Datadirect Networks, Inc.

Dan Olster

Donald Joseph Molaro

Adam Fried-Gintis

David F Fellinger

Craig Robertson

Jan Olderdissen

Dave Fellinger

Doug Schafer

Rajkumar Joshi

A data storage system allowing for ingest of data when certain storage is unavailable is described herein. The storage system includes zones that are independent and autonomous from each other. The zones include nodes that are independent and autonomous. The nodes include storage devices. When data is to be stored in the data storage system according to a specified storage policy and the specified storage policy cannot be achieved, the data is stored according to a fallback storage policy. This allows a client to be able to continue executing without having to wait for a storage anomaly to be corrected or pass. After the data is stored according to a fallback storage policy, the data is at a later time stored according to the specified storage policy.

Disconnected ingest in a distributed storage system

Systems and methods for automated firmware update with rollback are described herein. The systems include a plurality of storage zones, each storage zone including a plurality of storage nodes, each storage node including a plurality of storage media. The method includes monitoring storage system activity and parameters and maintaining a data storage system usage and parameter database containing system activity information. When a firmware update is available, data storage system activity is evaluated. Storage nodes needing the firmware update are identified. The firmware update is run on available storage nodes identified as needing the firmware update. The impact of the firmware update is evaluated and a rollback of the firmware update is initiated on all firmware updated storage nodes when parameter variations are significant and/or result in degraded performance.

Automated firmware update with rollback in a data storage system

A failure resilient distributed replicated data storage system is described herein. The storage system includes zones that are independent, and autonomous from each other. The zones include nodes that are independent and autonomous. The nodes include storage devices. When a data item is stored, it is partitioned into a plurality of data objects and a plurality of parity objects calculated. Reassembly instructions are created for the data item. The data objects and parity objects are spread across all nodes and zones in the storage system. Reassembly instructions are also spread across the zones. When a read request is received, the data item is prepared from the lowest latency nodes according to the reassembly instructions. This provides for data resiliency while keeping the amount of storage space required relatively low.

Failure resilient distributed replicated data storage system

A resilient distributed replicated data storage system is described herein. The storage system includes zones that are independent, and autonomous from each other. The zones include nodes that are independent and autonomous. The nodes include storage devices. When a data item is stored, it is partitioned into a plurality of data objects and a plurality of parity objects are calculated. Reassembly instructions are created for the data item. The data objects, parity objects and reassembly instructions are spread across nodes and zones in the storage system according to a policy for the data item. When a zone is inaccessible, a virtual zone is created and used until the intended zone is available. When a read request is received, the data item is prepared from the lowest latency nodes according to the reassembly instructions, and a virtual zone is accessed in place of a real zone when the real zone is inaccessible.

Resilient distributed replicated data storage system

An object based file system for storing and accessing objects is disclosed. The file system may be implemented as a method in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. The method may include receiving from an application program an object write request. A selected storage node on which to store the object may be selected, including identifying a least busy storage node and/or a least full storage node. The object and the object write request may be sent to the selected storage node. A write success message may be received from the selected storage node. The successful writing of the object may be reported to the application program.

Object file system

A searchable data storage system is described herein. The storage system includes zones that are independent, and autonomous from each other. The zones include nodes that are independent and autonomous. The nodes include storage devices. When a data item is stored, a local database is updated with information about the newly stored data item. When a search for a data item meeting certain metadata criteria is received, multiple concurrent searches are conducted across all storage devices in all nodes in all zones of the storage system. The configuration of the data storage system allows a parallel concurrent search at constituent storage devices to be performed quickly.

Searchable data in an object storage system

Data re-protection in a distributed replicated data storage system is disclosed. The method may be implemented on a server or controller. A method includes storing first data in a first zone and storing a replica of the first data in a second zone. The zones are at different, separate locations. When an actual or impending failure with the first data in the first zone is detected, the system automatically initiates transitioning to a copy of impacted data at the first zone obtained from the second zone. The transitioning includes creating a remote copy of the impacted data at the second zone within a local area network before transferring the copy to the first zone over a wide area network. The methods allow the system to return to a fully protected state faster than if the impacted data was transferred from the second zone to the first zone without making a copy at the second zone.

Data re-protection in a distributed replicated data storage system

An object based file system for storing and accessing objects is disclosed. The file system may be implemented as a method in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof. The method may include receiving from an application program an object write request. A selected storage node on which to store the object may be selected, including identifying a least busy storage node and/or a least full storage node. The object and the object write request may be sent to the selected storage node. A write success message may be received from the selected storage node. The successful writing of the object may be reported to the application program. An object identifier and object data may be stored in a database.

Realigning storage devices arranged as storage arrays when one of the storage arrays enters a critical state after failure of a storage device is disclosed. The method is particularly useful for RAID groups of storage devices. The method may be used with hard disk drives, solid-state drives, and other storage devices arranged as groups. The method includes identifying that a storage array of a plurality of storage arrays is in a critical condition. A critical condition storage array and a healthy storage array are identified. Both the critical condition storage array and the healthy storage array are rebuilt. The rebuilding includes configuring the critical condition storage array to include a storage device from the healthy storage array and configuring the healthy storage array to function with one less storage device. The method may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

Storage device realignment

Realigning storage devices arranged as storage arrays when one of the storage arrays enters a critical state after failure of a storage device is disclosed. The method is particularly useful for RAID groups of storage devices. The method may be used with hard disk drives, solid-state drives, and other storage devices arranged as groups. The method includes identifying when a storage array of a plurality of storage arrays is in a critical condition. A critical condition storage array and a healthy storage array are identified. Both the critical condition storage array and the healthy storage array are rebuilt. The rebuilding includes configuring the critical condition storage array to include a storage device from the healthy storage array and configuring the healthy storage array to function with one less storage device. The method may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

Rebuilding a storage device after failure of a storage device is disclosed. The method is particularly useful for RAID groups of hard disks. The method may also apply to other storage media arranged as a group. The method includes rebuilding a hard disk in a non-linear fashion according to a heuristic analysis of logical units of the failed hard disk. The method may be implemented in hardware, firmware, software, or a combination thereof.

Growing community of inventors

Woodland Hills, CA, United States of America

Dan Olster