International Business Machines Corporation

Stephen Peter Legg

Robert Bruce Nicholson

Carlos Francisco Fuente

William James Scales

Barry Douglas Whyte

Allen Ronald Cox

Norman Apperley

Eric L Newman

Geoff Lane

Gregory Dalton

J Wyn Jones

Gustav Schrottke

Neil Morris

Vinay V Shah

Richard Rolls

A storage device capable of selectively rendering certain data irretrievable is disclosed. The storage device includes Write Once Read Many (WORM) storage medium, a key generator, an encrypted write component, an erasable storage medium and a key deleter. The WORM storage medium is capable of storing data, and the data stored in the WORM data storage medium are unerasable and unrewritable. The key generator provides a generated key that can be stored in the erasable storage medium. The encrypted write component writes a set of sensitive data encrypted by using the generated key to the WORM storage medium. In response to a request for deleting the set of sensitive data from the WORM storage medium, the key deleter deletes the generated key from the erasable storage medium.

Method and apparatus for virtually erasing data from WORM storage devices

Write requests from host computers are processed in relation to a thin provisioning storage subsystem. A write request is received from a host computer. The write request identifies a first virtual disk that has been previously assigned to the host computer. It is determined whether the first virtual disk has to be allocated additional physical storage locations of the thin provisioning storage subsystem for storing data associated with the write request. In response to determining that the virtual disk has to be allocated additional physical storage locations, the following is performed. First, a quantity of free space remaining unallocated within physical storage locations of the thin provisioning storage subsystem is determined. Second, where the quantity of free space remaining unallocated within the physical storage locations satisfies a policy threshold associated with a second virtual disk, the second virtual disk is write-inhibited. The first and second virtual disks can be different.

Preemptive write-inhibition for thin provisioning storage subsystem

A method for migrating data between heterogeneous data storage devices within a storage area network is disclosed. A first virtualizer presents stored data as a first virtual disk, and then communicates a managed disk representation of the first virtual disk to a second virtualizer. After receiving the managed disk representation, the second virtualizer virtualizes the stored data from the managed disk representation as a second virtual disk. At such point, the stored data can be progressively migrated from the first virtualizer to the second virtualizer.

Apparatus for migrating data between heterogeneous data storage devices

A storage network control apparatus is operable to present virtualized storage to a host system and includes a monitoring component, an analysis component, a detection component, and a migration component. The monitoring component is for monitoring input/output (I/O) activity for virtual storage logical units over time. The analysis component is for identifying a repeating instance of peak I/O activity for a virtual storage logical unit over time and for generating a predictive signature therefrom. The detecting component is for identifying an instance of such a predictive signature. The migration component is responsive to the detecting component, and is for migrating data mapped by the virtual storage logical unit across additional real storage units to improve the I/O performance of the virtual storage logical unit prior to a recurrence of the repeating instance of peak I/O activity. A corresponding logic arrangement may be incorporated in hardware, software or a combination thereof.

Controlling preemptive work balancing in data storage

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for making a battery charging unit using induction to eliminate the requirement to constantly remove rechargeable batteries from their particular units in order to recharge them. This invention further relates to an apparatus and method using induction to eliminate the requirement to electrically or mechanically connect the charged device to a battery charging unit in order to recharge the battery.

Battery label with wireless battery charging circuit

This invention relates to a cost effective and long-awaited apparatus and method for making a battery charging unit wherein the apparatus and method solution used induction to eliminate the requirement to constantly remove rechargeable batteries from their particular units in order to recharge them. This invention further relates to a cost-effective and long-awaited apparatus and method wherein the apparatus and method solution uses induction to eliminate the requirement to electrically or mechanically connect the charged device to a battery charging unit in order to recharge the battery.

Method and apparatus for migrating data between heterogeneous data storage devices

An adapter for converting an interface of a data storage device is provided. The adapter has a first interface for connection to the interface of the data storage device and a second interface for connection to one or more host systems. The adapter includes a processor for converting commands and data between the first and second interfaces. The adapter transforms the data storage device to emulate physically and logically a higher availability and higher performance native data storage device. The adapter has a first connector compatible with the first interface for attachment to the data storage device and a second connector compatible with the second interface for attachment to the one or more host systems. The first and second connectors are disposed in the adapter in a back to back arrangement. The adapter logically separates commands for the data storage device from commands for the adapter.

Adapter, converted data storage device and method of operation of a converted data storage device

An adapter for converting an interface of a data storage device is provided. The adapter includes a first interface for connection to the interface of the data storage device and a second interface for connection to a plurality of host systems. The first interface may be an ATA or SCSI interface and the second interface may be a SSA or FC-AL interface suitable for attachment to multiple host systems. Conversion means are provided by the adapter for converting commands and data between the first and second interfaces. The adapter also has means for sorting commands and data to and from the plurality of host systems. The adapter acts as a single host system for the data storage device and includes means for retrieving error information from the data storage device in the event of a command terminating in an error. The adapter also comprises means for entering an error handling state with one of the plurality of host systems that persists until terminated by the host system and means for transferring the retrieved error information to the host system.

Adapter and method for handling errors in a data storage device converted to be accessible to multiple hosts

The invention relates to an enclosure comprising a housing and a device connecting card which is compliantly connected within the housing. The compliant connection, in use, disperses mounting stresses caused by a device in the housing.

Device connecting card

This invention relates to apparatus and a method for connecting a pin array and a circuit board. In particular, the invention relates to pin array connections used in connecting disk drives into disk drive enclosures. Connection is accomplished by using a multi-pinned plug connector which sequentially engages conductive surfaces at different levels within the receiving PCB. The plug connector is connected electrically at its opposing end to a second PCB.

Printed circuit board for pin array connection

A synchronization technique is described which finds use in a disk array subsystem comprising a plurality of disk storage devices connected to a controller. In response to signals from each of the devices specifying their angular position at a particular time, the controller calculates the relative angular positions of the devices and issues a signal to each of the devices specifying the amount and direction of chance in rotational velocity required to achieve synchronization. In a two device subsystem, the signal to one device will specify a speed decrease and the signal to the second device will specify a speed increase.

Method and apparatus for synchronizing the rotations of data storage

A synchronization technique is described which finds use in a disk array subsystem comprising a plurality of disk storage devices connected to a controller. In response to signals from each of the devices specifying their angular position at a particular time, the controller calculates the relative angular positions of the devices and issues a signal to each of the devices specifying the amount and direction of change in rotational velocity required to achieve synchronization. In a two device subsystem, the signal to one device will specify a speed decrease and the signal to the second device will specify a speed increase.

A method is described for attaching circuit chips to a flexible substrate (laminate) using controlled chip collapse connection technology (C-4). The substrate is 'tinned' with an alloy of eutectic composition in its contact region with the solder balls on the base of the chip. The alloy and the solder are chosen such that they are miscible. The system temperature is raised above the alloy melting point thus causing the alloy and the solder to mix, the mixture composition moving away from the eutectic composition with time and thus raising its melting point. Eventually the mixture melting point is higher than the temperature at which the system is maintained and the mixture solidifies to form a contact. In this way contact between the chip and the flexible substrate can be effected at a temperature below the melting point of the pure solder and lower than one which would result in degradation of the laminate adhesive.

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Southampton, United Kingdom

Stephen Peter Legg