Patents by Inventor Christopher R. Long

Christopher R. Long 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).

  • Patent number: 9958913
    Abstract: A data storage sled is provided. The data storage sled includes a circuit card assembly comprising connectors for coupling to drive modules and a host connector for coupling the data storage sled to an external connector, an enclosure comprising apertures in the enclosure thorough which individual ones of the drive modules can be inserted into an associated connector on the circuit card assembly. The data storage sled also includes drive module mounting assembles configured to hold the individual ones of the drive modules into the associated connector by at least including movable mounting features to accommodate varying lengths among the individual ones of the drive modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Brenden Michael Rust, Seth Walsh, Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long
  • Publication number: 20180046513
    Abstract: Disaggregated computing architectures, platforms, and systems are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a disaggregated computing architecture is presented. The method includes, receiving user commands to establish compute units among a plurality of physical computing components, each of the compute units comprising one or more of the plurality of physical computing components selected from among central processing units (CPUs), graphics processing units (GPUs), storage modules, and network interface modules. The method also includes forming the compute units based at least on logical partitioning within a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) fabric communicatively coupling the plurality of physical computing components, wherein each of the compute units have visibility over the PCIe fabric to the one or more of the plurality of physical computing components assigned to the associated compute units using the logical partitioning within the PCIe fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20180046514
    Abstract: Disaggregated computing architectures, platforms, and systems are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating compute units is presented that includes forming compute units among a plurality of physical computing components comprising at least central processing units (CPUs), storage modules, and network interface modules coupled over a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) fabric configured to communicatively couple the plurality of physical computing components and isolate the compute unit in the clustered environment using logical partitioning within the PCIe fabric. The method also includes initiating a software component deployed to at least associated CPUs within the compute units, reporting telemetry to the management processor related to operation of the compute unit, and emulating operation of an Ethernet interface to an operating system of the associated CPU for transfer of communications comprising at least the telemetry to the management processor over the PCIe fabric.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20180046338
    Abstract: Disaggregated computing architectures, platforms, and systems are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating at graphical user interface system to a disaggregated computing platform is provided. The method includes receiving user input for a cluster interface portion to establish compute clusters comprising compute units for executing user software thereon, and receiving further user input to add physical resources into one or more compute units that are coupled over a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) fabric and associate the one or more compute units to associated ones of the compute clusters, the physical resources comprising processing resources, storage resources, and network interface resources. The method also includes presenting indications of the formation of the physical resources into the compute units and the compute units into the compute clusters, and presenting telemetry data related to operation of at least the compute units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2017
    Publication date: February 15, 2018
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20180004615
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes storage drives each comprising a PCIe interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to data transactions received over a switched PCIe fabric. The data storage system includes processors configured to each manage only an associated subset of the storage drives over the switched PCIe fabric. A first processor is configured to identify first data packets received over a network interface associated with the first processor within a network buffer of the first processor as comprising a storage operation associated with at least one of the plurality of storage drives managed by a second processor, and responsively transfer the first data packets into a network buffer of the second processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20170357609
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and architectures for storage interposers are provided herein. In one example, a storage interposer module includes Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch circuitry receives storage operations over a host connector that are issued by one or more host systems and transfers the storage operations for storage by one or more storage devices over drive PCIe interfaces. The storage interposer module also includes a control module configured to monitor the storage operations in the PCIe switch circuitry via a control interface coupled between the PCIe switch circuitry and the interposer control module, and selectively direct delivery of each of the storage operations to corresponding storage areas among the one or more storage devices based at least on information monitored about the storage operations in the PCIe switch circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2017
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Inventors: Christopher R. Long, Phillip Clark, Jason Breakstone, Huiji Wang, Sumit Puri
  • Patent number: 9798636
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes storage drives each comprising a PCIe interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to data transactions received over a switched PCIe fabric. The data storage system includes processors configured to each manage only an associated subset of the storage drives over the switched PCIe fabric. A first processor is configured to identify first data packets received over a network interface associated with the first processor within a network buffer of the first processor as comprising a storage operation associated with at least one of the plurality of storage drives managed by a second processor, and responsively transfer the first data packets into a network buffer of the second processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20170286243
    Abstract: Data storage systems are provided that include network interfaces each configured to receive storage operations issued by one or more host systems for handling by the data storage system, and transfer the storage operations over a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) fabric. The data storage systems also include processors configured to receive the storage operations over the PCIe fabric, process properties of the storage operations against allocation information of a shared PCIe address space to determine target processors to handle the storage operations, and selectively transfer ones of the storage operations to the target processors for handling of the storage operations with associated storage drives coupled over the PCIe fabric. The data storage systems also identifie failed ones of the processors and responsively initiate backup ones of the processors to handle portions of the shared PCIe address space handled by the failed ones of the processors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2017
    Publication date: October 5, 2017
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20170235347
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and assemblies for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data processing assembly is presented. The data processing assembly includes a midplane assembly configured to electrically couple on a first side to storage modules, compute modules, or graphics modules, electrically couple on a second side to communication modules and one or more power supply modules. The data processing assembly includes a chassis configured to mechanically house and structurally support each of the storage modules, the compute modules, the communication modules, and the one or more power supply modules when coupled to the midplane assembly to form the data processing assembly and allow installation of the data processing assembly into a rackmount environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Seth Walsh, Brenden Michael Rust, Christopher R. Long, Jason Breakstone
  • Publication number: 20170228336
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes a plurality of storage drives each comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to storage operations. The data storage system includes one or more processing modules comprising one or more processors communicatively coupled to the plurality of storage drives over a PCIe fabric comprised of one or more PCIe switches. The processors are configured to share a PCIe address space associated with the PCIe fabric for transfer of the storage operations to appropriate ones of the processors that manage ones of the plurality of storage drives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20170220505
    Abstract: Enhanced data storage devices in various form factors are discussed herein. In one example, a storage drive includes a plurality of storage devices configured to store and retrieve data responsive to operations received over Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interfaces, a PCIe switch circuit communicatively coupled to the PCIe interfaces of the storage devices and configured to receive over a host connector the operations issued by a host system and transfer the storage operations for ones of the storage devices over associated ones of the PCIe interfaces. The storage drive includes holdup circuitry configured to provide holdup power the storage devices. The storage drive includes a first circuit board assembly comprising three storage device connectors that couple to corresponding storage devices, and a second circuit board assembly comprising a further storage device connector that couples to a further storage device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Brenden Michael Rust, Christopher R. Long, Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Sumit Puri, Bryan Schramm, Seth Walsh
  • Patent number: 9684575
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes storage drives each comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to data transactions. The data storage system also includes processing modules each comprising one or more processors, where a first processor is configured to receive data transactions and transfer the data transactions for delivery to associated ones of the storage drives. A monitoring system is configured to identify when the first processor fails, and responsively instruct a second processor to handle further data transactions directed to storage drives associated with the first processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20170150621
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data systems are provided herein. In one example, a meshed computing architecture is presented that includes a midplane comprising PCIe interconnect, storage modules configured to couple to a first portion of the PCIe interconnect, controller modules configured to couple to a second portion of the PCIe interconnect, and fabric modules configured to couple to a third portion of the PCIe interconnect. The first portion of the PCIe interconnect communicatively couples each of the storage modules to each of the controller modules and each of the fabric modules, the second portion of the PCIe interconnect communicatively couples each of the controller modules to each of the fabric modules, and third portion of the PCIe interconnect communicatively couples the controller modules to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 25, 2017
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Andrew R. Heyd, Seth Walsh, Christopher R. Long, Michael D. Harrington
  • Patent number: 9653124
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and assemblies for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage assembly is presented. The data storage assembly includes a midplane assembly configured to electrically couple on a first side to storage modules and compute modules, electrically couple on a second side to communication modules and one or more power supply modules. The data storage assembly includes a chassis configured to mechanically house and structurally support each of the storage modules, the compute modules, the communication modules, and the one or more power supply modules when coupled to the midplane assembly to form the data storage assembly and allow installation of the data storage assembly into a rackmount environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Seth Walsh, Brenden Michael Rust, Christopher R. Long, Jason Breakstone
  • Patent number: 9645902
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage system is provided that includes a plurality of storage drives each comprising a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface, and configured to store data and retrieve the data stored on associated storage media responsive to storage operations. The data storage system includes one or more processing modules comprising one or more processors communicatively coupled to the plurality of storage drives over a PCIe fabric comprised of one or more PCIe switches. The processors are configured to share a PCIe address space associated with the PCIe fabric for transfer of the storage operations to appropriate ones of the processors that manage ones of the plurality of storage drives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20170045922
    Abstract: A data storage sled is provided. The data storage sled includes a circuit card assembly comprising connectors for coupling to drive modules and a host connector for coupling the data storage sled to an external connector, an enclosure comprising apertures in the enclosure thorough which individual ones of the drive modules can be inserted into an associated connector on the circuit card assembly. The data storage sled also includes drive module mounting assembles configured to hold the individual ones of the drive modules into the associated connector by at least including movable mounting features to accommodate varying lengths among the individual ones of the drive modules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Brenden Michael Rust, Seth Walsh, Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long
  • Publication number: 20170017600
    Abstract: Various computer peripheral cards, devices, systems, methods, and software are provided herein. In one example, a storage card insertable into a host system includes a plurality of storage device connectors in a stacked arrangement, each configured to mate with associated storage devices and carry Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) signaling for the associated storage devices. The storage card also includes a PCIe switch circuit configured to communicatively couple the PCIe signaling of the plurality of storage device connectors and PCIe signaling of a host connector of the storage card, where the PCIe switch circuit is configured to receive storage operations over the PCIe signaling of the host connector of the storage card and transfer the storage operations for delivery over the PCIe signaling of selected ones of the plurality of storage device connectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Patent number: 9501110
    Abstract: A data storage sled is provided. The data storage sled includes a circuit card assembly comprising connectors that couple to drive modules and a host connector for coupling the data storage sled to an external connector, an enclosure comprising hinged covers each configured to cover apertures in the enclosure thorough which individual ones of the drive modules can be inserted into an associated connector on the circuit card assembly. The data storage sled also includes drive module mounting assembles configured to hold the individual ones of the drive modules into the associated connector by at least including movable mounting features to accommodate varying lengths among the individual ones of the drive modules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: Liqid Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Brenden Michael Rust, Seth Walsh, Jason Breakstone, Christopher R. Long
  • Publication number: 20160335220
    Abstract: Various computer peripheral cards, devices, systems, methods, and software are provided herein. In one example, a storage card insertable into a connector of a host system includes a plurality of M.2 device connectors in a stacked arrangement comprising a first horizontal row of one or more M.2 device connectors positioned vertically higher in the stacked arrangement than a second horizontal row of one or more M.2 device connectors, the plurality of M.2 device connectors each configured to mate with associated M.2 devices. The storage card also includes a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) switch circuit configured to communicatively couple the plurality of M.2 device connectors and a connector of the storage card, wherein the PCIe switch circuit is configured to receive storage operations over the connector of the storage card and transfer the storage operations for delivery to ones of the plurality of M.2 device connectors over associated PCIe interfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 17, 2016
    Inventors: Jason Breakstone, Andrew Rudolph Heyd, Christopher R. Long, James Scott Cannata
  • Publication number: 20160321200
    Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for data storage systems are provided herein. In one example, a data storage platform includes data storage assemblies each comprising one or more storage drives that service data storage operations over associated storage interfaces. A control processor is coupled to ones of the data storage assemblies over at least two types of sideband communication interfaces different than the storage interfaces of the storage drives. During an initialization process for the one or more storage drives, the control processor configured to transfer initialization data to each of the data storage assemblies over a first type of sideband communication interface and transfer further initialization data to at least one of the data storage assemblies over a second type of sideband communication interface when the at least one of the data storage assemblies does not respond to the initialization data over the first type of sideband communication interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventors: Christopher R. Long, Jason Breakstone