Abstract: A computer network-storage protocol system, including at least one initiator device having an initiator block layer and an initiator network layer interfacing with a first network driver; at least one target device having a target block layer and a target network layer interfacing with a second network driver; a plurality of network interface controllers (NICs) interfacing with the first network driver and the second network driver; a plurality of distinct channels, each channel establishing a connection between the initiator device and the target device and being configured to transmit packets between the initiator device and the target device, wherein each channel is mapped to only one NIC; and wherein the initiator block layer includes at least one request message buffer and at least one data message buffer.

Abstract: A storage system for organizing and maintaining metadata in a distributed network. The system includes: a network; a plurality of distributed nodes configured to communicate through the network; a plurality of block devices configured to communicate with the plurality of distributed nodes through the network; and a management server configured to communicate with each of the plurality of distributed nodes and block devices and further configured to arbitrarily associate metadata and data to any of the plurality of distributed nodes such that a global copy of the metadata does not exist in one or more fixed locations known to all distributed nodes.

Abstract: A method for caching a data block stored on a first storage device and onto a second storage device including determining whether a data block being requested contains a first type of data, upon a condition in which the data block contains the first type of data, writing the data block to the second storage device and upon a condition in which the data block does not contain the first type of data, determining whether a correspondingly mapped block on the second storage device contains the first type of data, and only writing the data block to the second storage device upon a condition in which the correspondingly mapped block does not contain the first type of data.

Abstract: A computer network-storage protocol system, including at least one initiator device having an initiator block layer and an initiator network layer interfacing with a first network driver; at least one target device having a target block layer and a target network layer interfacing with a second network driver; a plurality of network interface controllers (NICs) interfacing with the first network driver and the second network driver; a plurality of distinct channels, each channel establishing a connection between the initiator device and the target device and being configured to transmit packets between the initiator device and the target device, wherein each channel is mapped to only one NIC; and wherein the initiator block layer includes at least one request message buffer and at least one data message buffer.

Abstract: A storage system for organizing and maintaining metadata in a distributed network. The system includes: a network; a plurality of distributed nodes configured to communicate through the network; a plurality of block devices configured to communicate with the plurality of distributed nodes through the network; and a management server configured to communicate with each of the plurality of distributed nodes and block devices and further configured to arbitrarily associate metadata and data to any of the plurality of distributed nodes such that a global copy of the metadata does not exist in one or more fixed locations known to all distributed nodes.

Abstract: A method for storage input/output (I/O) path configuration in a system that includes at least one storage device in network communication with at least one computer processor; the method comprising providing in the I/O path into at least: (a) a block-based kernel-level filesystem, (b) an I/O cache module controlling an I/O cache implemented on a first computer readable medium, (c) a journaling module, and (d) a storage cache module controlling a storage cache implemented on a second computer readable medium, the second computer readable medium having a lower read/write speed than the first computer readable medium. Furthermore, the steps of translating by the filesystem, based on computer executable instructions executed by the at least one processor, a file I/O request made by an application executed by the at least one computer processor into a block I/O request and fulfilling by the at least one processor the block I/O request from one of the I/O cache and the storage cache complete the I/O operation.

Abstract: A method for caching a data block stored on a first storage device and onto a second storage device including determining whether a data block being requested contains a first type of data, upon a condition in which the data block contains the first type of data, writing the data block to the second storage device and upon a condition in which the data block does not contain the first type of data, determining whether a correspondingly mapped block on the second storage device contains the first type of data, and only writing the data block to the second storage device upon a condition in which the correspondingly mapped block does not contain the first type of data.

Abstract: A method for managing data and corresponding computer program are provided.