Patents by Inventor David B. Pinkney

David B. Pinkney 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: 9904605
    Abstract: An “operate with missing region” feature allows a cluster to continue servicing reads for available regions even when some regions are missing. Upon a given node failure condition, the cluster is placed in an effective read-only mode for all regions. The node failure condition typically is one where there has been a failure of an authoritative region copy and no backup copy is then available. Typically, “read-only” means no client write or update requests succeed while the cluster is in this state. Those requests should fail with an error message that indicates failure because of the read-only status. Preferably, such requests are re-tried. In this mode, regions are only allowed to perform read operations but the cluster continues to operate with missing regions, and missing regions are entered on a region map. The cluster then automatically recovers returning missing regions, after which it leaves the read-only state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Patent number: 9678962
    Abstract: Content platform management is enhanced by logically partitioning a physical cluster that comprises a redundant array of independent nodes. Using an interface, an administrator defines one or more “tenants” within the archive cluster, wherein a tenant has a set of attributes including, for example, namespaces, administrative accounts, data access accounts, and a permission mask. A namespace is a logical partition of the cluster that serves as a collection of objects typically associated with at least one defined application. Each namespace has a private file system such that access to one namespace (and its associated objects) does not enable a user to access objects in another namespace. A namespace has capabilities (e.g., read, write, delete, purge, and the like) that a namespace administrator can choose to enable or disable for a given data account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: David B. Pinkney, Robert J. Primmer, Russell A. Neufeld, Donald P. Pannese, John F. Burnham, Lisa Dames, Jack A. Orenstein
  • Publication number: 20160070622
    Abstract: An “operate with missing region” feature allows a cluster to continue servicing reads for available regions even when some regions are missing. Upon a given node failure condition, the cluster is placed in an effective read-only mode for all regions. The node failure condition typically is one where there has been a failure of an authoritative region copy and no backup copy is then available. Typically, “read-only” means no client write or update requests succeed while the cluster is in this state. Those requests should fail with an error message that indicates failure because of the read-only status. Preferably, such requests are re-tried. In this mode, regions are only allowed to perform read operations but the cluster continues to operate with missing regions, and missing regions are entered on a region map. The cluster then automatically recovers returning missing regions, after which it leaves the read-only state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Patent number: 9183096
    Abstract: An “operate with missing region” feature allows a cluster to continue servicing reads for available regions even when some regions are missing. Upon a given node failure condition, the cluster is placed in an effective read-only mode for all regions. The node failure condition typically is one where there has been a failure of an authoritative region copy and no backup copy is then available. Typically, “read-only” means no client write or update requests succeed while the cluster is in this state. Those requests should fail with an error message that indicates failure because of the read-only status. Preferably, such requests are re-tried. In this mode, regions are only allowed to perform read operations but the cluster continues to operate with missing regions, and missing regions are entered on a region map. The cluster then automatically recovers returning missing regions, after which it leaves the read-only state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Publication number: 20140289277
    Abstract: Content platform management is enhanced by logically partitioning a physical cluster that comprises a redundant array of independent nodes. Using an interface, an administrator defines one or more “tenants” within the archive cluster, wherein a tenant has a set of attributes including, for example, namespaces, administrative accounts, data access accounts, and a permission mask. A namespace is a logical partition of the cluster that serves as a collection of objects typically associated with at least one defined application. Each namespace has a private file system such that access to one namespace (and its associated objects) does not enable a user to access objects in another namespace. A namespace has capabilities (e.g., read, write, delete, purge, and the like) that a namespace administrator can choose to enable or disable for a given data account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: David B. Pinkney, Robert J. Primmer, Russell A. Neufeld, Donald P. Pannese, John F. Burnham, Lisa Dames, Jack A. Orenstein
  • Patent number: 8812445
    Abstract: This disclosure enables a user to incrementally increase or decrease the size of the cluster and, in particular, to incrementally increase or decrease the number of map regions implemented in a metadata manager associated with the cluster while maintaining availability of the cluster. In a representative embodiment, a configurable target map size is identified, either manually (e.g., by the user) or programmatically. If the target map size is found to be within an acceptable value (given the available node configuration), a procedure to create a new map is triggered. The new map preferably is generated as follows. Initially, one or more new temporary region(s) are created either to split or join the existing regions (depending on whether the map is being increased or decreased). For each temporary region, the process also generates MDPL backup regions. Metadata from an original region (or regions) is then migrated to the temporary region(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Patent number: 8782047
    Abstract: Content platform management is enhanced by logically partitioning a physical cluster that comprises a redundant array of independent nodes. Using an interface, an administrator defines one or more “tenants” within the archive cluster, wherein a tenant has a set of attributes including, for example, namespaces, administrative accounts, data access accounts, and a permission mask. A namespace is a logical partition of the cluster that serves as a collection of objects typically associated with at least one defined application. Each namespace has a private file system such that access to one namespace (and its associated objects) does not enable a user to access objects in another namespace. A namespace has capabilities (e.g., read, write, delete, purge, and the like) that a namespace administrator can choose to enable or disable for a given data account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
    Inventors: David B. Pinkney, Robert J. Primmer, Russell A. Neufeld, Donald P. Pannese, John F. Burnham, Lisa Dames, Jack A. Orenstein
  • Publication number: 20140157049
    Abstract: An “operate with missing region” feature allows a cluster to continue servicing reads for available regions even when some regions are missing. Upon a given node failure condition, the cluster is placed in an effective read-only mode for all regions. The node failure condition typically is one where there has been a failure of an authoritative region copy and no backup copy is then available. Typically, “read-only” means no client write or update requests succeed while the cluster is in this state. Those requests should fail with an error message that indicates failure because of the read-only status. Preferably, such requests are re-tried. In this mode, regions are only allowed to perform read operations but the cluster continues to operate with missing regions, and missing regions are entered on a region map. The cluster then automatically recovers returning missing regions, after which it leaves the read-only state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Patent number: 8600944
    Abstract: Cluster recovery time is reduced by an incremental refresh technique that is described herein. The goal of the technique is to salvage the portion of the redundant distributed database lost (e.g., during a fault) by performing an incremental refresh of only the updates occurring to that portion of the database since the time of loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Patent number: 8533155
    Abstract: A content platform (or “cluster”) that comprises a redundant array of independent nodes is logically partitioned. Using a web-based interface, an administrator defines one or more “tenants” within the cluster, wherein a tenant has a set of attributes: namespaces, administrative accounts, data access accounts, and a permission mask. A namespace is a logical partition of the cluster that serves as a collection of objects typically associated with at least one defined application. Each namespace has a private file system with respect to other namespaces. This approach enables a user to segregate cluster data into logical partitions. According to this disclosure, tenant information, including all associated namespaces, in the cluster (the “source cluster”) is replicated to at least one target cluster over a replication link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
    Inventors: David B. Pinkney, Matthew M. McDonald, Benjamin J. Isherwood
  • Patent number: 8515915
    Abstract: An “operate with missing region” feature of this disclosure allows the cluster to continue servicing reads for available regions even when some regions are missing. In particular, upon a given node failure condition, the cluster is placed in an effective read-only mode for all regions. The node failure condition typically is one where there has been a failure of an authoritative region copy and no backup copy is then available. As used herein, “read-only” means that no client write or update requests will succeed while the cluster is in this state. In particular, those requests should fail with an error message (or the like) that indicates failure because of the read-only status. Preferably, such requests are then re-tried. In this mode, all regions are only allowed to perform read operations. During the read-only state, the cluster continues to operate with missing regions, and missing regions are entered on the region map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Publication number: 20120078850
    Abstract: This disclosure enables a user to incrementally increase or decrease the size of the cluster and, in particular, to incrementally increase or decrease the number of map regions implemented in a metadata manager associated with the cluster while maintaining availability of the cluster. In a representative embodiment, a configurable target map size is identified, either manually (e.g., by the user) or programmatically. If the target map size is found to be within an acceptable value (given the available node configuration), a procedure to create a new map is triggered. The new map preferably is generated as follows. Initially, one or more new temporary region(s) are created either to split or join the existing regions (depending on whether the map is being increased or decreased). For each temporary region, the process also generates MDPL backup regions. Metadata from an original region (or regions) is then migrated to the temporary region(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Publication number: 20120078847
    Abstract: Cluster recovery time is reduced by an incremental refresh technique that is described herein. The goal of the technique is to salvage the portion of the redundant distributed database lost (e.g., during a fault) by performing an incremental refresh of only the updates occurring to that portion of the database since the time of loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Publication number: 20120078849
    Abstract: An “operate with missing region” feature of this disclosure allows the cluster to continue servicing reads for available regions even when some regions are missing. In particular, upon a given node failure condition, the cluster is placed in an effective read-only mode for all regions. The node failure condition typically is one where there has been a failure of an authoritative region copy and no backup copy is then available. As used herein, “read-only” means that no client write or update requests will succeed while the cluster is in this state. In particular, those requests should fail with an error message (or the like) that indicates failure because of the read-only status. Preferably, such requests are then re-tried. In this mode, all regions are only allowed to perform read operations. During the read-only state, the cluster continues to operate with missing regions, and missing regions are entered on the region map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: HITACHI DATA SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan G. Bryant, Kevin S. Grimaldi, Trek Palmer, David B. Pinkney
  • Publication number: 20110106802
    Abstract: Content platform management is enhanced by logically partitioning a physical cluster that comprises a redundant array of independent nodes. Using an interface, an administrator defines one or more “tenants” within the archive cluster, wherein a tenant has a set of attributes including, for example, namespaces, administrative accounts, data access accounts, and a permission mask. A namespace is a logical partition of the cluster that serves as a collection of objects typically associated with at least one defined application. Each namespace has a private file system such that access to one namespace (and its associated objects) does not enable a user to access objects in another namespace. A namespace has capabilities (e.g., read, write, delete, purge, and the like) that a namespace administrator can choose to enable or disable for a given data account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: David B. Pinkney, Robert J. Primmer, Russell A. Neufeld, Donald P. Pannese, John F. Burnham, Lisa Dames, Jack A. Orenstein