from the incremental backup image. A particular version of a file can also be restored, from a block-level backup image that includes multiple snapshots, by…
Switching serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) to a parallel interface
Granted: June 12, 2012
Patent Number:
8200870
An embodiment of the present invention is disclosed to include a SATA Switch allowing for access by two hosts to a single port SATA device Further disclosed are embodiments for reducing the delay and complexity of the SATA Switch.
System and method for remote execution of a debugging utility using a remote management module
Granted: June 12, 2012
Patent Number:
8201149
A system and method enables remote execution of a program, such as a debugger, using a remote management module. A packet daemon executing on the remote management module packetizes data received from a client and forwards it to a packet daemon executing on a computer, which receives the packet and forwards data contained therein to the program. Data from the program is packetized by the packet daemon executing on the computer and transmitted to the packet daemon executing on the remote…
Client data retrieval in a clustered computing network
Granted: June 12, 2012
Patent Number:
8200630
One or more aspects of the disclosure relate to techniques for accessing a file stored in a clustered computing network, where the file is stored in the clustered computing network in a plurality of related volumes that stem from a particular (e.g., parent) volume. In the method, a request to retrieve the file from the particular volume is received at the client. The client then determines whether the file is stored in a client memory so as to be identified with the particular volume. If…
Predicting space reclamation in deduplicated datasets
Granted: June 5, 2012
Patent Number:
8195636
A technique for determining an amount of storage space that would be recovered in a storage system by deleting a list of logical containers of data is provided. In one embodiment, data blocks referenced by the list of files are first identified. The data blocks (e.g., deduplicated data blocks) may be referenced by two or more files. A number of references made by the identified list of files to each data block is compared against a number of references made by all files stored in a…
Method and system for responding to file system requests
Granted: June 5, 2012
Patent Number:
8195875
A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which are connected to each of the D disk elements.…
Multiple-processor core optimization for producer-consumer communication
Granted: June 5, 2012
Patent Number:
8196147
A novel technique for improving throughput in a multi-core system (and in a virtual machine environment) in which data is processed according to a producer-consumer relationship by eliminating latencies caused by compulsory cache misses. A producer process is executed on one processor core and two or more instances of a consumer process are executed on different cores so that while the first instance of a consumer process is executed in a “consuming” mode to process a first subset of…
Distributed management of crypto module white lists
Granted: June 5, 2012
Patent Number:
8196182
An apparatus and method for managing the distribution and expansion of public keys held by a group or array of systems in white lists. The addition of a new system to the array entails a manual input to authorize the introduction of the new system to one trusted system in the array. After the introduction the new system is trusted by the one member and the white list of the one member is loaded into the white list of the new system. The new system then requests joining each of the other…
Embedded scale-out aggregator for storage array controllers
Granted: May 29, 2012
Patent Number:
8190816
Methods and systems for dynamic storage tiering may comprise: discovering one or more remote virtual drives associated with one or more remote storage arrays; advertising one or more local virtual drives associated with a local storage array; receiving one or more IO requests from a client addressed to one or more remote virtual drives associated with one or more remote storage arrays; transmitting one or more command descriptor block (CDB) requests to one or more remote storage arrays…
Authorizing administrative operations using a split knowledge protocol
Granted: May 29, 2012
Patent Number:
8190905
A system and method for authorizing administrative operations in a computer is provided. The computer initiates the split knowledge protocol upon an attempt by an administrator to invoke the operations. The administrator identifies a predetermined number of entities designated to authorize the operation. The computer creates a bit sequence and splits the bit sequence into a number of segments equal to the predetermined number of entities. Each entity thereafter decrypts a respective…
System and method for administration of virtual servers
Granted: May 29, 2012
Patent Number:
8190641
A system and method administers virtual servers executing on one or more physical storage systems. One or more virtual servers are created and associated with a management group. An administrator is then granted permissions to the group. Upon logging into management software, only information relating to the virtual servers associated with the group are displayed to the administrator, thereby limiting access to information related to other virtual servers and/or physical storage systems.
Chargeback in a data storage system using data sets
Granted: May 29, 2012
Patent Number:
8190583
A method and an apparatus to provide chargeback data for data sets are presented. In one embodiment, the method includes allowing an administrator of a data storage system to define a data set having a plurality of storage objects and to associate the data set with a data management policy and an owner. The method includes generating a report allocating usage for billing (for example) for an owner of a data set by tracking the storage elements used to implement the defined data set…
Method and apparatus for offloading network processes in a computer storage system
Granted: May 22, 2012
Patent Number:
8185633
A system and method for offloading network processes from main processors of a storage system and performing them on parallel processing modules. Embodiments of the present invention improve performance of a clustered storage system by performing certain network processes in an accelerator module of a storage system node. The accelerator module receives multi-protocol protocol data units (PDUs) from a network interface, performs protocol operations on the PDUs to form file system…
Optimized cache coherency in a dual-controller storage array
Granted: May 22, 2012
Patent Number:
8185691
Data is cached in a dual-controller storage array having a first cache controlled by a first controller, a second cache controlled by a second controller, and a shared array of persistent storage devices, such as disk drives. When one of the controllers receives a write request, it stores the data in persistent storage, stores a copy of that data in the first cache, and transmits identification data to the second controller that identifies the data written to persistent storage. Using…
Airflow guides using silicon walls/creating channels for heat control
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8179679
An electronic device includes a printed circuit board having a wall deposited directly on a board serving as a base for a printed circuit. As the board is constructed, the wall is deposited on the board for controlling airflow. The wall controls airflow across the board and around components mounted to the board. The wall may be utilized for controlling airflow in combination with a second printed circuit board positioned adjacent to the first printed circuit board. The wall may be…
System and method for eliminating duplicate data by generating data fingerprints using adaptive fixed-length windows
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8180740
A method and system for generating data fingerprints is used to de-duplicate a data set having a high level of redundancy. A fingerprint generator generates a data fingerprint based on a data window. Each byte of the data set is added to the fingerprint generator and used to detect an anchor within the received data. If no anchor is detected, the system continues receiving bytes until a predefined window size is reached. When the window size is reached, the system records a data…
Content repository implemented in a network storage server system
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8180813
A network storage server system includes a distributed object store, a presentation layer, a metadata subsystem, and a content management subsystem. The object store has no namespace and provides location-independent addressing of data objects. The presentation layer provides multiple interfaces for accessing data stored in the object store, including a NAS interface and a Web Service interface, and provides at least one namespace for accessing data via the NAS interface or the Web…
Coordinated shared storage architecture
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8180855
The present invention provides a novel coordinated shared storage architecture that permits the amortization of cost of the spares over any number of the storage systems and enables improvements to a number of storage system operations. The coordinated shared storage architecture comprises a plurality of storage systems disk shelves via a plurality of intermediate network devices, such as hubs. Each storage system includes a storage operating system having a target device driver module.…
Method and system for revoking rights associated with I/O operations in storage systems
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8180961
A machine implemented process and system is provided. The process determines if any right granted to an entity for performing an I/O operation associated with a data container stored at a first storage volume is to be revoked. The right itself may be cached at the first storage volume and resident at a second storage volume. A recall message is sent to the node that manages the second storage volume. Any pending I/O operation is completed, after the message is sent and before the right…
iSCSI name forwarding technique
Granted: May 15, 2012
Patent Number:
8181011
An iSCSI name forwarding technique allows a security appliance to assume iSCSI names of one or more clients and one or more storage systems in a network. The security appliance is coupled between each client and storage system, and is configured to intercept a data access request issued by the client that is destined for the storage system. Each iSCSI name of the storage system is an iSCSI target name associated with secure storage, i.e., a cryptainer, served by the storage system,…
