Abstract: A pacing platform and functionality allows for controlling the pace of delivery of addressable assets in an addressable asset delivery system (100). The illustrated system (100) generally includes an asset delivery order system (102), a decisioning system (104), UEDs (106) and delivery platforms (108). The system (100) allows for delivery of targeted assets to users of UEDs (106) in connection with asset delivery opportunities of programming provided by one or more program delivery networks (122). The system (100) allows for more even pacing of assets delivered by individual UEDs while still collectively fulfilling the campaigns entered via the order system (102). In addition, the invention allows for operation of the order system (102) so as to avoid accepting campaign requests that likely cannot be fulfilled.

Abstract: Sharing resources in a virtualized environment includes providing access by a plurality of virtual platform clusters to distributed resources of the virtualized environment, where each of the virtual platform clusters has a director that manages resources for one or more virtual machines in a corresponding one of the virtual platform clusters. Sharing resources also includes dynamically managing sharing of the distributed resources among the plurality of virtual platform clusters according to a sharing arrangement, where the distributed resources include a plurality of objects. A first subset of the plurality of objects is shared among the plurality of virtual platform clusters differently than a second subset of the plurality of objects. At least some of the objects that are shared are also copied locally to different ones of the virtual platform clusters.

Abstract: Dynamic mobility of virtual data centers and converged infrastructure components, such as Vblocks, may be provided using a virtual platform product that federates and/or coordinates virtual storage. The system described herein enables sharing of distributed resources between multi-connected virtual platform clusters, such as VPLEX clusters, in a dynamic sharing arrangement. A virtual platform cluster may include one or more pairs of directors that enables failover from one director of the pair(s) to the other director of the pair(s) in a cluster in the case of hardware or path failure.

Abstract: A system for managing distributed storage includes a collection of one or more compute sites that are connected and that perform a joint computation. A witness node is connected to the one or more compute sites. A membership service allows a change in collection membership, in response to a failure, to continue the joint computation without causing data inconsistency or corruption. If the membership service is unable to reach a decision on the change in collection membership in response to the failure, the witness node controls the decision on the change in collection membership to continue the joint computation. A distributed storage system provided by the system described herein may advantageously meet consistency guarantees and maximize data access even when individual compute sites and/or their interconnects fail.

Abstract: Network data storage systems and methods allow computers reading and writing data at a plurality of data centers separated by, potentially, large distances to replicate data between sites such that the data is protected from failures, including complete Site failures, while not allowing network latency to significantly impede the performance of read or write operations. Continued access to all data is provided even after a single failure of any component of the system or after any complete failure of all equipment located at any single geographic region or any failure that isolates access to any single geographic region. Write data is replicated synchronously from Active Sites, e.g., sites where servers are writing data to storage resources, to Protection Sites located sufficiently close to Active Sites such that network latency will not significantly impact performance, but sufficiently far apart such that a regional disaster is unlikely to affect both sites.

Abstract: A technique for upgrading software running on a cluster of computerized nodes. The technique involves running a first version of the software on each node of the cluster. The technique further involves installing a second version of the software on each node in place of the first version of the software during an installation period and after running the first version of the software on each node. The second version of the software installed on each node includes a first version side and a second version side. At least one node of the cluster runs (i) the first version of the software or (ii) the first version side of the second version of the software at all times during the installation period. The technique further involves running the second version side of the second version of the software on each node of the cluster after the installation period.

Abstract: Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

Abstract: Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

Abstract: Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

Abstract: Write order fidelity (WOF) is maintained for totally-active implementations wherein a plurality of access nodes at geographically separated sites can concurrently read and/or write data in a “totally active” fashion on a distributed data system. From the hosts' perspective at diverse geographic locations, a synchronous, cache-coherent view of data is provided. Data transfer is asynchronous. A time ordered data image is created and maintained so operations can be restarted after a partial system failure that causes loss of data not yet asynchronously transferred across the network, but that has been write-acknowledged to the originating host. Time ordered asynchronous data transfer is implemented as a pipeline of changes that reflect contributions from all nodes. WOF also improves network performance and lowers bandwidth consumption.

Abstract: Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

Abstract: Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.

Abstract: Network data storage systems and methods allow computers reading and writing data at a plurality of data centers separated by, potentially, large distances to replicate data between sites such that the data is protected from failures, including complete Site failures, while not allowing network latency to significantly impede the performance of read or write operations. Continued access to all data is provided even after a single failure of any component of the system or after any complete failure of all equipment located at any single geographic region or any failure that isolates access to any single geographic region. Write data is replicated synchronously from Active Sites, e.g., sites where servers are writing data to storage resources, to Protection Sites located sufficiently close to Active Sites such that network latency will not significantly impact performance, but sufficiently far apart such that a regional disaster is unlikely to affect both sites.

Abstract: Write order fidelity (WOF) is maintained for totally-active implementations wherein a plurality of access nodes at geographically separated sites can concurrently read and/or write data in a “totally active” fashion on a distributed data system. From the hosts' perspective at diverse geographic locations, a synchronous, cache-coherent view of data is provided. Data transfer is asynchronous. A time ordered data image is created and maintained so operations can be restarted after a partial system failure that causes loss of data not yet asynchronously transferred across the network, but that has been write-acknowledged to the originating host. Time ordered asynchronous data transfer is implemented as a pipeline of changes that reflect contributions from all nodes. WOF also improves network performance and lowers bandwidth consumption.

Abstract: Multiple Array Management Functions (AMFs) are connected to multiple redundancy groups over a storage area network (SAN), such as a fiber-channel based SAN. The multiple AMFs share management responsibility of the redundancy groups, each of which typically includes multiple resources spread over multiple disks. The AMFs provide concurrent access to the redundancy groups for associated host systems. When a host requests an AMF to perform an operation on a resource, the AMF synchronizes with the other AMFs sharing control of the redundancy group that includes the resource to be operated on, so as to obtain access to the resource. While performing the operation, the AMF send replication data and state information associated with the resource such that if the AMF fails, any of the other AMFs are able to complete the operation and maintain data reliability and coherency.