Other

Tandberg Data Corporation

Inostor Corporation

Space Sciences Corporation

Composix Company

Bridgette, Inc.

Isorco, Inc.

Lawrence John Dickson

Donald L Blake

Kris Land

Robert M Fryer

Lindsay O Quarrie

Joseph A Wiencko, Jr

A method and apparatus for 'ring fencing' an operating system, with any apps or programs running on that operating system, in such a way that all operations of the apps, programs, and operating system use real resources only with the permission or through the intermediation of a resource allocator programmed to allow only secure access to a known finite set of resources. The list of kinds of resources is short, and the list of resources is under the explicit control of the resource allocator, which is programmed with Communicating Sequential Processes techniques so as to give formally verifiable assurance of predefined security requirements. At the same time, the full features of the operating system are supported with minimal changes in its kernel and no changes in app or program binary code that accesses real resources via calls or bytecode that drives dynamic system libraries or a runtime environment.

Finite resource allocator with intrinsically subordinate operating system

A task scheduling method is disclosed, where each processor core is programmed with a short list of priorities, each associated with a minimum response time. The minimum response times for adjacent priorities are different by at least one order of magnitude. Each process is assigned a priority based on how its expected response time compares with the minimum response times of the priorities. Lower priorities may be assigned a timeslice period that is a fraction of the minimum response time. Also disclosed is a task division method of dividing a complex task into multiple tasks is; one of the tasks is an input gathering authority task having a higher priority, and it provides inputs to the other tasks which have a lower priority. A method that permits orderly shutdown or scaling back of task activities in case of resource emergencies is also described.

Method and apparatus implemented in processors for real-time scheduling and task organization based on response time order of magnitude

A power saving archive system includes a front storage system accessible by clients and one or more back storage systems connected to the front storage system. A client file received by the front storage system is written to one of the back storage systems, while the front storage system stores a reference to the file and deletes the file from the front storage system after a certain time period. Each back storage system enters an inactive state (e.g. a powered off state) after a period of unuse, and can become active again in response to a wakeup command (e.g. a Wake-on-LAN signal) from the front storage system. Upon receiving a file read request from a client, the front storage system wakes up the appropriate back storage system, restores the file from the back storage system, and provides the file to the client.

Power saving archive system

A computing device having a unique form factor and adapted for connecting to an external device is described. The computing device includes external connector(s), computing node(s), a power unit, and a flexible enclosure structure encasing them. The enclosure structure is made of flexible materials so that the computing device forms a physically integrated unit free of a rigid frame and can be mechanically supported by its external connectors without a chassis. At least one computing node has a computing state machine and programs that controls the behavior of the computing nodes at least during a connection event and a disconnection event. The computing device can be hot-swapped and function properly between these events. Also described is a reconfigurable computing system that includes one or more computing devices described above and one or more host computers, as well as programming techniques for accomplishing hot swapping of the computing devices.

Reconfigurable computing array without chassis

A ballistic structure for armor with improved multi-hit behavior includes at least a ceramic element and at least one defined void in the ceramic element to separate the ceramic element into separate ballistic segments. The defined void is, for example, a slit of given depth and width.

Ceramic multi-hit armor

An operating-system-independent modular programming method is disclosed, which includes providing one or more tasks, one or more task queues, and zero or more condition queues. Each task is a program that is run in sequence. Each task queue includes a task queue program and a queue containing zero or more tasks. Each condition queue includes a condition queue program and a queue containing zero or more tasks and associated conditions. Each task includes task ending code that refers to zero, one, or more than one successor task, and the task queue program or the condition queue program handles each such successor task by either running it or placing it in a task queue or a condition queue. The programming method further includes providing a fan and an end fan construct to enable a parent task to generate a plurality of child sequences. These program constructs may be used to form pseudothreads, each pseudothread being a single sequence of control, with interruptions allowed but no concurrency of execution, implemented in an operating system independent way. Also disclosed is an application of this programming method to accomplish robust just-in-time response to multiple asynchronous data streams in a RAID control program. The RAID control program includes a plurality of requesters, a resource allocator, and a plurality of stripe parity and IO masters, and an optional chainer, each being implemented as a pseudothread.

Operating-system-independent modular programming method for robust just-in-time response to multiple asynchronous data streams

A general RAID conversion method is described for converting between different RAID configurations. The method includes reading a unit of user data from the source devices according to the source RAID algorithm, writing the user data together with redundant data (if any) to the target devices according to the target RAID algorithm, and from time to time releasing portions of the source devices containing data that has been converted. The conversion may be used to expand or contract the array, to increase or decrease usable capacity, and to increase or decrease the device-loss insurance level. Conversion may be performed on line (dynamically) or off line. The flexibility of the method allows the implementation of manual and/or rule-based RAID reconfiguration that automatically adjusts system parameters based on user request and/or a set of rules and conditions respectively. It may also be used to perform self-healing after one or more devices in the array have failed.

Method and apparatus for RAID conversion

An improved and extended Reed-Solomon-like method for providing a redundancy of m&#x2267;3 is disclosed. A general expression of the codes is described, as well as a systematic criterion for proving correctness and finding decoding algorithms for values of m&#x2267;3. Examples of codes are given for m=3, 4, 5, based on primitive elements of a finite field of dimension N where N is 8, 16 or 32. A Horner's method and accumulator apparatus are described for XOR-efficient evaluation of polynomials with variable vector coefficients and constant sparse square matrix abscissa. A power balancing technique is described to further improve the XOR efficiency of the algorithms. XOR-efficient decoding methods are also described. A tower coordinate technique to efficiently carry out finite field multiplication or inversion for large dimension N forms a basis for one decoding method. Another decoding method uses a stored one-dimensional table of powers of &#x3b1; and Schur expressions to efficiently calculate the inverse of the square submatrices of the encoding matrix.

Multiply redundant raid system and XOR-efficient method and apparatus for implementing the same

Method and apparatus for providing data recovery in a one or multiple disk loss situation in a RAID5 like system. A data storage apparatus has a plurality of n disks storing data comprising a plurality of n data groupings stored across the plurality of n disks. Each one of the n data groupings comprises a data portion and a redundancy portion. The size of the data portion relative to the redundancy portion is as H to Q, where H/Q&#x3c;(n&#x2212;m)/m, where m is the maximum number of disks that may be lost at any given time. Advantageously, the n data portions are recoverable from any and all combinations of n-m data grouping(s) on n&#x2212;m disk(s) when the other m data grouping(s) are unavailable, where 1&#x2266;m&#x3c;n.

Data redundancy methods and apparatus

A data storage apparatus has a plurality of n disks and data comprising a plurality of data groupings stored respectively across the plurality of n disks. Each one of the n data groupings comprises a data portion and a data redundancy portion. Advantageously, the n data portions are recoverable from any and all combinations of n&minus;m data grouping(s) on n&minus;m disk(s) when the other m data grouping(s) are unavailable, where 1&lE;m<n. The disk storage apparatus may be configured for a parameter m which is selectable.

A ballistic composite laminate exemplified by a panel incorporating resin impregnated, heat and pressure bonded, fabric layers of high tensile strength 'S' glass roving filaments on its backside extending through approximately one-half its thickness with the remainder of its thickness on the face side of the laminate formed of appreciably lower cost fabric layers of 'E' glass filaments, which meet acceptance according to military ballistic acceptance tests substantially matching higher cost panels reinforced with fabrics of 100% 'S' glass filaments.

Ballistic armor laminate

A method and apparatus for producing shipping rolls of wrinkle free ballistics type film faced composite sheet material which when assembled and cured on a shipping tube is subject to having surface wrinkles and creases. By assembling the material on a forming roll of large diameter, such that the thickness of the wound wraps of a given length of the sheet material is relatively thin, the deformation of each wrap is minimized during heat and compression curing and the cured material is free of surface wrinkles and creases. The cure-stabilized material then can be unwound and cut to desired length and wound on a small diameter shipping tube to provide a shipping package of material free of wrinkles and creases. The curing apparatus includes a cylinder with an internally lined inflatable bladder, such cylinder being adaptable to being moved into surrounding relation with the sheet material. The forming roll is arranged to supply heat from the interior of the assembled wraps of material while the surrounding inflated bladder exerts pressure to cure the material over a predetermined cure cycle.

Growing community of inventors

National City, CA, United States of America

Lawrence John Dickson