Abstract: Self-discovering transaction accelerators improve communications between a client and a server. A client directs a message to a server. A client-side transaction accelerator intercepts the message, terminates the connection with the client, and accelerates the request by replacing segments of data with references. The accelerated request is forwarded to a server-side transaction accelerator through a new connection. The server-side transaction accelerator reconstructs the message by replacing the reference with segment data in a persistent segment store accessible to the server-side transaction accelerator. The reconstructed request is then provided to the server. Accelerations may occur in any direction of communication. Persistent segment stores can be pre-populated with segment data from other transaction accelerators and anticipated transactions.

Abstract: A system of network proxies distributes data to multiple servers. Each network proxy is associated with a server. A network proxy intercepts a client request for data. If the network proxy determines that the request can be served using a copy of data stored on the local server, rather than the data stored on a remote server, it diverts the request to the local server. If the network proxy determines that the request cannot be served using a data from the local server, the network proxy diverts the request to a remote server storing the primary copy of the data. A server map specifies the locations of the primary copies of data. When a primary copy of data is updated on one of the servers, the associated network proxy propagates the updated data to the other servers. The servers can provide data from files, e-mail services, databases, or multimedia services.

Abstract: Self-discovering transaction accelerators improve communications between a client and a server. A client directs a message to a server. A client-side transaction accelerator intercepts the message, terminates the connection with the client, and accelerates the request by replacing segments of data with references. The accelerated request is forwarded to a server-side transaction accelerator through a new connection. The server-side transaction accelerator reconstructs the message by replacing the reference with segment data in a persistent segment store accessible to the server-side transaction accelerator. The reconstructed request is then provided to the server. Accelerations may occur in any direction of communication. Persistent segment stores can be pre-populated with segment data from other transaction accelerators and anticipated transactions.

Abstract: Network traffic is monitored and an optimal framing heuristic is automatically determined and applied. Framing heuristics specify different rules for framing network traffic. While a framing heuristic is applied to the network traffic, alternative framing heuristics are speculatively evaluated for the network traffic. The results of these evaluations are used to rank the framing heuristics. The framing heuristic with the best rank is selected for framing subsequent network traffic. Each client/server traffic flow may have a separate framing heuristic. The framing heuristics may be deterministic based on byte count and/or time or based on traffic characteristics that indicate a plausible point for framing to occur.

Abstract: Self-discovering transaction accelerators improve communications between a client and a server. A client directs a message to a server. A client-side transaction accelerator intercepts the message, terminates the connection with the client, and accelerates the request by replacing segments of data with references. The accelerated request is forwarded to a server-side transaction accelerator through a new connection. The server-side transaction accelerator reconstructs the message by replacing the reference with segment data in a persistent segment store accessible to the server-side transaction accelerator. The reconstructed request is then provided to the server. Accelerations may occur in any direction of communication. Persistent segment stores can be pre-populated with segment data from other transaction accelerators and anticipated transactions.

Abstract: The cloud storage services are extended with a cloud storage service access protocol that enables users to specify a desired storage tier for each data stream. In response to receiving storage tier specifiers via the protocol, the cloud storage service performs storage operations to identify target storage devices having attributes matching those associated with the requested storage tier. The cloud storage service stores a data stream from the storage client in the identified target storage device associated with the desired storage tier. Storage tiers can be defined based on criteria including capacity costs; access latency; availability; activation state; bandwidth and/or transfer rates; and data replication. The cloud storage service protocol allows data streams to be transferred between storage tiers, storage devices to be activated or deactivated, and data streams to be prefetched and cached. The cloud storage services may charge storage clients based on storage tier use and associated operations.

Abstract: Virtual storage arrays consolidate data storage at a data center for physical and virtual computer systems at one or more branch network locations. Standalone and virtualized computer systems at a branch network location load, execute, and store their operating systems, applications, and data using virtual storage arrays and do not require any built-in or external non-volatile data storage devices such as hard disk drives or solid-state drives at the branch network location. The virtual disks of the virtual storage array are mapped to physical data storage at the data center and accessed via a WAN using storage block-based protocols. A storage block cache at the branch network location includes storage blocks prefetched based on knowledge about the computer systems at the branch network location and the behavior of their operating systems and applications.

Abstract: In a network that conveys requests from clients to servers and responses from servers to clients, a network transaction accelerator for accelerating transactions involving data transfer between at least one client and at least one server over a network comprising a client-side engine, a server-side engine and a transaction predictor configured to predict, based on past transactions, which transactions are likely to occur in the future between the client and server. The transaction predictor might be in the server-side engine, the client-side engine, or both.

Abstract: A virtualization system provides virtualized servers at a branch network location. Virtualized servers are implemented using virtual machine applications within the virtualization system. Data storage for the virtualized servers, including storage of the virtual machine files, is consolidated at a data center network location. The virtual disks of the virtualized servers are mapped to physical data storage at the data center and accessed via a WAN using storage block-based protocols. The virtualization system accesses a storage block cache at the branch network location that includes storage blocks prefetched based on knowledge about the virtualized servers. The virtualization system can include a virtual LAN directing network traffic between the WAN, the virtualized servers, and branch location clients. The virtualized servers, virtual LAN, and virtual disk mapping can be configured remotely via a management application.

Abstract: Network proxies reduce server latency in response to series of requests from client applications. Network proxies intercept messages clients and a server. Intercepted client requests are compared with rules. When client requests match a rule, additional request messages are forwarded to the server on behalf of a client application. In response to the additional request messages, the server provides corresponding response messages. A network proxy intercepts and caches the response messages. Subsequent client requests are intercepted by the network application proxy and compared with the cached messages. If a cached response message corresponds with a client request message, the response message is returned to the client application immediately instead of re-requesting the same information from the server. A server-side network proxy can compare client requests with the rules and send additional request messages. The corresponding response messages can be forwarded to a client-side network proxy for caching.

Abstract: Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage, but actually store data at the data center. Virtual storage arrays may prioritize storage client and prefetching requests for communication over the WAN and/or SAN based on their associated clients, servers, storage clients, and/or applications. A virtual storage array may transfer large data sets from a data center to a branch location while providing branch location users with immediate access to the data set stored at the data center. Virtual storage arrays may be migrated by disabling a virtual storage array interface at a first branch location and then configuring another branch virtual storage array interface at a second branch location to provide its storage clients with access to storage array data stored at the data center.

Abstract: Network devices include hosted virtual machines and virtual machine applications. Hosted virtual machines and their applications implement additional functions and services in network devices. Network devices include data taps for directing network traffic to hosted virtual machines and allowing hosted virtual machines to inject network traffic. Network devices include unidirectional data flow specifications, referred to as hyperswitches. Each hyperswitch is associated with a hosted virtual machine and receives network traffic received by the network device from a single direction. Each hyperswitch processes network traffic according to rules and rule criteria. A hosted virtual machine can be associated with multiple hyperswitches, thereby independently specifying the data flow of network traffic to and from the hosted virtual machine from multiple networks.

Abstract: Network devices include hosted virtual machines and virtual machine applications. Hosted virtual machines and their applications implement additional functions and services in network devices. Network devices include data taps for directing network traffic to hosted virtual machines and allowing hosted virtual machines to inject network traffic. Network devices include unidirectional data flow specifications, referred to as hyperswitches. Each hyperswitch is associated with a hosted virtual machine and receives network traffic received by the network device from a single direction. Each hyperswitch processes network traffic according to rules and rule criteria. A hosted virtual machine can be associated with multiple hyperswitches, thereby independently specifying the data flow of network traffic to and from the hosted virtual machine from multiple networks.

Abstract: Network devices include hosted virtual machines and virtual machine applications. Hosted virtual machines and their applications implement additional functions and services in network devices. Network devices include data taps for directing network traffic to hosted virtual machines and allowing hosted virtual machines to inject network traffic. Network devices include unidirectional data flow specifications, referred to as hyperswitches. Each hyperswitch is associated with a hosted virtual machine and receives network traffic received by the network device from a single direction. Each hyperswitch processes network traffic according to rules and rule criteria. A hosted virtual machine can be associated with multiple hyperswitches, thereby independently specifying the data flow of network traffic to and from the hosted virtual machine from multiple networks.

Abstract: Network devices include hosted virtual machines and virtual machine applications. Hosted virtual machines and their applications implement additional functions and services in network devices. Network devices include data taps for directing network traffic to hosted virtual machines and allowing hosted virtual machines to inject network traffic. Network devices include unidirectional data flow specifications, referred to as hyperswitches. Each hyperswitch is associated with a hosted virtual machine and receives network traffic received by the network device from a single direction. Each hyperswitch processes network traffic according to rules and rule criteria. A hosted virtual machine can be associated with multiple hyperswitches, thereby independently specifying the data flow of network traffic to and from the hosted virtual machine from multiple networks.

Abstract: Network proxies reduce server latency in response to series of requests from client applications. Network proxies intercept messages clients and a server. Intercepted client requests are compared with rules. When client requests match a rule, additional request messages are forwarded to the server on behalf of a client application. In response to the additional request messages, the server provides corresponding response messages. A network proxy intercepts and caches the response messages. Subsequent client requests are intercepted by the network application proxy and compared with the cached messages. If a cached response message corresponds with a client request message, the response message is returned to the client application immediately instead of re-requesting the same information from the server. A server-side network proxy can compare client requests with the rules and send additional request messages. The corresponding response messages can be forwarded to a client-side network proxy for caching.

Abstract: Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage; however, virtual storage arrays actually store data at the data center. The virtual storage arrays overcomes bandwidth and latency limitations of the wide area network by predicting and prefetching storage blocks, which are then cached at the branch location. Virtual storage arrays leverage an understanding of the semantics and structure of high-level data structures associated with storage blocks to predict which storage blocks are likely to be requested by a storage client in the near future. Virtual storage arrays determine the association between requested storage blocks and corresponding high-level data structure entities to predict additional high-level data structure entities that are likely to be accessed. From this, the virtual storage array identifies the additional storage blocks for prefetching.

Abstract: Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage; however, virtual storage arrays actually store data at the data center. Virtual storage arrays overcome bandwidth and latency limitations of the wide area network by predicting and prefetching storage blocks, which are then cached at the branch location. Virtual storage arrays leverage an understanding of the semantics and structure of high-level data structures associated with storage blocks to predict which storage blocks are likely to be requested by a storage client. Virtual storage arrays may use proximity-based, heuristic-based, and access time-based prefetching to predict high-level data structure entities that are likely to be accessed by the storage client. Virtual storage arrays then identify and prefetch storage blocks corresponding with the predicted high-level data structure entities.

Abstract: Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage; however, virtual storage arrays actually store data at the data center. The virtual storage arrays overcomes bandwidth and latency limitations of the wide area network by predicting and prefetching storage blocks, which are then cached at the branch location. Virtual storage arrays leverage an understanding of the semantics and structure of high-level data structures associated with storage blocks to predict which storage blocks are likely to be requested by a storage client in the near future. Virtual storage arrays determine the association between requested storage blocks and corresponding high-level data structure entities to predict additional high-level data structure entities that are likely to be accessed. From this, the virtual storage array identifies the additional storage blocks for prefetching.

Abstract: Virtual storage arrays consolidate branch data storage at data centers connected via wide area networks. Virtual storage arrays appear to storage clients as local data storage; however, virtual storage arrays actually store data at the data center. The virtual storage arrays overcomes bandwidth and latency limitations of the wide area network by predicting and prefetching storage blocks, which are then cached at the branch location. Virtual storage arrays leverage an understanding of the semantics and structure of high-level data structures associated with storage blocks to predict which storage blocks are likely to be requested by a storage client in the near future. Virtual storage arrays determine the association between requested storage blocks and corresponding high-level data structure entities to predict additional high-level data structure entities that are likely to be accessed. From this, the virtual storage array identifies the additional storage blocks for prefetching.