Patents by Inventor Frank E. Barrus
Frank E. Barrus has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10496627Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing data objects within a computer network infrastructure that facilitate more efficient and reliable data storage and access are provided. An exemplary method may comprise establishing a physical identifier for each storage resource. A plurality of unique virtual identifiers for each storage resource is generated based on the physical identifier. The plurality of unique virtual identifiers is stored in a consistent ring namespace accessible to every node. An object identifier associated with a location of a data object to be stored in a storage resource is generated. The object identifier is mapped to the consistent ring namespace. The method may also include enabling traversing the consistent ring namespace from any node in the computer network to locate and access the data object.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2017Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: STORAGECRAFT TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Charles Hardin, Sridhar Subramaniam, Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 10248556Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing data in one or more data storage media are provided. An example method may comprise creating a data structure within the data storage media. The data structure includes a plurality of memory pages, each page comprising a plurality of sessions, and each session comprising a header and a plurality of data objects. The method also comprises enabling writing data to the data storage medium, in response to routine requests, such that the data is recorded to the one or more data objects nearest the current location of a virtual cursor. When a data management operation is performed, the virtual cursor is moved within a single page in a single direction.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2013Date of Patent: April 2, 2019Assignee: EXABLOX CORPORATIONInventor: Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 9830324Abstract: The methods and systems for organizing and managing a file system on top of a content addressable object store are provided. User content is associated with a record including a content hash associated with an address in the content addressable object store. The content hash is a function of user content and determined by dividing the file into data objects, generating a pointer tree of hashes on top of the data objects, and calculating a hash of the root of the pointer tree. The record, the pointer tree, and the file are stored in the object store. Reading user content from the object store includes reading the record, fetching the content hash to find a root of the pointer tree, descending leaves of the pointer tree to read the hashes of the data objects associated with user content, and reassembling the data objects in sequential file data.Type: GrantFiled: February 4, 2015Date of Patent: November 28, 2017Assignee: Exablox CorporationInventors: Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20170220614Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing data objects within a computer network infrastructure that facilitate more efficient and reliable data storage and access are provided. An exemplary method may comprise establishing a physical identifier for each storage resource. A plurality of unique virtual identifiers for each storage resource is generated based on the physical identifier. The plurality of unique virtual identifiers is stored in a consistent ring namespace accessible to every node. An object identifier associated with a location of a data object to be stored in a storage resource is generated. The object identifier is mapped to the consistent ring namespace. The method may also include enabling traversing the consistent ring namespace from any node in the computer network to locate and access the data object.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 14, 2017Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventors: Charles Hardin, Sridhar Subramaniam, Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 9715521Abstract: Disclosed is the technology for data scrubbing in a cluster-based storage system. This technology allows protecting data against failures of storage devices by periodically reading data object replicas and data object hashes stored in a plurality of storage devices and rewriting those data object replicas that have errors. The present disclosure addresses aspects of writing data object replicas and hashes, checking validity of data object replicas, and performing data scrubbing based upon results of the checking.Type: GrantFiled: June 19, 2014Date of Patent: July 25, 2017Assignee: STORAGECRAFT TECHNOLOGY CORPORATIONInventors: Frank E. Barrus, Tad Hunt
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Patent number: 9628438Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing data objects within a computer network infrastructure that facilitate more efficient and reliable data storage and access are provided. An exemplary method may comprise establishing a physical identifier for each storage resource. A plurality of unique virtual identifiers for each storage resource is generated based on the physical identifier. The plurality of unique virtual identifiers is stored in a consistent ring namespace accessible to every node. An object identifier associated with a location of a data object to be stored in a storage resource is generated. The object identifier is mapped to the consistent ring namespace. The method may also include enabling traversing the consistent ring namespace from any node in the computer network to locate and access the data object.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2012Date of Patent: April 18, 2017Assignee: EXABLOXInventors: Charles Hardin, Sridhar Subramaniam, Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 9552382Abstract: Disclosed is a method for checking the integrity of a reference counter for objects in a file system. A unique identifier can be associated with the reference referring to the object. A reference check can be associated with the object and set to a predefined initial value before any references referring to the object are added. When a new reference referring to the object is added, the reference counter is increased by one and the identifier associated with the new reference is added to the reference check. When an existing reference referring to the object is about to be removed, the reference counter is decreased by one and the identifier associated with the existing reference is subtracted from the reference check. If the reference check is not equal to the initial value when the reference counter is zero, then an error message is sent to the file system.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2014Date of Patent: January 24, 2017Assignee: Exablox CorporationInventor: Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20150220578Abstract: The methods and systems for organizing and managing a file system on top of a content addressable object store are provided. User content is associated with a record including a content hash associated with an address in the content addressable object store. The content hash is a function of user content and determined by dividing the file into data objects, generating a pointer tree of hashes on top of the data objects, and calculating a hash of the root of the pointer tree. The record, the pointer tree, and the file are stored in the object store. Reading user content from the object store includes reading the record, fetching the content hash to find a root of the pointer tree, descending leaves of the pointer tree to read the hashes of the data objects associated with user content, and reassembling the data objects in sequential file data.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 4, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20150106579Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing data in one or more data storage media are provided. An example method may comprise creating a data structure within the data storage media. The data structure includes a plurality of memory pages, each page comprising a plurality of sessions, and each session comprising a header and a plurality of data objects. The method also comprises enabling writing data to the data storage medium, in response to routine requests, such that the data is recorded to the one or more data objects nearest the current location of a virtual cursor. When a data management operation is performed, the virtual cursor is moved within a single page in a single direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2013Publication date: April 16, 2015Applicant: Exablox CorporationInventor: Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20150106335Abstract: Disclosed is a file versioning system and corresponding methods for its operation. The file versioning system allows making snapshots of the file system every time there is a modification to the file system or its items. The snapshots may be linked to their immediate predecessors. Some older snapshots may be discarded according to a “thinning out” process based on multiple criteria. The snapshots may be displayed to a user in a manner making it easy to select a desired version.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2014Publication date: April 16, 2015Inventors: Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20140379671Abstract: Disclosed is the technology for data scrubbing in a cluster-based storage system. This technology allows protecting data against failures of storage devices by periodically reading data object replicas and data object hashes stored in a plurality of storage devices and rewriting those data object replicas that have errors. The present disclosure addresses aspects of writing data object replicas and hashes, checking validity of data object replicas, and performing data scrubbing based upon results of the checking.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 19, 2014Publication date: December 25, 2014Inventors: Frank E. Barrus, Tad Hunt
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Publication number: 20140351419Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for automatic ring discovery and configuration are provided. An exemplary method may comprise connecting a data node to a network. When connected, the data node periodically sends an advertisement to the network and monitors the network for one or more further advertisements of further data nodes associated with one or more data rings. The monitoring is performed for a predetermined time period. If one or more further advertisements are received, the data node determines which data ring to join using predefined criteria. The predetermined criteria may include a number of data nodes in the data ring, free space in the data ring, allowable number of the data nodes, compatibility of software versions of the data node and the data ring. Alternatively, if no advertisements are received within the predetermined time period, the data node creates a new data ring.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 21, 2014Publication date: November 27, 2014Inventors: Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20140317065Abstract: Disclosed is a method for checking the integrity of a reference counter for objects in a file system. A unique identifier can be associated with the reference referring to the object. A reference check can be associated with the object and set to a predefined initial value before any references referring to the object are added. When a new reference referring to the object is added, the reference counter is increased by one and the identifier associated with the new reference is added to the reference check. When an existing reference referring to the object is about to be removed, the reference counter is decreased by one and the identifier associated with the existing reference is subtracted from the reference check. If the reference check is not equal to the initial value when the reference counter is zero, then an error message is sent to the file system.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2014Publication date: October 23, 2014Applicant: Exablox CorporationInventor: Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 8868926Abstract: A method for bursting a hash table of a key-value database comprises receiving a key and a value, traversing trie nodes of the key-value database from a root node to a leaf node by recursively dividing the key into a prefix and a suffix, reaching the leaf node, the leaf node being the hash table, determining that the key is not stored in the hash table, determining that the hash table is not able to store the key and the value, removing the hash table, associating a new trie node with a parent trie node of the hash table, associating two or more new hash tables with the new trie node, moving all keys and associated values from the hash table into one of the two or more new hash tables, and inserting the key and the associated value into one of the two or more new hash tables.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2012Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: Exablox CorporationInventors: Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20130268770Abstract: A method for bursting a hash table of a key-value database comprises receiving a key and a value, traversing trie nodes of the key-value database from a root node to a leaf node by recursively dividing the key into a prefix and a suffix, reaching the leaf node, the leaf node being the hash table, determining that the key is not stored in the hash table, determining that the hash table is not able to store the key and the value, removing the hash table, associating a new trie node with a parent trie node of the hash table, associating two or more new hash tables with the new trie node, moving all keys and associated values from the hash table into one of the two or more new hash tables, and inserting the key and the associated value into one of the two or more new hash tables.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2012Publication date: October 10, 2013Inventors: Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Publication number: 20130268644Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing data objects within a computer network infrastructure that facilitate more efficient and reliable data storage and access are provided. An exemplary method may comprise establishing a physical identifier for each storage resource. A plurality of unique virtual identifiers for each storage resource is generated based on the physical identifier. The plurality of unique virtual identifiers is stored in a consistent ring namespace accessible to every node. An object identifier associated with a location of a data object to be stored in a storage resource is generated. The object identifier is mapped to the consistent ring namespace. The method may also include enabling traversing the consistent ring namespace from any node in the computer network to locate and access the data object.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 6, 2012Publication date: October 10, 2013Inventors: Charles Hardin, Sridhar Subramaniam, Tad Hunt, Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 7676748Abstract: A method for providing a secure lockout from executing application programs is provided. An opaque graphical component obscures graphical components for all executing software (applications) programs on a display apparatus and prevents events from reaching the executing application programs.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2002Date of Patent: March 9, 2010Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventors: Frank E. Barrus, Lawrence R. Rau, Craig F. Newell
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Patent number: 7607101Abstract: Disclosed is a visual method of communicating an abnormal situation (e.g., the crashed or downed state) of the computer system including a display. The system status is thus indicated to the user. Upon a system crash or downed state, the display entirely or in part (a first area) is proportionally decreased in brightness. Brightness of a second area (which may overlap the first area) is increased in full or in part by a fixed amount. This results in a translucent film overlay which preserves in the background the display screen content existing at the moment the system crashed. The translucent film overlay may have predefined characteristics, such as tint to signify system status and/or level or degree of the system's problem.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2003Date of Patent: October 20, 2009Assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.Inventor: Frank E. Barrus
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Patent number: 7086048Abstract: Store for operating system resource data is provided integrally with application program resource data in an application program environment to create a shared object. Application programs executing the in application program environment are prevented from accessing the operating system resource data portion of the shared object.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2002Date of Patent: August 1, 2006Assignee: SavaJe Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence R. Rau, Craig F. Newell, Frank E. Barrus, Matthew J. Catino
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Patent number: 7082600Abstract: An application programming language runtime environment is integrated with an operating system kernel. The resulting merged data structures, meta-data structures and access methods contain the consolidation of information needed by the application programming language runtime and the operating system, without duplication. Integrating resources of the application programming language runtime and the operating system reduces the overall memory needed to store the merges data structures and meta data structures. Additionally, overhead in maintaining multiple data structures in parallel is also reduced, thus reducing the processing required. The integrated application programming language runtime and operating system kernel environment can also sharing semantic behavior such that untrusted application program code is prevented from escaping the application programming language runtime environment.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2002Date of Patent: July 25, 2006Assignee: SavaJe Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Lawrence R. Rau, Craig F. Newell, Frank E. Barrus, Matthew J. Catino