Abstract: An embodiment of invention is a method of tunneling Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) extender discovery through a Fibre Channel (FC) fabric. The SAS interfaces on the SAS extender are initialized first. The FC links are then brought up and device routing table is built. Then a check is made to determine if any SAS devices are connected to the extender. If a SAS device is connected, extender registers its ID with a unique FC4 type as SAS tunneling device in the FC fabric nameserver, and queries discovery of the same device types. If another device of the same type is found, the local extender logs into remote extender through the FC fabric, performs a discovery and identifies all the SAS devices in the remote site, to identify all the devices and route traffic.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating an un-located asset in a computer center including a plurality of assets connected together by a network. The method comprises the steps of host asset of the computer center, obtaining an address for the un-located asset; and sending a command from the host asset to the un-located asset, through the computer center network, for the un-located asset to produce a signal for physically locating the un-located asset. Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of sending a request from the host asset to the un-located asset, through the computer center network, for the un-located asset to confirm that the un-located asset is in the computer center; and in response to receipt of said request, the un-located asset sending a signal to the host asset to confirm that the un-located asset is in the computer center.

Abstract: A method of adaptively selecting an optimum data deduplication chunking method receives a request to deduplicate a file, wherein the file has a file type. The method searches a table of file types, wherein the table includes, for each file type, a chunking method, a deduplication ratio, and a depulication ratio threshold. The method selects a chunking method for the file according to the table. The method chunks the file using the selected chunking method. The method deduplicates the chunked file according to prior art deduplication methods. The method calculates a deduplication ratio for the file type and updates the table with the calculated deduplication ratio for the file type. If the calculated deduplication ratio for the file type is less than the deduplication ratio threshold for the file type, the method selects a new chunking method for the file type and updates the table of file types with the new chunking method for the file type.

Abstract: A magnetic storage media includes a magnetic south-north servo band section and a magnetic north-south servo band section. The magnetic south-north servo band section includes a magnetic south-pole polarity initialized servo track segment and a magnetic north-pole polarity servo pattern recorded on the magnetic south-pole polarity initialized servo track segment. The magnetic north-south servo band section includes a magnetic north-pole polarity initialized servo track segment, and a magnetic south-pole polarity servo pattern recorded on the magnetic north-pole polarity initialized servo track segment. The magnetic south-north servo band section and the magnetic north-south servo band section are recorded relative to each other on a servo track to represent magnetic polarity encoded servo position information based on the magnetic north-pole polarity servo pattern and the magnetic south-pole polarity servo pattern.

Abstract: A method for performing parallel data indexing within a data storage system is disclosed. After the receipt of a group of data objects, the data objects are copied to an indexing module. Next, the copy of data objects within the indexing module are indexed by the indexing module while the data objects are being stored within a storage medium. The indices of the copy of data objects within the indexing module are stored in an index repository within the indexing module.

Abstract: A rotary switch rotates about an axis which is at acute angles to a lower cartridge surface and a cartridge end so that a first display surface and a second display surface may be independently accessed by disparate components residing in disparate planes. The display surfaces are generally orthogonal to each other and can have multiple facets, with each facet containing a subset of information. To aid this optical interrogation, the display surfaces may be generally orthogonal to the disparate interrogating components.

Abstract: A method for performing write calibrations on holographic storage media is disclosed. Initially, five identical and known calibration holograms are written on a holographic storage medium, in which three of the five calibration holograms are written with different laser power and three of the five calibration holograms are written with different time durations. A matched filter is then utilized to determine a cross-correlation between the five calibration holograms read from the holographic storage medium and their corresponding ideal calibration holograms previously stored within a memory device within the holographic storage drive. A least-squares fit of an ellipsoidal parabola to the cross-correlations is subsequently calculated to yield an optimal laser write power level and an optimal duration for a laser write pulse.

Abstract: A magnetic storage media includes a magnetic first-pole polarity initialized servo track segment and a magnetic second-pole polarity differential timing based servo pattern recorded on the magnetic first-pole polarity initialized servo track segment. The magnetic second-pole polarity differential timing based servo pattern represents magnetic encoded servo position information for facilitating a determination of a servo position error signal exclusive of noise.

Abstract: A magnetic storage media includes a magnetic first-pole polarity initialized servo track segment and a magnetic second-pole polarity differential timing based servo pattern recorded on the magnetic first-pole polarity initialized servo track segment. The magnetic second-pole polarity differential timing based servo pattern represents magnetic encoded servo position information for facilitating a determination of a servo position error signal exclusive of noise.

Abstract: This invention extends the distance at which a SAS extender can function. The distance is increased a large amount over the traditional 10 meters. As a result timers will not go off before the response can make a trip back. This is accomplished by emulating as a SAS expander, using SAS AIP's (Arbitration In Progress), and using a lookup table to determine which SAS events must be responded to immediately and which ones to be passed on to the remote link.

Abstract: A magnetic storage media includes one or more magnetic polarity encoded servo bands with each magnetic polarity encoded servo band including one or more magnetic south-north servo band sections and one or more magnetic north-south servo band sections. Each magnetic south-north servo band section includes a magnetic south-pole polarity initialized servo track segment and a magnetic north-pole polarity servo pattern recorded on the magnetic south-pole polarity initialized servo track segment. Each magnetic north-south servo band section includes a magnetic north-pole polarity initialized servo track segment, and a magnetic south-pole polarity servo pattern recorded on the magnetic north-pole polarity initialized servo track segment.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for hard disk drive redundancy. A demarcation module demarks a parity data block in each set of a specified number of data blocks on a hard disk drive. An association module associates a PBA of each un-demarked data block with a LBA. A write module writes the data to the un-demarked data blocks. A parity module calculates parity data for the data written to the un-demarked data blocks and the write module writes the parity data to the parity data block.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for the storing convolution-encoded data on a redundant array of independent storage devices (RAID) is described. The convolution-encoded data comprises error correction coded data to eliminate the need for parity as used in conventional RAID data storage. The number of storage devices may vary to accommodate expansion of storage capacity and provide on demand storage.

Abstract: A dual-path optical recording medium and an apparatus for accessing such are disclosed. The dual-path optical recording medium includes a substrate, an intermediate recording layer, a holographic recording layer and a dichronic mirror layer. The intermediate recording layer is a rewritable data storage layer with a relatively low storage capacity. The holographic recording layer is a write-once data storage layer with a relatively high storage capacity. The dichronic mirror layer is located between the holographic recording layer and the intermediate recording layer. The apparatus for accessing the dual-path optical recording medium includes a first light module capable of generating a first laser light, and a second light module capable of generating a second laser light.

Abstract: A dual-path optical recording medium and an apparatus for accessing such are disclosed. The dual-path optical recording medium includes a substrate, an intermediate recording layer, a holographic recording layer and a dichronic mirror layer. The intermediate recording layer is a rewritable data storage layer with a relatively low storage capacity. The holographic recording layer is a write-once data storage layer with a relatively high storage capacity. The dichronic mirror layer is located between the holographic recording layer and the intermediate recording layer. The apparatus for accessing the dual-path optical recording medium includes a first light module capable of generating a first laser light, and a second light module capable of generating a second laser light.

Abstract: A velocity calculator performs high-order calculations of servo frame velocities of a storage media, particularly tape and disk. The velocity calculator employs a servo frame indexing module for generating a first-order preceding servo frame velocity signal indicative of a first-order calculation of a preceding servo frame velocity including a first-order preceding servo frame error term based on first-order current servo frame velocity signal indicative of a first-order calculation of a current servo frame velocity including a first-order current servo frame error term. The velocity calculator further employs a velocity estimating module for generating a higher-order current servo frame velocity signal indicative of a second or higher order velocity calculation of the current servo frame velocity including a higher-order current servo frame error term based on the first-order preceding servo frame velocity signal and the first-order current servo frame velocity signal.

Abstract: A Redundant Array of Independent Devices uses convolution encoding to provide redundancy of the striped data written to the devices. No parity is utilized in the convolution encoding process. Trellis decoding is used for both reading the data from the RAID and for rebuilding missing encoded data from one or more failed devices, based on a minimal, and preferably zero, Hamming distance for selecting the connected path through the trellis diagram.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for the storing convolution-encoded data on a redundant array of independent storage devices (RAID) is described. The convolution-encoded data comprises error correction coded data to eliminate the need for parity as used in conventional RAID data storage. The number of storage devices may vary to accommodate expansion of storage capacity and provide on demand storage.

Abstract: A secure data system employs a storage media and a storage drive. A storage media identification key is embedded in a non-user modifiable area of the storage media and associated with data recorded on the storage media. The storage drive includes a memory having a storage drive identification key embedded therein. In operation, the storage drive allows access to the data recorded on the storage media based on a validation by the storage drive of the storage drive identification key as a function of the storage media identification key.

Abstract: A Redundant Array of Independent Devices uses convolution encoding to provide redundancy of the striped data written to the devices. No parity is utilized in the convolution encoding process. Trellis decoding is used for both reading the data from the RAID and for rebuilding missing encoded data from one or more failed devices, based on a minimal, and preferably zero, Hamming distance for selecting the connected path through the trellis diagram.