Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is directed to providing a software layer that provides a Content Addressable Storage (CAS) capability in a computer system in which the content units are ultimately stored on a block I/O storage system. An application program may issue access requests to content units referring to them via a content address, and the software layer can convert such access requests to block I/O commands to be processed by the block I/O storage system. Thus, a CAS capability can be provided despite the absence of a storage system that provides such a capability natively.

Abstract: Some embodiments are directed to a technique for storing and/or locating content units stored on an object addressable storage (OAS) system, wherein each content unit is identified by an object identifier. The OAS system may comprise a plurality of zones, each of which stores content units. A mapping process may be defined that maps object identifiers for content units to zones on the OAS system. Thus, the storage location for a content unit on the OAS system may be the zone on the OAS system to which the object identifier for the content unit maps.

Abstract: This invention is an architecture, system, method, program product, licensing method, or apparatus for sharing and protecting data in a data storage environment, wherein there is more than one site for data storage and a connection broker is used.

Abstract: In a multinode computer network, a directory database (DDB) in each of the nodes, contents of the DDB being replicated throughout the network through use of one of its nodes having been appointed as master node. The master node updates each DDB in each node in its network or domain configuration when the configuration changes. A global administrator has authority to replace or select a master node and to configure a domain, and performs these and other functions by way of computer terminal screen dialogs offered by a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with the computer network. In the case of multiple master nodes attempting to be master for the same nodes in the same network at the same time, this conflict is resolved in one embodiment of the present invention by allowing the most recently selected purported master node to be the actual master node. After resolution of this conflict the result is communicated by the prevailing master node to all nodes in the network.