Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention generally provide for multi-dimensional disk arrays and methods for managing same and can be used in video surveillance systems for the management of real-time video data, image data, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes at least two virtual machines running on a hardware platform using either a hosted or a bare metal hypervisor. The virtual machines may communicate with an agent-server resident in the host operating system or in one of the virtual machines to switch control of the hardware component, such as graphics hardware, from one virtual machine to another.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for migrating a volume and a virtual disk from a first storage controller to a second storage controller in a distributed storage system having volumes and virtual disks associated with storage controllers. In one embodiment, the virtual disk is migrated to the second storage controller, and requests for data reads/writes associated with the virtual disk are routed to the second controller. Further, in another embodiment, the volume is migrated to the second storage controller, and requests for data reads/writes associated with the volume are routed to the second controller. A contact address may be associated with a plurality of storage controllers and once a session between an application server and a volume is established, the application server may be redirected so as to communicate with the storage controller associated with the volume using the IP address of the storage controller.

Abstract: A data storage system includes memory, a controller, and an Ethernet interface enabling sending and/or receiving Ethernet packets to or from a client system, according to a first protocol. The controller is coupled between the memory and the Ethernet interface and essentially carries out a translation function. Information packets from the client system are translated from a first protocol to a second protocol for use by the memory, and information from the memory is translated from the second protocol to the first protocol for use by the client system as Ethernet packets.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for synchronizing a distributed mirror. A computer system incorporating the invention may divide a mirror source into N chunks, assigning N storage processors responsibility for respective chunks of the mirror. The storage processors then may communicate among themselves to synchronize a distributed mirror. The storage processors may communicate mirror source blocks or their addresses and host-initiated (user) data requests. A storage processor may assist the synchronization of a mirror. The processor may accept responsibility for a chunk of a mirror source and communicate with a second storage processor responsible for another chunk of the mirror source to synchronize the mirror. The storage processor may track addresses of source blocks currently in use for synchronization, as well as addresses of source blocks to be synchronized after the blocks currently in use for synchronization.

Abstract: The present invention provides a controller system including a common controller, a first interface, a second interface, and an adapter. The first interface is used to receive and to send data according to a first protocol having a format useable by a computer system. The common controller is coupled between the first interface and the second interface to translate between the first protocol and the second protocol, the second protocol is used by a memory coupled to the common controller. The second interface is used to store and to retrieve data from the memory according to the second protocol. The adapter function can be coupled between the memory and the common controller. The memory forms a response to a request by the computer system, with the response including at least one of (A) storing information, (B) retrieving information, and (C) providing status information.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for distributing iSCSI and SCSI targets. The initiator may assist in the distribution and order the SCSI commands. A subset of target storage processors may act as proxies. Target storage processors forward requests to a selected target storage processor which decides whether any and which of the other target storage processors is to process a forwarded request. The target storage processors may act as peers. A target storage processor communicates each received request to all of the other storage processors. Each of the target storage processors determines whether a request it received is to execute. A target storage processors may arrange themselves into layers to divide the SCSI and iSCSI protocol work. A distributed system associates each of multiple egress target storage processors with a respective ingress target storage processor and associates a set of blocks of storage with each of the egress target storage processors.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for managing storage. A storage system may receive a request from a host, for example, to allocate n blocks of storage. The storage system may allocate m blocks of physical storage, where m<n, and indicate that the request completed successfully. In various embodiments, m>zero (0) or m=zero (0). The storage system may receive a request to access a block j of the requested blocks of storage, m<j<n, and accessing the block j, in response to the request to access. Allocating the physical storage may include allocating m blocks of physical storage encompassing the block j. After the allocating, the storage system may receive a request to access a block j of the requested blocks of storage, m<j<n, access the block j and indicate that the request to access completed successfully.

Abstract: A client system makes a client request to read or write data according to a first protocol. The requests is received by an Array Management Controller which determines an associated storage location identifying at least one disk controller system and a corresponding memory location. The Array Management Controller translates the client request into a requests, which is sent to a disk controller system according to a second protocol. The disk controller system performs the client request and can perform parity calculation. The Array Management Controller combines the responses from each sent disk controller system request to generate a response into the client request. The client response is then sent to the client system according to a first protocol. Advantageously, a plurality of disk controller system can be used to perform parity calculations thereby reducing the parity calculations performed by the Array Management Controller.

Abstract: A data storage system and method to promote integrity of data written, optionally using a cache with buffer to persistent memory. Health of a computer system is dynamically monitored. If good health is present, during a data write operation, the cache system is configured so data is buffered within the cache, thus promoting faster performance. But if good health is absent, the cache system is configured to write through to persistent memory, thus trading off speed for integrity of the data stored. Optionally, a multi-level cache hierarchy system can be used as the caching system.

Abstract: A data storage system includes memory, a controller, and an Ethernet interface enabling sending and/or receiving Ethernet packets to or from a client system, according to a first protocol. The controller is coupled between the memory and the Ethernet interface and essentially carries out a translation function. Information packets from the client system are translated from a first protocol to a second protocol for use by the memory, and information from the memory is translated from the second protocol to the first protocol for use by the client system as Ethernet packets.