Patents by Inventor Joseph Blount
Joseph Blount 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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Publication number: 20230229328Abstract: A method includes: storing a first data extent on a physical medium, wherein the physical medium is divided into a plurality of storage blocks, wherein each of the storage blocks has a size that is different than a size of the first data extent, further wherein the first data extent is stored to a first block of the plurality of storage blocks; generating a descriptor for the first data extent, wherein the descriptor indicates that the first data extent starts within the first block of the plurality of blocks and indicates an offset from the beginning of the first block at which the first data extent starts; and storing the descriptor within the first block.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2023Publication date: July 20, 2023Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William P. Delaney, Joseph Blount, Reid Kaufmann, Joseph Moore
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Patent number: 11662929Abstract: A method includes: storing a first data extent on a physical medium, wherein the physical medium is divided into a plurality of storage blocks, wherein each of the storage blocks has a size that is different than a size of the first data extent, further wherein the first data extent is stored to a first block of the plurality of storage blocks; generating a descriptor for the first data extent, wherein the descriptor indicates that the first data extent starts within the first block of the plurality of blocks and indicates an offset from the beginning of the first block at which the first data extent starts; and storing the descriptor within the first block.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William P. Delaney, Joseph Blount, Reid Kaufmann, Joseph Moore
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Patent number: 11644978Abstract: A system shares I/O load between controllers in a high availability system. For writes, a controller determines based on one or more factors which controller will flush batches of data from write-back cache to better distribute the I/O burden. The determination occurs after the local storage controller caches the data, mirrors it, and confirms write complete to the host. Once it is determined which storage controller will flush the cache, the flush occurs and the corresponding metadata at a second layer of indirection is updated by that determined storage controller (whether or not it is identified as the owner of the corresponding volume to the host, while the volume owner updates metadata at a first layer of indirection). For a host read, the controller that owns the volume accesses the metadata from whichever controller(s) flushed the data previously and reads the data, regardless of which controller had performed the flush.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2021Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, Joseph Blount, Joseph Moore, William P. Delaney
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Patent number: 11561696Abstract: A system and method for improving storage system performance by reducing or avoiding load spike amplification when performing garbage collection is disclosed. A storage controller in a storage system tracks system load including write load and read load, as well as available free segments. The storage controller uses these tracked values as inputs and, with these inputs, generates a garbage collection rate. Where read load is included, a scaled portion of the read load is taken into consideration so that, as the number of free segments nears the minimum amount desired and to prevent garbage collecting too slowly, the read load is gradually excluded from the garbage collection rate determination. The garbage collection rate is therefore responsive to system load so that, in times of high system load, the rate reduces as much as is safe so that the write load takes priority with computing resources of the storage controller.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2021Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventor: Joseph Blount
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Patent number: 11500592Abstract: A method, a computing device, and a non-transitory machine-readable medium for allocating data compression activities in a storage system are provided. A method includes tracking, by a storage controller, computing resources corresponding to a storage server. The storage controller processes one or more host read requests to access data requested by one or more hosts, the processing of the one or more host read requests including decompressing the data requested by the one or more hosts from the storage server and providing the decompressed data to the one or more hosts. The storage controller determines an amount of available computing resources after processing the one or more host read requests. Based on the amount of available computing resources, the storage controller performs inline compression of a first portion of host write requests and background compression of a second portion of the host write requests.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2019Date of Patent: November 15, 2022Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: William P. Delaney, Keith Moyer, Randolph Sterns, Joseph Moore, Joseph Blount, Charles Binford
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Patent number: 11449239Abstract: A system for tracking metadata changes and recovering from system interruptions. With host I/O, corresponding metadata incremental changes are aggregated and stored in a write-ahead log before being performed to their in-memory buffers. As those buffers are flushed, checkpoints are created and stored in the log. As the log wraps to the start, older entries are overwritten after they are freed from any remaining dependencies by newer checkpoints. If metadata entities have not created new checkpoints, they are instructed to in order to free up space for new aggregated batches and checkpoints. After an interruption, the wrap point is located in the log. From the wrap point, the log is scanned backwards to provide checkpoints to metadata entities. The log is then scanned forwards to perform changes specified by aggregated batches. The metadata entities' volatile memory states are recovered to what they were before the interruption.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2020Date of Patent: September 20, 2022Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William Delaney, Joseph Blount, Keith Moyer, Joseph Moore
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Publication number: 20220043582Abstract: A system shares I/O load between controllers in a high availability system. For writes, a controller determines based on one or more factors which controller will flush batches of data from write-back cache to better distribute the I/O burden. The determination occurs after the local storage controller caches the data, mirrors it, and confirms write complete to the host. Once it is determined which storage controller will flush the cache, the flush occurs and the corresponding metadata at a second layer of indirection is updated by that determined storage controller (whether or not it is identified as the owner of the corresponding volume to the host, while the volume owner updates metadata at a first layer of indirection). For a host read, the controller that owns the volume accesses the metadata from whichever controller(s) flushed the data previously and reads the data, regardless of which controller had performed the flush.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2021Publication date: February 10, 2022Applicant: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, Joseph Blount, Joseph Moore, William P. Delaney
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Publication number: 20220027048Abstract: A system and method for improving storage system performance by reducing or avoiding load spike amplification when performing garbage collection is disclosed. A storage controller in a storage system tracks system load including write load and read load, as well as available free segments. The storage controller uses these tracked values as inputs and, with these inputs, generates a garbage collection rate. Where read load is included, a scaled portion of the read load is taken into consideration so that, as the number of free segments nears the minimum amount desired and to prevent garbage collecting too slowly, the read load is gradually excluded from the garbage collection rate determination. The garbage collection rate is therefore responsive to system load so that, in times of high system load, the rate reduces as much as is safe so that the write load takes priority with computing resources of the storage controller.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 6, 2021Publication date: January 27, 2022Applicant: NETAPP, INC.Inventor: Joseph Blount
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Patent number: 11175831Abstract: A system shares I/O load between controllers in a high availability system. For writes, a controller determines based on one or more factors which controller will flush batches of data from write-back cache to better distribute the I/O burden. The determination occurs after the local storage controller caches the data, mirrors it, and confirms write complete to the host. Once it is determined which storage controller will flush the cache, the flush occurs and the corresponding metadata at a second layer of indirection is updated by that determined storage controller (whether or not it is identified as the owner of the corresponding volume to the host, while the volume owner updates metadata at a first layer of indirection). For a host read, the controller that owns the volume accesses the metadata from whichever controller(s) flushed the data previously and reads the data, regardless of which controller had performed the flush.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2017Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, Joseph Blount, Joseph Moore, William P. Delaney
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Patent number: 11169707Abstract: A system and method for improving storage system performance by reducing or avoiding load spike amplification when performing garbage collection is disclosed. A storage controller in a storage system tracks system load including write load and read load, as well as available free segments. The storage controller uses these tracked values as inputs and, with these inputs, generates a garbage collection rate. Where read load is included, a scaled portion of the read load is taken into consideration so that, as the number of free segments nears the minimum amount desired and to prevent garbage collecting too slowly, the read load is gradually excluded from the garbage collection rate determination. The garbage collection rate is therefore responsive to system load so that, in times of high system load, the rate reduces as much as is safe so that the write load takes priority with computing resources of the storage controller.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 2016Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventor: Joseph Blount
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Patent number: 11029862Abstract: A system and method for metadata storage includes use of a storage controller to receive a write operation from a host, create a metadata entry for storing metadata associated with data written by the write operation, and store the metadata entry into a metadata store. The metadata store includes a plurality of active partitions, a plurality of inactive partitions, and a queue identifying locations in the active partitions where the metadata entry may be stored. The metadata store is further used to access data written to one or more storage devices. Storing the metadata entry into the metadata store includes popping a first location from the queue, identifying a first active partition from the active partitions based on the first location, and storing the metadata entry in the first active partition. In some embodiments, each of the active partitions may be organized into two or more tiers.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2017Date of Patent: June 8, 2021Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventor: Joseph Blount
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Publication number: 20200393967Abstract: A method includes: storing a first data extent on a physical medium, wherein the physical medium is divided into a plurality of storage blocks, wherein each of the storage blocks has a size that is different than a size of the first data extent, further wherein the first data extent is stored to a first block of the plurality of storage blocks; generating a descriptor for the first data extent, wherein the descriptor indicates that the first data extent starts within the first block of the plurality of blocks and indicates an offset from the beginning of the first block at which the first data extent starts; and storing the descriptor within the first block.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 1, 2020Publication date: December 17, 2020Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William P. Delaney, Joseph Blount, Reid Kaufmann, Joseph Moore
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Publication number: 20200387315Abstract: A system for tracking metadata changes and recovering from system interruptions. With host I/O, corresponding metadata incremental changes are aggregated and stored in a write-ahead log before being performed to their in-memory buffers. As those buffers are flushed, checkpoints are created and stored in the log. As the log wraps to the start, older entries are overwritten after they are freed from any remaining dependencies by newer checkpoints. If metadata entities have not created new checkpoints, they are instructed to in order to free up space for new aggregated batches and checkpoints. After an interruption, the wrap point is located in the log. From the wrap point, the log is scanned backwards to provide checkpoints to metadata entities. The log is then scanned forwards to perform changes specified by aggregated batches. The metadata entities' volatile memory states are recovered to what they were before the interruption.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2020Publication date: December 10, 2020Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William Delaney, Joseph Blount, Keith Moyer, Joseph Moore
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Patent number: 10838630Abstract: A system for tracking metadata changes and recovering from system interruptions. With host I/O, corresponding metadata incremental changes are aggregated and stored in a write-ahead log before being performed to their in-memory buffers. As those buffers are flushed, checkpoints are created and stored in the log. As the log wraps to the start, older entries are overwritten after they are freed from any remaining dependencies by newer checkpoints. If metadata entities have not created new checkpoints, they are instructed to in order to free up space for new aggregated batches and checkpoints. After an interruption, the wrap point is located in the log. From the wrap point, the log is scanned backwards to provide checkpoints to metadata entities. The log is then scanned forwards to perform changes specified by aggregated batches. The metadata entities' volatile memory states are recovered to what they were before the interruption.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2016Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William Delaney, Joseph Blount, Keith Moyer, Joseph Moore
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Patent number: 10802740Abstract: A method includes: storing a first data extent on a physical medium, wherein the physical medium is divided into a plurality of storage blocks, wherein each of the storage blocks has a size that is different than a size of the first data extent, further wherein the first data extent is stored to a first block of the plurality of storage blocks; generating a descriptor for the first data extent, wherein the descriptor indicates that the first data extent starts within the first block of the plurality of blocks and indicates an offset from the beginning of the first block at which the first data extent starts; and storing the descriptor within the first block.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2016Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: Randolph Sterns, Charles Binford, William P. Delaney, Joseph Blount, Reid Kaufmann, Joseph Moore
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Publication number: 20200110540Abstract: A method, a computing device, and a non-transitory machine-readable medium for allocating data compression activities in a storage system are provided. A method includes tracking, by a storage controller, computing resources corresponding to a storage server. The storage controller processes one or more host read requests to access data requested by one or more hosts, the processing of the one or more host read requests including decompressing the data requested by the one or more hosts from the storage server and providing the decompressed data to the one or more hosts. The storage controller determines an amount of available computing resources after processing the one or more host read requests. Based on the amount of available computing resources, the storage controller performs inline compression of a first portion of host write requests and background compression of a second portion of the host write requests.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2019Publication date: April 9, 2020Inventors: William P. Delaney, Keith Moyer, Randolph Sterns, Joseph Moore, Joseph Blount, Charles Binford
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Patent number: 10503443Abstract: A method, a computing device, and a non-transitory machine-readable medium for allocating data compression activities in a storage system are provided. A method includes tracking, by a storage controller, computing resources corresponding to a storage server. The storage controller processes one or more host read requests to access data requested by one or more hosts, the processing of the one or more host read requests including decompressing the data requested by the one or more hosts from the storage server and providing the decompressed data to the one or more hosts. The storage controller determines an amount of available computing resources after processing the one or more host read requests. Based on the amount of available computing resources, the storage controller performs inline compression of a first portion of host write requests and background compression of a second portion of the host write requests.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2017Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: William P. Delaney, Keith Moyer, Randolph Sterns, Joseph Blount, Charles Binford, Joseph Moore
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Patent number: 10366065Abstract: A method for mapping a first address space to a second address space is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes creating a first array of lookup entries and one or more second arrays of metadata entries for maintaining an ordering among the lookup entries using a tree structure. Each of the metadata entries includes one or more data index values identifying a corresponding one of the lookup entries by its position in the first array and one or more metadata index values identifying a corresponding one of the metadata entries by its position in one of the one or more second arrays. The method further includes receiving a request including a lookup value, traversing the tree structure to locate a lookup entry corresponding to the lookup value, and when the lookup value is located among the lookup entries, using the located lookup entry to process the request.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2016Date of Patent: July 30, 2019Assignee: NETAPP, INC.Inventors: William P. Delaney, Joseph Blount, Charles Binford, Joseph Moore, Randolph Sterns, Jeff Stilger
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Publication number: 20190138517Abstract: A method, a computing device, and a non-transitory machine-readable medium for assessing data segments for garbage collection is provided. In some embodiments, the method includes identifying a plurality of data segments. A first rate at which data within each of the plurality of data segments has been invalidated since a first point in time is determined, and a second rate at which data within each of the plurality of data segments has been invalidated since a second point in time subsequent to the first point in time is determined. The second rate is compared to the first rate for each of the plurality of data segments, and a garbage collection score is assigned to the respective data segment based on the comparison. The garbage collection score may be further based on a utilization of the respective data segment and/or an age of the respective data segment.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2019Publication date: May 9, 2019Inventors: Joseph Blount, Joseph Moore, William P. Delaney, Randolph Sterns
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Publication number: 20180307425Abstract: A system and method for metadata storage includes use of a storage controller to receive a write operation from a host, create a metadata entry for storing metadata associated with data written by the write operation, and store the metadata entry into a metadata store. The metadata store includes a plurality of active partitions, a plurality of inactive partitions, and a queue identifying locations in the active partitions where the metadata entry may be stored. The metadata store is further used to access data written to one or more storage devices. Storing the metadata entry into the metadata store includes popping a first location from the queue, identifying a first active partition from the active partitions based on the first location, and storing the metadata entry in the first active partition. In some embodiments, each of the active partitions may be organized into two or more tiers.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2017Publication date: October 25, 2018Inventor: Joseph Blount