Abstract: A technique accesses a backup system. The technique involves receiving a logon command to logon a user to a website of the backup system. The backup system includes (i) a backup server and (ii) a web server which hosts the website to enable the user to control settings of the backup server. The technique further involves, sending, in response to receiving the logon command, a token request to the backup server through a pre-established secure data pathway to the backup server. Data is periodically backed up to the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway. The technique further involves acquiring, in response to sending the token request, a logon token from the backup server through the pre-established secure data pathway. When the website receives the logon token during a logon operation, the website communicates with the backup server to determine whether the logon token is authentic.

Abstract: A technique provides a backup service to a computer over a network. The technique involves connecting the computer to the network, and providing a backup data center with read access to a storage device of the computer through the network. The storage device includes a boot record area and a data area. The technique further involves, after read access to the storage device of the computer is provided, performing a backup operation between the computer and the backup data center through the network. The backup operation includes copying at least a portion of a boot record stored in the boot record area of the storage device of the computer to the backup data center through the network. A restore operation is capable of being performed to restore the boot record from the backup data center to the computer through the network as well.

Abstract: A technique of performing a workflow on a plurality of task servers involves starting a plurality of task server processes on the plurality of task servers. Each task server provides an operating system which is constructed and arranged to locally run a respective task server process. The technique further involves receiving a workflow which includes a set of dependency-related predefined activities, and placing task identifiers in a queue structure based on the received workflow. The task identifiers identify tasks to be performed in a distributed manner by the plurality of task server processes started on the plurality of task servers. Each task is a specific execution of a dependency-related predefined activity of the workflow. Progress in performing the workflow is made as the plurality of task server processes (i) claim task identifiers from the queue structure and (ii) perform the tasks identified by the claimed task identifiers.

Abstract: Instead of adding resources into a folder by specifying a list of identifiers, client applications add resources to a folder by specifying a search query that matches the resources to be added. The virtual folder is, therefore, a collection of search queries rather than a collection of resource identifiers. This allows the data archive systems to easily store folder information in a database. A client application can then search by specifying the folder as its search criteria to list all content associated with the folder. Additionally, to ensure that the list of results associated with a particular query does not change after the query is added into a folder, the data archive system also captures generation information associated with the particular query (i.e., the iteration of the search indexes at the time the query is received) and stores the generation information with the query as part of the folder.

Abstract: A hash table system having a first hash table and a second hash table is provided. The first hash table may be in-memory and the second hash table may be on-disk. Inserting an entry to the hash table system comprises inserting the entry into the first hash table, and, when the first hash table reaches a threshold load factor, flushing entries into the second hash table. Flushing the first hash table into the second hash table may comprise sequentially flushing the first hash table segments into corresponding second hash table segments. When looking up a key/value pair corresponding to a selected key in the hash table system, the system checks both the first and second hash tables for values corresponding to the selected key. The first and second hash tables may be divided into hash table segments and collision policies may be implemented within the hash table segments.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system.

Abstract: A method of assigning a storage node from a storage grid to a server is presented. The storage grid includes multiple storage nodes capable of backing up a policy stored on the server. The method includes receiving an assignment request which requests assignment of one of the multiple storage nodes of the storage grid to the server to backup the policy stored on the server. The method also includes performing a storage node assignment operation in an automated manner in response to the assignment request, the storage node assignment operation providing an assignment result identifying a storage node assigned to backup the policy stored on the server, the assignment result being based on an assessment of storage space requirements of the policy and available storage space resources of the storage grid. The method further includes notifying the server of the assignment result to effectuate backing up of the policy stored on the server by the storage node.

Abstract: A hash table system having a first hash table and a second hash table is provided. The first hash table may be in-memory and the second hash table may be on-disk. Inserting an entry to the hash table system comprises inserting the entry into the first hash table, and, when the first hash table reaches a threshold load factor, flushing entries into the second hash table. Flushing the first hash table into the second hash table may comprise sequentially flushing the first hash table segments into corresponding second hash table segments. When looking up a key/value pair corresponding to a selected key in the hash table system, the system checks both the first and second hash tables for values corresponding to the selected key. The first and second hash tables may be divided into hash table segments and collision policies may be implemented within the hash table segments.

Abstract: Methods of providing access to data are presented. The method includes providing a storage grid which includes a source chain of storage nodes and a target chain of storage nodes, the source chain including a primary source node and a secondary source node which operates as a data mirror of the primary source node, and the target chain including a primary target node and a secondary target node which operates as a data mirror of the primary target node. The method also includes initially storing data on the source chain, the primary source node of the source chain maintaining a primary source copy of the data, and the secondary source node of the source chain maintaining a secondary source copy of the data.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products provide a utility to an administrator computer used by an administrator for visually configuring an optimization experiment on a landing page. The landing page selected by the administrator is read. The landing page is processed to allow the administrator to configure the optimization experiment without writing code.

Abstract: A restoration technique includes storing a collection of blocks having (i) a first baseline of blocks defining a file at a first time within a predefined window, (ii) older blocks, and (iii) newer blocks. The technique further includes providing a direction signal to restore the file at a particular time from the collection of blocks. The direction signal has an older direction value when the particular time is older than the first time and (ii) a newer direction value when the particular time is newer than the first time. The technique further includes forming, from the collection of blocks, a second baseline of blocks from the first baseline of blocks and additional blocks. The additional blocks are either (i) the older blocks or (ii) the newer blocks depending on the direction value. The second baseline defines the file at the particular time.

Abstract: A data processing system stores data in a data file by first identifying the data file as a large file type known to require an amount of storage space substantially greater than a system allocation unit size. As data is to be written to the data file beginning at a location identified by a file pointer, the system determines whether it is necessary to allocate storage space of the data processing system to store the data to be written, and if so then commands are issued to the file system including (i) one or more first commands to set an end of file marker for the data file to a new value greater than a current value of the end of file marker by at least an application allocation unit size which is at least twice the system allocation unit size, and (ii) one or more second commands to mark a region of the data file extending between the current and new values of the end of file marker as holding valid data. Subsequently the data is written to the data file at the location identified by the file pointer.