Abstract: An archive cluster application runs in a distributed manner across a redundant array of independent nodes. Each node preferably runs a complete archive cluster application instance. A given nodes provides a data repository, which stores up to a large amount (e.g., a terabyte) of data, while also acting as a portal that enables access to archive files. Each symmetric node has a set of software processes, e.g., a request manager, a storage manager, a metadata manager, and a policy manager. The request manager manages requests to the node for data (i.e., file data), the storage manager manages data read/write functions from a disk associated with the node, and the metadata manager facilitates metadata transactions and recovery across the distributed database. The policy manager implements one or more policies, which are operations that determine the behavior of an “archive object” within the cluster. The archive cluster application provides object-based storage.

Abstract: A generic testing framework to automatically allocate, install and verify a given version of a system under test, to exercise the system against a series of tests in a “hands-off” objective manner, and then to export information about the tests to one or more developer repositories (such as a query-able database, an email list, a developer web server, a source code version control system, a defect tracking system, or the like). The framework does not “care” or concern itself with the particular implementation language of the test as long as the test can issue directives via a command line or configuration file. During the automated testing of a given test suite having multiple tests, and after a particular test is run, the framework preferably generates an “image” of the system under test and makes that information available to developers, even while additional tests in the suite are being carried out.

Abstract: An archival storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes includes a metadata management system that organizes and provides access to given metadata, preferably in the form of metadata objects. Each metadata object may have a unique name, and metadata objects are organized into regions. Preferably, a region is selected by hashing one or more object attributes (e.g., the object's name) and extracting a given number of bits of the resulting hash value. The number of bits may be controlled by a configuration parameter. Each region is stored redundantly. A region comprises a set of region copies. In particular, there is one authoritative copy of the region, and zero or more backup copies. The number of backup copies may be controlled by a configuration parameter. Region copies are distributed across the nodes of the cluster so as to balance the number of authoritative region copies per node, as well as the number of total region copies per node.

Abstract: An archive cluster application runs in a distributed manner across a redundant array of independent nodes. Each node preferably runs a complete archive cluster application instance. A given nodes provides a data repository, which stores up to a large amount (e.g., a terabyte) of data, while also acting as a portal that enables access to archive files. Each symmetric node has a set of software processes, e.g., a request manager, a storage manager, a metadata manager, and a policy manager. The request manager manages requests to the node for data (i.e., file data), the storage manager manages data read/write functions from a disk associated with the node, and the metadata manager facilitates metadata transactions and recovery across the distributed database. The policy manager implements one or more policies, which are operations that determine the behavior of an “archive object” within the cluster. The archive cluster application provides object-based storage.

Abstract: A file protection scheme for fixed content in a distributed data archive uses computations that leverage permutation operators of a cyclic code. In an illustrative embodiment, an N+K coding technique is described for use to protect data that is being distributed in a redundant array of independent nodes (RAIN). The data itself may be of any type, and it may also include system metadata. According to the invention, the data to be distributed is encoded by a dispersal operation that uses a group of permutation ring operators. In a preferred embodiment, the dispersal operation is carried out using a matrix of the form [IN—C] where IN is an n×n identity sub-matrix and C is a k×n sub-matrix of code blocks. The identity sub-matrix is used to preserve the data blocks intact. The sub-matrix C preferably comprises a set of permutation ring operators that are used to generate the code blocks. The operators are preferably superpositions that are selected from a group ring of a permutation group with base ring Z2.

Abstract: An archive cluster application runs in a distributed manner across a redundant array of independent nodes. Each node preferably runs a complete archive cluster application instance. A given nodes provides a data repository, which stores up to a large amount (e.g., a terabyte) of data, while also acting as a portal that enables access to archive files. Each symmetric node has a set of software processes, e.g., a request manager, a storage manager, a metadata manager, and a policy manager. The request manager manages requests to the node for data (i.e., file data), the storage manager manages data read/write functions from a disk associated with the node, and the metadata manager facilitates metadata transactions and recovery across the distributed database. The policy manager implements one or more policies, which are operations that determine the behavior of an “archive object” within the cluster. The archive cluster application provides object-based storage.