Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for providing rapid failback of a computer system is described. The method, which operates during failback of a secondary computer to a primary computer, accesses a map to determine a location of a latest version of data corresponding to a read request, where the location may be within either a primary data storage or a secondary data storage. The system comprises a primary computer coupled to a primary data storage and a secondary computer coupled to a secondary data storage. The primary computer maintains a write log and the secondary computer maintains a map. The computer-readable medium contains instructions, which, when executed by a processor, performs the steps embodied by the method.

Abstract: A method for preventing Domain Name System (DNS) spoofing includes: performing uppercase/lowercase conversion for letters of a DNS question field in a DNS request packet according to a preset rule; sending the DNS request packet; receiving a DNS response packet; obtaining uppercase/lowercase distribution of the letters of the DNS question field in the DNS response packet; and forwarding the DNS response packet to a target DNS client if the uppercase/lowercase distribution of the letters of the DNS question field in the DNS response packet complies with the preset rule. Corresponding to the method, a device for preventing DNS spoofing is disclosed. The method and device reduce occupation of storage resources of the device.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to systems, apparatus, and methods for layered execution pre-boot configuration. In one example, a system includes a local computer, a base operating system, a layered execution environment, and a layered environment manager. The system may further include an environment update service and one or more layered environment data store(s). The system may, before booting the base operating system and layered execution environment, perform such modification operations as applying an operating system patch, applying a program patch, changing a layer activation property, disabling a program, replacing a program, changing a configuration file, and installing a driver.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for partitioning a computer cluster through coordination point devices that provide enhanced split brain arbitration during I/O fencing. In one embodiment, a method for using coordination point devices to support Input/Output fencing in a computer cluster comprises processing at least one arbitration request from at least one client computer upon an occurrence of a split brain within a computer cluster, wherein each arbitration request indicates at least one established connection between at least one coordination point device and each client computer of the at least one client computer and each client sub-cluster membership, wherein the at least one coordination point device form a coordination point cluster membership and selecting a client computer of the at least one client computer to continue to be a portion of the computer cluster based on the arbitration request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for agent-less auditing of a server, wherein the apparatus processes data for auditing a server. One or more portions of audit information (e.g., transaction log, trace log, or both) are coupled from a target server to an information server. The one or more portions of the audit information are processed at the information server to create audit data. The audit data is stored in an audit data repository.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for filtering electronic messages. The method may include identifying a first time period during which a user accesses electronic messages less than during a second time period. The method may also include associating a first filtering level with the first time period and associating a second filtering level with a second time period. The method may further include, during the first time period, setting a spam filter to the first filtering level. The first filtering level may cause the spam filter to perform stronger filtering than the second filtering level. The method may include, during the second time period, setting the spam filter to the second filtering level. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for garbage collection in deduplicated data systems may include: 1) identifying a deduplicated data system, 2) identifying at least one segment object added to the deduplicated data system during a garbage-collection process of the deduplicated data system, 3) locking the segment object to prevent removal of the segment object by the garbage-collection process, and 4) unlocking the segment object after the garbage-collection process. The method may allow a small possibility of incorrectly removing useful segment objects. The method may also verify data objects during the garbage-collection process and recover incorrectly removed segment objects. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for defining and managing a composite service group for a cluster based computer system is disclosed. The method includes instantiating a plurality of application units on a cluster based computer system, wherein the application units implement a business service. The method further includes receiving a composite service group definition, wherein a composite service group enumerates application units, out of the plurality of application units, that implement the business service, and generating a consolidated status of the composite service group. The business service is then started (online)/stopped (offline)/migrated/failed-over/failed-back in accordance with the consolidated status, as a single unit, by using the composite service group.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing network access control in virtual environments. The method may include: 1) injecting a transient security agent into a virtual machine that is running on a host machine; 2) receiving, from the transient security agent, an indication of whether the virtual machine complies with one or more network access control policies; and 3) controlling network access of the virtual machine based on the indication of whether the virtual machine complies with the one or more network access control policies. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: An interface is disclosed that makes information obtained from a file deduplication process available to an application for the efficient operation thereof. A data deduplication repository is scanned to determine a plurality of file segments and respective checksum values associated with the segments. A data structure is generated that allows shared segments to be identified by indexing using a common checksum value. The segments also indicate the file to which they belong and may also include a timestamp value. This data structure is updated as files are modified, etc. The data structure is accessible to an application program so that the application program can readily determine which segments are shared between multiple files. With this information, the application can efficiently process the segment once rather than multiple times. Timestamps can be used by the application to efficiently identify only those segments that were accessed after a given time.

Abstract: A system and method of identifying a data owner examining a plurality of criterion including access type, number of accesses at a given time and over the period of time selected, recentness of access, and permission levels of users. The method of file owner identification comprises collecting a plurality of samples including usage of a file by a plurality of users. A plurality of factors is calculated based on said plurality of users, wherein a respective factor is calculated for each of said plurality of users, wherein each factor is based on a plurality of use elements. Based on said plurality of factors, a file owner is determined of said file from among said plurality of users. The file owner may be communicated and/or displayed e.g., in a graph.

Abstract: A method of maintaining and providing information relating to file deduplication. A first portion of a first file and a second portion of a second file that contain a first content are identified. A first header associated with the first portion is created. The first header identifies the first portion and the second portion containing the first content. The first header is appended to a storage location of the first content of the first portion to form a first data structure for the first file. The first data structure is stored. The first data structure is provided to an application requesting the first file so that duplicate data processing can be avoided by the application. The first data structure is updated when the first file or the second file are altered. A similar process may occur to generate a data structure for the second file.

Abstract: Systems and methods for extent reference count updates are presented. In one embodiment; a reference count update method includes: receiving a plurality of data files associated with various modalities; performing an analysis on the data files including examining an impact of the plurality of data files on storage based upon a type of the modality; and forwarding resulting analysis information for presentation in a convenient user interface, including an indication of the impact of the plurality of data files on the storage based upon the type of the modality. In one embodiment the analysis includes resource consumption analysis of the storage associated with the type of modality. The analysis can include a cost analysis of the storage associated with the type of modality. The storage can be included in a cloud environment.

Abstract: A system and method for automatically reorganizing files to avoid the problem of file fragmentation. At an appropriate time, such as when an I/O request to write to a file is received, the file may be marked as possibly being in need of reorganization. The system may later determine that the file was marked for possible reorganization and may examine the file to determine whether the file is actually in need of reorganization, i.e., whether the file is fragmented. If so, then the file may be automatically reorganized to eliminate the fragmentation. In another embodiment, files may first be checked to determine whether they are actually in need of reorganization before being marked. The method may benefit a computer system by automatically detecting and reorganizing fragmented files on an individual file basis.

Abstract: A centralized Storage Area Network (SAN) management system based on a distributed client-server architecture. The SAN management system may include a SAN management server and a browser client. In one embodiment, the browser client may be a “thin” client that may make minimal use of web technologies on the client side. The SAN management server may gather SAN information, render the SAN information into images in an image format suitable for display by the browser client, and provide the images to the browser client for display. The SAN management system, through the browser client, may provide views into a SAN based on host, device, fabric, and/or storage groups, as well as alerts to diagnose and avoid outages. In one embodiment, the browser client may provide an interface to access features of the SAN management system to perform SAN management functions.

Abstract: A reputation server is coupled to multiple clients. Each client has a security module that detects submissions of personally identifiable information (PII) from the client to a web site. The security module reports the identity of the web site and the type of submitted PII to the reputation server. The reputation server computes a reputation score for the web site based on the number and type of PII submissions to it. The reputation score represents an assessment of whether the web site is trustworthy. The reputation server provides the reputation scores for the web site to a client. The security module at the client evaluates the reputation score of the web site and optionally generates an alert advising the user not to submit PII to the web site because the site is untrustworthy.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for replicating a file over multiple data centers are described. The method may comprise creating a plurality of file records in a database at a data center that initially receives the file. Each record may correspond to a destination data center at which the file should be stored. The file records may be replicated to respective databases at each of the destination data centers, and each respective destination data center may pull a copy of the file to the respective destination data center. When a file is pulled to a given destination data center, the file record corresponding to the copy of the file at the given destination data center may be updated, and the updated file record may be communicated to the other destination data centers.

Abstract: A method and system for fast failure detection in a distributed computer system. The method includes executing a distributed computer system having a plurality of clusters comprising at least a first cluster, a second cluster and the third cluster, and initializing failure detection by creating a connected cluster list in each of the plurality of clusters, wherein for each one of the plurality of clusters, a respective connected cluster list describes others of the plurality of clusters said each one is communicatively connected with. A status update message is sent upon changes in connectivity between the plurality of clusters, and generating an updated connected cluster list in each of the plurality of clusters in accordance with the status update message. The method then determines whether the change in connectivity results from a cluster failure by examining the updated connected cluster list in each of the plurality of clusters.

Abstract: Systems and methods for copy on write storage conservation are presented. In one embodiment a copy on write storage conservation method includes creating and mounting a snapshot; mounting a snapshot; monitoring interest in the snapshot; initiating a copy on write discard process before a backup or replication is complete; and deleting the snapshot when the backup or replication is complete. In one embodiment the method also includes marking a file as do not copy on write. In one embodiment, the copy on write discard process includes discarding copy on write data when a corresponding read on the file in the snapshot is successful. Initiating a copy on write discard process can be done at a variety of levels (e.g., a file level, an extent level, a block-level, etc.).

Abstract: A multiple file system and/or multi-host single instance store technique includes receiving one or more commands and one or more parameters to create a single instance store, a plurality of volumes and one or more file systems. Information creating the plurality of volumes, including creating a plurality of thin volumes on top of a single instance store solution, are stored in a volume manager configuration file. Information creating the one or more file systems, wherein each file system is created on top of the plurality of volumes including the plurality of thin volumes, are stored in a file system configuration file.