Seagate Technology Incorporated

Qlogic Corporation

Intel Corporation

Other

Adaptec, Inc.

Thomas R Prohofsky

James Kunz

Ian G Colloff

Lloyd Dickman

Frank R Dropps

Todd M Rimmer

Duane J McCrory

Edward C McGlaughlin

Craig M Verba

Sumanth Jannyavula Venkata

Darren Edward Johnston

LeRoy A Prohofsky

A multi-port data storage device to at least provide port-to-port communication between nodes. The multi-port storage device includes a first port, a second port and a bridge. The first port can be operatively coupled to a first node of a plurality of nodes. The second port can be operatively coupled to a second node of the plurality of nodes. The bridge can receive one or more data packets via the first or second ports to be transmitted to one of the plurality of nodes and to transmit one or more received data packets to another multi-port data storage device, to the first node, or to the second node.

Port-to-port network routing using a storage device

A distributed data storage system can have a plurality of data storage devices connected to a host via a network controller. Receipt of a data access request from the host with the network controller can result in passing the data access request to a predetermined data storage device of the plurality of data storage devices with the network controller without processing the data access request. The data access request may then be satisfied with a device controller of the predetermined data storage device.

Distributed data storage system with passthrough operations

Method and apparatus for managing software containers in a computer network. A data storage device has a non-volatile memory (NVM) and a controller circuit. A portion of the NVM is allocated for use during deployment of a software container during which an application in the software container is executed by a processor of a virtual machine (VM) hypervisor. A unique session key is generated for the software container, and a token derived from the session key is supplied with each host access command issued to the data storage device during the deployment of the software container. The controller circuit validates each received host access command by determining the session key is valid and that a predetermined time period since deployment has not expired. The controller circuit is further configured to store in a session log a listing of all data blocks accessed in the NVM during the session.

Software containers with security policy enforcement at a data storage device level

A first data storage device and a second data storage device can be connected to a first remote host and a second remote host via a server as part of a distributed data network. The server may assign the first data storage device to administer a first virtualization for a first logical volume of the first remote host. A device controller of the data storage device can execute an operating system and then load at least one operating component in the first remote host as directed by the first device controller. The device controller can subsequently perform a first software application in the first remote host as part of the first virtualization.

Data network with container virtualization

A first data storage device may be connected to first and second entities as part of a distributed network with each entity having direct block level access to logical block addresses of the first data storage device. The first data storage device can consist of a provisioning module and a staging buffer with the provisioning module configured to store and acknowledge non-volatile write data in the staging buffer in response to a write request to any logical block address of a range of logical block addresses in the first data storage device. The provisioning module may return previously committed data resident in the range of logical block addresses instead of the write data resident in the staging buffer until a commit signal is received from at least one entity for the write data.

Multi-host Intelligent block level provisioning

Systems and methods are disclosed for management of a tiered storage system by a top tier storage device. In some embodiments, an apparatus may comprise a circuit configured to maintain an address map at a first storage tier, receive a read request for specified data, return the specified data when the data exists on the first storage tier, and when the specified data does not exist on the first storage tier, return an indication to query a second storage tier. The circuit may be further configured to determine infrequently accessed cold data stored to the first tier, provide to a host device a copy of the cold data stored in an area of the first storage tier scheduled for defragmentation, and perform the defragmentation operation, including copying valid data to an available area of the first storage tier, the valid data not including the cold data.

Top level tier management

A data storage system may generally have a controller connected to multiple separate data storage devices in a distributed network. Each data storage device may be configured with a user invisible diagnostic region where diagnostic information is stored in logical block addresses (LBA) beyond a storage capacity of the respective data storage devices and the diagnostic information can be accessible via read and write requests to LBA beyond the storage capacity of the respective data storage devices.

User invisible device diagnostic region in a distributed data storage network

Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory, such as a flash memory array. In accordance with some embodiments, a test pattern is written to a selected block of solid-state non-volatile memory cells. The test pattern is read from the selected block and a total number of read errors is identified. A data retention time is determined in response to the total number of read errors and an elapsed time interval between the writing of the test pattern and the reading of the test pattern. Data in a second block of the solid-state non-volatile memory cells are thereafter refreshed in relation to the determined data retention time.

Determining data retention time in a solid-state non-volatile memory

Method and system for network communication including identifying a first network port to be taken offline. Before taking the first network port offline, processing any pending packet tag for the first network port. The method further includes taking the first network port offline; storing a packet tag destined for the first network port at the second network port, while the first network port is offline; bringing the first network port online; and routing the packet tag stored at the second network port, while the first network port was offline; wherein the packet tag is routed from the second network port to the first network port.

Method and system for taking a network port offline

A bipod mount for positioning a PDA device for ease of use by a recumbent person comprises a rigid post with slidably adjustable clamping jaws thereon for engaging upper and lower edges of the PDA device. The rigid post is held in a structure including a pair of friction hubs affixed to upper ends of a pair of arms that can be splayed due to the use of the friction hubs. At the second end of the arms are pivotably mounted foot members. The assembly is collapsible to a small size for storage.

Universal bipod mount for personal digital assistants

Method and system for transmitting a multicast message with one or more packets to a plurality of destinations is provided. The system includes an adapter including an entry port to receive the multicast message from a source for transmission to the plurality of destinations; one or more egress ports of the adapter that transmit one or more packets of the multicast message to the plurality of destinations and receives acknowledgement for the one or more packets from the one or more destinations; and a message manager that monitors the delivery status for one or more packets to the plurality of destinations without using a plurality of dedicated individual connections between each of the plurality of destinations and the source.

Method and system for reliable multicast

Method and system for network communication between a first network port and at least a second network port is provided. The method includes establishing bi-directional communication between the first network port and the second network port using a first set of port setting information. After establishing bi-directional communication, a second set of port setting information is sent from the first network port to the second network port. If a response to the second set of port setting information is not received from the second network port within a given duration or if an unacceptable response is received from the second network port, then the first set of port setting information is used for communication between the first and second network ports.

Growing community of inventors

Edina, MN, United States of America

Thomas R Prohofsky