Seagate Technology Incorporated

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.

Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited

Corey R Hill

Joseph I Chamdani

Gurumurthy D Ramkumar

Bruce L Younglove

Carol Joy Gray

Michael V Jones

Dieter Paul Schnabel

Apparatus and method for managing devices within a trust boundary of a computer network. In some embodiments, a trust manager circuit uses a first registration authority to authenticate a plurality of processing devices to form a trust group. A new processing device is subsequently added to the group. The trust manager circuit uses a different, second registration authority to provisionally authenticate the new processing device in response to an unavailability of the first registration authority, and grants provisional rights to the new processing device. Once the first registration authority is once again available, the trust manager performs a full authentication of the new processing device and grants full rights to the device.

Provisional authentication of a new device added to an existing trust group

A data storage system can intelligently track activity by storing data in the form of data sets to a data repository of a data storage system with the data repository consisting of a memory of one or more data storage devices. An analysis engine of an activity module may be used to collect a first set of operational information associated with the data repository prior to creating a tracking strategy with the activity module that prescribes at least one alteration to what operational information is collected. A second set of operational information associated with the data repository can be collected with the second set of operational information being different than the first set of operational information in accordance with the tracking strategy. A dashboard is generated to display the collected first and second sets of operational information to a user.

Intelligent data storage system activity tracking

A data storage system may track data access operations to a memory with a distribution module and translate the tracked data access operations into at least one activity with the distribution module. The distribution module generates a decentralization strategy and then creates a first visual representation of the at least one activity and a second visual representation of the at least one activity with the distribution module. The respective visual representations are distributed to a first user and a second user with the first user and second user respectively selected by the decentralization strategy for analysis for a purpose assigned by the decentralization strategy. The distribution module grants the first user a first temporary permission to alter at least one operational policy of the memory in response to a result of the first purpose.

Data storage system with decentralized policy alteration

Intelligent services are provided in a storage network using intelligent service modules that can be cabled to a switch external to the switch chassis and yet be managed as part of the switch's logical domain. Data and management communications between the intelligent service module and the core switch are provided through a 'soft-backplane' implemented using in-band communications through cabling attached between the switch and the intelligent service module rather than through a hardwired backplane within the chassis. Management communications from management software is directed to the switch, which handles the management functions relating to the intelligent service module or forwards the management requests to the intelligent service module for processing.

Federated management of intelligent service modules

Intelligent services are provided in a storage network using intelligent service modules that can be cabled to a switch external to the switch chassis and yet be managed as part of the switch's logical domain. Data and management communications between the intelligent service module and the core switch are provided through a 'soft-backplane' implemented using in-band communications through cabling attached between the switch and the intelligent service module rather than through hardwired backplane within the chassis. Management communications from management software is directed to the switch, which handles the management functions relating to the intelligent service module or forwards the management requests to the intelligent service module for processing.

Growing community of inventors

Broomfield, CO, United States of America

Corey R Hill