Patents by Inventor Andy C. Kahn
Andy C. Kahn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9043291Abstract: A system and method verifies and restores the consistency of inode to pathname mappings. In a first embodiment, an off-line verification procedure is modified to verify and correct the primary name inode to pathname mapping information within inodes of a file system. In a second embodiment, an on-line file system verification process is modified to verify inode to pathname mapping information upon the loading of each inode within the file system.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2010Date of Patent: May 26, 2015Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Edward R. Zayas, Thomas Haynes, John Francis Gillono, Andy C. Kahn
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Patent number: 9009168Abstract: An on-disk storage arrangement increases the number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) that may be maintained for a volume of a storage system. The on-disk storage arrangement comprises a novel volume information (volinfo) block representing a root of the volume; the volinfo block is stored at predefined locations on disk and comprises various system wide configuration data. The volinfo block further comprises a data structure configured to provide a level of indirection that increases the number of PCPIs maintainable by a file system executing on the storage system. To that end, the data structure may be organized as an array of pointers, wherein each pointer references a block containing a snapshot root, thereby enabling efficient access to each PCPI maintained by the file system.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2012Date of Patent: April 14, 2015Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Emily Eng, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 8903761Abstract: A system and method maintains mappings from data containers to their parent directories within a file system of a storage system. Each inode is modified to include a primary name data structure comprising a parent directory inode and a parent directory cookie value. The parent directory cookie value identifies a particular directory entry within a specified block of a directory identified by parent directory inode. An alternate name file is utilized to store alternate names, such as those associated with hard links.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2010Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Edward R. Zayas, Thomas Haynes, John Francis Gillono, Andy C. Kahn, Sreelatha S. Reddy
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Publication number: 20120150807Abstract: An on-disk storage arrangement increases the number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) that may be maintained for a volume of a storage system. The on-disk storage arrangement comprises a novel volume information (volinfo) block representing a root of the volume; the volinfo block is stored at predefined locations on disk and comprises various system wide configuration data. The volinfo block further comprises a data structure configured to provide a level of indirection that increases the number of PCPIs maintainable by a file system executing on the storage system. To that end, the data structure may be organized as an array of pointers, wherein each pointer references a block containing a snapshot root, thereby enabling efficient access to each PCPI maintained by the file system.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 21, 2012Publication date: June 14, 2012Inventors: Emily Eng, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 8122286Abstract: An on-disk storage arrangement increases the number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) that may be maintained for a volume of a storage system. The on-disk storage arrangement comprises a novel volume information (volinfo) block representing a root of the volume; the volinfo block is stored at predefined locations on disk and comprises various system wide configuration data. The volinfo block further comprises a data structure configured to provide a level of indirection that increases the number of PCPIs maintainable by a file system executing on the storage system. To that end, the data structure may be organized as an array of pointers, wherein each pointer references a block containing a snapshot root, thereby enabling efficient access to each PCPI maintained by the file system.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2006Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Emily Eng, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 7984085Abstract: A storage system, such as a file server, creates persistent consistency point images (PCPI) or “snapshots” that are point-in-time representations of the storage system. The storage system uses persistent consistency point images to backup or mirror data. Using data already found in the data block maps associated with these PCPI, the rate of change of data between persistent consistency point images can be determined.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2004Date of Patent: July 19, 2011Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Himanshu Aggarwal, Andy C. Kahn, Eric C. Hamilton
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Patent number: 7979395Abstract: A storage system, such as a file server, creates persistent consistency point images (PCPI) or “snapshots” that are point-in-time representations of the storage system. The storage system uses persistent consistency point images to backup or mirror data. Using data already found in the data block maps associated with these PCPI, the amount of space used by a set of these consistency points can be determined.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2004Date of Patent: July 12, 2011Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Himanshu Aggarwal, Andy C. Kahn, Eric C. Hamilton
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Patent number: 7930275Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for restoring a file from a snapshot, where a version of the file exists in both an active file system and the snapshot. A twin inode is created in the active file system and comparisons are made between block pointers of the twin inode and the snapshot. If there is a match, the block pointer of the twin inode is moved to the active file system. If there is not a match, a determination is made whether the snapshot block pointer exists in the active file system. If the snapshot block pointer does not exist in the active file system, it is copied to the active file system. If it does exist, then the actual data block pointed to by the snapshot block pointer is copied to the active file system. In this way, a file may be restored without the need to always copy every individual data block or inode from the snapshot.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2005Date of Patent: April 19, 2011Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Raymond C. Chen, Kayuri Patel, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 7899795Abstract: A system and method are provided to recover lost flexible volumes of an aggregate capable of supporting flexible volumes. The method includes discovering lost flexible volumes of the aggregate and recovering them. Wherein recovering a lost flexible volume includes creating and populating a new label file associated with an container inode.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2005Date of Patent: March 1, 2011Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Andy C. Kahn, George Cabrera, III
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Patent number: 7739318Abstract: A system and method maintains mappings from data containers to their parent directories within a file system of a storage system. Each inode is modified to include a primary name data structure comprising a parent directory inode and a parent directory cookie value. The parent directory cookie value identifies a particular directory entry within a specified block of a directory identified by parent directory inode. An alternate name file is utilized to store alternate names, such as those associated with hard links.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2005Date of Patent: June 15, 2010Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Edward R. Zayas, Thomas Haynes, John Francis Gillono, Andy C. Kahn, Sreelatha S. Reddy
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Publication number: 20100131474Abstract: A system and method verifies and restores the consistency of inode to pathname mappings. In a first embodiment, an off-line verification procedure is modified to verify and correct the primary name inode to pathname mapping information within inodes of a file system. In a second embodiment, an on-line file system verification process is modified to verify inode to pathname mapping information upon the loading of each inode within the file system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2010Publication date: May 27, 2010Inventors: Edward R. Zayas, Thomas Hynes, John Francis Gillono, Andy C. Kahn
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Patent number: 7707193Abstract: A system and method verifies and restores the consistency of inode to pathname mappings. In a first embodiment, an off-line verification procedure is modified to verify and correct the primary name inode to pathname mapping information within inodes of a file system. In a second embodiment, an on-line file system verification process is modified to verify inode to pathname mapping information upon the loading of each inode within the file system.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2005Date of Patent: April 27, 2010Assignee: NetApp, Inc.Inventors: Edward R. Zayas, Thomas Haynes, John Francis Gillono, Andy C. Kahn
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Patent number: 7552146Abstract: A system and method are provided to check consistency of an aggregate capable of supporting flexible volumes. The method includes identifying an inode having a flexible volume type present in the aggregate; determining whether the inode is identified in a metadata directory of the aggregate; and performing consistency check on the flexible volume associated with the inode.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2005Date of Patent: June 23, 2009Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards, Nitin Muppalaneni
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Patent number: 7467276Abstract: A system and method automatically generates a root volume for use by a storage operating system of a storage system. During initialization of the storage system, the storage operating system detects that no operational root volume exists and, in response, invokes a root volume generation process. The root volume generation process automatically creates a thinly provisioned flexible volume of the smallest allowable size on an aggregate. The created flexible volume is marked as the root volume for the storage system. The storage operating system then continues initialization utilizing the automatically generated root volume.Type: GrantFiled: October 25, 2005Date of Patent: December 16, 2008Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Andy C. Kahn, Blake H. Lewis
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Patent number: 7444361Abstract: A method for reducing duplicate data of an active file system, where the data is stored on a storage device of a storage system, is disclosed. A persistent image of the active file system is generated at a first point in time. At a later time, a sequence of steps to compare the active file system with the persistent image is initiated. Then, if a block of data of the active file system is identical to the data in the persistent image, the active file system is directed to refer to the persistent image for data of the file. Alternatively, if the block of data of the active file system is not identical to the data in the persistent image, the active file system is directed to refer to the data of the active file system. A file folding command may be issued to start the comparison.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2006Date of Patent: October 28, 2008Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Andy C. Kahn, Kayuri Patel, Raymond C. Chen, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 7313720Abstract: An on-disk storage arrangement increases the number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) that may be maintained for a volume of a storage system. The on-disk storage arrangement comprises a novel volume information (volinfo) block representing a root of the volume; the volinfo block is stored at predefined locations on disk and comprises various system wide configuration data. The volinfo block further comprises a data structure configured to provide a level of indirection that increases the number of PCPIs maintainable by a file system executing on the storage system. To that end, the data structure may be organized as an array of pointers, wherein each pointer references a block containing a snapshot root, thereby enabling efficient access to each PCPI maintained by the file system.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2004Date of Patent: December 25, 2007Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Emily Eng, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 7111021Abstract: A system and method for implementing on-the-fly block ownership accounting of snapshots in a file system is provided. For each snapshot, including the current active file system, the number of blocks that the snapshot is the youngest and oldest owner of is computed and stored in non-volatile storage. As file system operations modify the file system and associated snapshots, the youngest and oldest owner counts are updated concurrently with the execution of the file system operations, thereby providing near instantaneous access to the count information for use by various file system commands.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2003Date of Patent: September 19, 2006Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Blake H. Lewis, Andy C. Kahn
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Patent number: 7072910Abstract: A file folding technique reduces the number of duplicate data blocks of a file consumed on a storage device of a file server configured to generate a persistent image of its active file system at a point in time. According to the file folding technique, if “old” data blocks of the file are over-written with “new” data and that new data is identical to the data of the persistent file image, the old data blocks are “freed” and the file is directed to refer to the persistent image for its data. The invention reduces disk space consumption in a file server configured to generate persistent images of its active file system and, in particular, reduces overall persistent image disk usage.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2002Date of Patent: July 4, 2006Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Andy C. Kahn, Kayuri Patel, Raymond C. Chen, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 7051050Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for restoring a single file from a snapshot without the need to copy every individual block or inode from the snapshot. A file restore process duplicates the inode of a file within the active file system and performs a reconciliation process between the blocks of the twin inode and the snapshot inode. If the file does not exist within the active file system, a new buffer tree is created that points to the data blocks stored in the snapshot.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2002Date of Patent: May 23, 2006Assignee: Netwrok Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Raymond C. Chen, Kayuri Patel, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards
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Patent number: 6988220Abstract: An on-disk storage arrangement increases the number of persistent consistency point images (PCPIs) that may be maintained for a volume of a storage system. The on-disk storage arrangement comprises a novel volume information (volinfo) block representing a root of the volume; the volinfo block is stored at predefined locations on disk and comprises various system wide configuration data. The volinfo block further comprises a data structure configured to provide a level of indirection that increases the number of PCPIs maintainable by a file system executing on the storage system. To that end, the data structure may be organized as an array of pointers, wherein each pointer references a block containing a snapshot root, thereby enabling efficient access to each PCPI maintained by the file system.Type: GrantFiled: February 12, 2004Date of Patent: January 17, 2006Assignee: Network Appliance, Inc.Inventors: Emily Eng, Andy C. Kahn, John K. Edwards