Abstract: A system and method for publishing a network address on a computer network. A first node in a plurality of nodes may initiate a publish operation to publish a first instance of the network address. Initiating the publish operation may comprise the first node sending a publish message to one or more other nodes in the plurality of nodes. The publish message may be propagated from at least a subset of the nodes that receive the publish message from the first node to still other nodes in the plurality of nodes, which in turn may further propagate the publish message. Each node that receives the publish message from another node may create routing information useable to route messages to the first instance of the network address on the first node.

Abstract: System and method for performing transactional management tasks on a Storage Area Network (SAN). A user may initiate a SAN management task. A transaction may be generated that includes one or more operations to perform the SAN management task. In one embodiment, stored SAN information may be accessed to determine the operations to be performed. The one or more operations may be executed to perform the transaction. The operations may be directed at the stored SAN information and/or at one or more objects of the SAN. Results of the operations may be examined to determine if the transaction completed successfully. The initiator of the SAN management task may be notified of the status of the transaction. If the transaction did not completed successfully, the stored SAN information and/or SAN objects may be restored to a state prior to the transaction.

Abstract: Mechanisms for efficiently restoring one or more memory blocks of a primary computing system. In order to restore a backup memory block, the primary system accesses transformed data that represents a result of a deterministic many-to-one mapping function, such as a hash function, applied to the backup memory block. The primary computing system also accesses transformed data that represents a result of the deterministic many-to-one mapping function applied to a corresponding primary memory block as the memory block exists on the primary system. The primary transformed data and the backup transformed data are then compared. If the primary and backup transformed data are different, the corresponding primary and backup memory blocks are also different. Accordingly, the primary computing system requests the full memory block from the backup computing system.

Abstract: A method and system for creating a peer-to-peer overlay network. The method includes discovering a set of node characteristics for each of a subset of existing nodes of a network. The method also includes scaling each of the discovered set of node characteristics to a value which is within a predetermined range of values. The method also includes generating a set of weighted values for each of the subset of nodes by applying a weighting function to each of the scaled values. In addition, the method includes generating a node rank value for each of the subset of nodes by summing the weighted values of each respective set of weighted values. Further, the method includes determining whether to connect to any of the subset of nodes based upon the node rank value.

Abstract: Embodiments of an application programming interface (API) for a Storage Area Network (SAN) access layer. A SAN may include a SAN access layer as an interface between SAN components and client applications. A SAN access layer API may be provided which enables a client application to access SAN access layer functionality such as storage management and configuration services. Through the SAN access layer API, a client application may invoke some or all of the functionalities of the SAN access layer. The SAN access layer may provide SAN information gathered from the SAN to the client application through the SAN access layer API. Embodiments of the SAN access layer API may provide security and licensing restrictions to client applications. Embodiments of the SAN access layer API may encapsulate message conversion and network transport functions so that client application developers are not required to implement these functions.

Abstract: Systems and methods for storage area network switch port failure recovery. A system may include several hosts, storage devices and a storage area network (SAN) switch. The SAN switch may include several ports, where each host is coupled to a respective host port and each storage device is coupled to a respective storage port. The SAN switch may also include virtualization logic configured to map several of the storage devices as a volume presented to the hosts via the respective host ports, and an input/output (I/O) tracking mechanism configured to store information about write operations in progress at each of the ports. In response to a failure of a given port occurring while write operation(s) to the volume received via one or more of the respective host ports are in progress, the SAN switch may be configured to initiate consistency recovery of the volume using the stored information.

Abstract: Restoring data, without suspending access to the data for the entire time that the data is being restored. Access is suspended only while a portion of the data is restored, before access to all of the data is permitted. A driver virtualizes any remaining unrestored data. To accomplish this, the driver maintains a list of data yet to be restored. If a request to read a portion of the data is then received, and the requested portion is on the list, the driver restores the requested portion before permitting the read request to be fulfilled. The restored portion is then removed from the list of unrestored data. If a request to write a portion of the data is received, the write is permitted, and the location just written to is removed from the list without restoring.

Abstract: After a first device (e.g., a host node in a shared data clustered system that stores a two-way mirrored volume) in a network creates or modifies a description of a layout for a data volume, the first device transmits separate copies of the data volume layout description to a pair of second devices, respectively, for storage in respective memories thereof. The first device may be a host node, and the pair of second devices may be first and second data storage systems. The first device and the pair of second devices are configured so that I/O transactions are transmitted between the first device and either of the pair of second devices. In other words, the first device is contained in a network layer that is different from the network layer that contains the pair of second devices.

Abstract: A method includes determining usage of assets, and determining criticality classifications of the assets based on the usage. The criticality classifications of assets are calculated automatically and without requiring security personnel to classify assets and enter the criticality classifications manually. The calculation of criticality classifications is performed repeatedly insuring that the criticality classifications remain current over time.

Abstract: Various methods and systems for updating a copy-on-write snapshot based on a dirty region log are disclosed. For example, a method involves maintaining a dirty region log and updating a copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map, based on information in the dirty region log. In some embodiments, the copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map is updated in response to an indication of a dirty region log cleaning cycle. The dirty region log cleaning cycle is inhibited until after the copy-on-write snapshot change tracking map has been updated. The method can be used to update multiple copy-on-write snapshot change tracking maps, each of which is associated with a respective one of several copy-on-write snapshots, based on information in the dirty region log. Such a method can be performed by a virtualizing network device.

Abstract: Host computer systems automatically detect malicious code. The host computer systems automatically generate and send malicious code packets of the malicious code to a local analysis center (LAC) computer system. Based on the received malicious code packets, the LAC computer system provides a signature update to a network intrusion detection system. Further, the LAC computer system also automatically sends malicious code signatures of the malicious code to a global analysis center. In this manner, the spread of the malicious code is rapidly detected and prevented.

Abstract: Moving backup data within a storage hierarchy based on a calculated uniqueness of the backup data and on the estimated significance of at least a portion of the backup data. More unique and significant backup data would tend to have higher availability levels. Conversely, less unique and significant backup data would tend to have lower availability levels, or may even cause the backup data to be deleted.

Abstract: The present invention provides a framework for managing both clustering and data replication in a software system distributed across multiple nodes. The framework includes at least one agent running at nodes comprising the distributed system. The framework also includes a master to coordinate clustering and replication operations. The framework further includes a library of software programs, called primitives, that are used by agents to communicate with the master. The agent(s) obtain cluster status information and replication status information, which are used by the master to manage clustering and replication operations. The framework is designed to work with existing cluster management applications and data replication facilities. The framework provides status information needed for coordinating clustering and replication operations to ensure that applications and data remain in a consistent state for disaster recovery purposes.

Abstract: Systems and methods consistent with the present invention ensure software integrity by associating each software component to be included in a federation with a distinct unique identifier. A subset of the identifiers corresponding to any two software components should match for the federation to be accepted.

Abstract: A system for multi-staged in-memory checkpoint replication with relaxed consistency includes a replication manager and a cluster with a plurality of nodes. In accordance with a configurable replication policy, the replication manager may be configured to identify a primary group of nodes to store primary replicas of a specified source memory region of a source node, and to identify a node of the primary group as an initiator of replication to a secondary group of nodes. In response to a replication request, the replication manager may be configured to copy contents of one or more data blocks of the source memory region to a each node of the primary group within a single atomic transaction, and initiate an operation to copy the contents of the data blocks from the initiator to an additional node of the secondary group.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing snapshots in a storage environment employing distributed block virtualization. In one embodiment, the system may include a volume server, a first and a second host computer system, and a plurality of physical block devices. The volume server may be configured to aggregate storage in the plurality of physical block devices into a plurality of logical volumes, where a particular logical volume includes storage from at least two physical block devices. The volume server may further be configured to make a first and a second subset of the logical volumes available to the first and second host computer systems for input/output, respectively. The first subset and the second subset may be at least partially nonoverlapping, and a second logical volume may be configured to store a snapshot of data stored in a first logical volume logical volume.

Abstract: A method for creating a snapshot copy of a database object includes creating a mirror of the database on a plurality of volumes. A user may provide a request to create a snapshot of a database object to a database utility. The database utility responds to the snapshot request by providing an indication of selected volumes of the mirror that correspond to the database object to a volume manager. The volume manager then creates a snapshot volume for each of the selected volumes of the mirror.

Abstract: Automated derivation of an initialization ordering for computing services distributed across multiple computing systems. The initialization ordering is derived by monitoring initialization times for the computing services for one or more prior initializations of the computing services. Initialization dependencies of the computing services are then estimated based on the time of their initialization. The entire initialization ordering is then derived based on the estimated initialization dependencies.

Abstract: A system for write forwarding in a storage environment employing distributed virtualization includes a first and a second storage server providing access to a first and a second physical storage device, respectively, a virtual device server and a virtual device client. The virtual device server may be configured to aggregate storage in the first and second physical storage device into a virtual storage device and make the virtual storage device accessible to the virtual device client for I/O operations. An update requested by the virtual device client may require a first physical write operation at the first physical storage device and a second physical write operation at the second physical device. The virtual device client may be configured to send an update request to the first storage server, rather than to both the first and the second storage servers.

Abstract: A method and system for mirror storage element resynchronization in a storage virtualization device is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a read operation on a region of a data volume is received at a first module of a first storage virtualization device where the data volume is associated with at least a first mirror storage element and a second mirror storage element, a state indicated by a bit corresponding to the region of the data volume within a first synchronization map is determined in response to receiving the read operation, the read operation is processed using the first module if the bit is determined to indicate a first state and using a second module of the first storage virtualization device if the bit is determined to indicate a second state.