Abstract: A RAID controller attached to a storage network can detect the presence of multiple pathways to the same physical storage device. A path collection module can dynamically maintain all valid pathways to all attached storage devices. A path selection module can automatically and dynamically balance and rebalance desired paths to each storage device so as to simultaneously optimize data flow and provide continuity of I/O service throughout the attached storage network.

Abstract: A belt drive system includes a drive sheave and a driven sheave. A drive motor turns the drive sheave when the drive motor is activated. A drive belt is connected to the drive sheave and the driven sheave so that the driven sheave is turned when the drive motor is activated. The drive motor is mounted upon a shuttle and the shuttle is slidingly mounted on a base. A drive system moves the shuttle when the adjustment motor is activated so that a position of the drive sheave relative to the driven sheave may be adjusted so as to increase a tension in the drive belt. A controller activates the adjustment motor when slippage of the drive belt on either the drive sheave or the driven sheave is detected.

Abstract: A belt driven fan system that detects belt slippage includes a fan sheave with a fan sheave marker positioned thereon and a motor sheave with a motor sheave marker positioned thereon. The system also includes a fan sheave sensor, a motor sheave sensor and a drive belt operatively connected between the fan shaft sheave and the motor sheave. A controller is in communication with the fan sheave sensor and the motor sheave sensor.

Abstract: An improved system and method within a storage area network (SAN) for establishing predictive grouping and presentation of target devices contained within the same physical enclosure(s) in an iSCSI/iSER to SAS/SATA storage router. Target devices within an enclosure are dynamically discovered in slot order and placed in an iSCSI/iSER storage node to facilitate access by SAN initiator devices.

Abstract: A fixture for lifting a heat exchanger header includes a first leg including a first receiver slot and a second leg including a second receiver slot and a first load arm pivotally attached to an upper portion of the first leg and a second load arm pivotally attached to an upper portion of the second leg. In use, the upper end portions of the first and second load arms are engaged by a lifting device. A first scissor arm is pivotally attached to the second leg and slidingly attached to the first leg by the first receiver slot. A second scissor arm is pivotally attached to the first leg and slidingly attached to the second leg by the second receiver slot. First and second connection plates are secured to the lower portions of the first and second legs and are connected to the tubing aperture of the heat exchanger header.

Abstract: A fixture for lifting a heat exchanger header includes a first leg including a first receiver slot and a second leg including a second receiver slot and a first load arm pivotally attached to an upper portion of the first leg and a second load arm pivotally attached to an upper portion of the second leg. In use, the upper end portions of the first and second load arms are engaged by a lifting device. A first scissor arm is pivotally attached to the second leg and slidingly attached to the first leg by the first receiver slot. A second scissor arm is pivotally attached to the first leg and slidingly attached to the second leg by the second receiver slot. First and second connection plates are secured to the lower portions of the first and second legs and are connected to the tubing aperture of the heat exchanger header.

Abstract: A RAID controller attached to a storage network can detect the presence of multiple pathways to the same physical storage device. A path collection module can dynamically maintain all valid pathways to all attached storage devices. A path selection module can automatically and dynamically balance and rebalance desired paths to each storage device so as to simultaneously optimize data flow and provide continuity of I/O service throughout the attached storage network.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved device, system and method for representation of target devices in a storage router. In one aspect, a device, system and method are provided for predictive representation of SAS/SATA-based target devices in a storage router corresponding to the physical layout of the target devices. In another aspect, a storage router is communicatively connectable to a plurality of target storage devices. In one embodiment, a router discovery manager or module is configured to discover the physical layout of the target storage devices; a host system interface receives and responds to data storage commands; a computer bus interface connects/communicates with SAS and SATA storage; and a plurality of host system interface to target storage device maps correspond to the physical layout of the target storage devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system of improving the efficiency, and ensuring the integrity, of a data transfer in a serverless backup, or third party copy, system having one or more physical storage devices. The present invention provides improvements to the processing of serverless copy, or EXTENDED COPY, commands, and transfers of data associated with such commands. These improvements increase the speed at which such commands are executed and completed, and increase the capabilities of copy managers in serverless backup systems. The improvements also make better use of the storage devices involved in the data backup process. Certain aspects of the invention allow for execution of data segments of any size, and providing a compiler for generating input/output actions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved device, system and method for representation of target devices in a storage router. In one aspect, a device, system and method are provided for predictive representation of SAS/SATA-based target devices in a storage router corresponding to the physical layout of the target devices. In another aspect, a storage router is communicatively connectable to a plurality of target storage devices. In one embodiment, a router discovery manager or module is configured to discover the physical layout of the target storage devices; a host system interface receives and responds to data storage commands; a computer bus interface connects/communicates with SAS and SATA storage; and a plurality of host system interface to target storage device maps correspond to the physical layout of the target storage devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system of improving the efficiency, and ensuring the integrity, of a data transfer in a serverless backup, or third party copy, system having one or more physical storage devices. The present invention provides improvements to the processing of serverless copy, or EXTENDED COPY, commands, and transfers of data associated with such commands. These improvements increase the speed at which such commands are executed and completed, and increase the capabilities of copy managers in serverless backup systems. The improvements also make better use of the storage devices involved in the data backup process. Certain aspects of the invention allow for execution of data segments of any size, and providing a compiler for generating input/output actions.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system of improving the efficiency, and ensuring the integrity, of a data transfer in a serverless backup, or third party copy, system having one or more physical storage devices. The present invention provides improvements to the processing of serverless copy, or EXTENDED COPY, commands, and transfers of data associated with such commands. These improvements increase the speed at which such commands are executed and completed, and increase the capabilities of copy managers in serverless backup systems. The improvements also make better use of the storage devices involved in the data backup process. The method broadly includes determining a desired manner of execution of segment descriptors, or instructions, as a function of components of those instructions. Other aspects of the invention allow for execution of data segments of any size, and validation of segment descriptors and target descriptors prior to data transfer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system of improving the efficiency, and ensuring the integrity, of a data transfer in a serverless backup, or third party copy, system having one or more physical storage devices. The present invention provides improvements to the processing of serverless copy, or EXTENDED COPY, commands, and transfers of data associated with such commands. These improvements increase the speed at which such commands are executed and completed, and increase the capabilities of copy managers in serverless backup systems. The improvements also make better use of the storage devices involved in the data backup process. The method broadly includes determining a desired manner of execution of segment descriptors, or instructions, as a function of components of those instructions. Other aspects of the invention allow for execution of data segments of any size, and validation of segment descriptors and target descriptors prior to data transfer.

Abstract: In association with a storage system, dividing or splitting file system I/O commands, or generating I/O subcommands, in a multi-connection environment. In one aspect, a host device is coupled to disk storage by a plurality of high speed connections, and a host application issues an I/O command which is divided or split into multiple subcommands, based on attributes of data on the target storage, a weighted path algorithm and/or target, connection or other characteristics. Another aspect comprises a method for generating a queuing policy and/or manipulating queuing policy attributes of I/O subcommands based on characteristics of the initial I/O command or target storage. I/O subcommands may be sent on specific connections to optimize available target bandwidth. In other aspects, responses to I/O subcommands are aggregated and passed to the host application as a single I/O command response.

Abstract: A capacitive sensor for mounting to a body, particularly a body such as a van door (55). The sensor has a sensor plate (51) to which a first signal is applied. A first guard plate (52) is interposed between the sensor plate (51) and the body (55), and a second guard plate (53) is interposed between the first guard plate (52) and the body (55). The first and second guard plates (52, 53) each have signals applied thereto which are the same or at least similar to the first signal applied to the sensor plate (51). In this way, the second guard plate (53) acts as a rear guard to the first guard (52) and reduces its capacitance to ground. This reduces the current drawn by the first guard (52), allowing it to more accurately track the signal on the sensor and consequently better mask the sensor plate (51) from the body (55).

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system of improving the efficiency, and ensuring the integrity, of a data transfer in a serverless backup, or third party copy, system having one or more physical storage devices. The present invention provides improvements to the processing of serverless copy, or EXTENDED COPY, commands, and transfers of data associated with such commands. These improvements increase the speed at which such commands are executed and completed, and increase the capabilities of copy managers in serverless backup systems. The improvements also make better use of the storage devices involved in the data backup process. The method broadly includes determining a desired manner of execution of segment descriptors, or instructions, as a function of components of those instructions. Other aspects of the invention allow for execution of data segments of any size, and validation of segment descriptors and target descriptors prior to data transfer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method and system of improving the efficiency, and ensuring the integrity, of a data transfer in a serverless backup, or third party copy, system having one or more physical storage devices. The present invention provides improvements to the processing of serverless copy, or EXTENDED COPY, commands, and transfers of data associated with such commands. These improvements increase the speed at which such commands are executed and completed, and increase the capabilities of copy managers in serverless backup systems. The improvements also make better use of the storage devices involved in the data backup process. The method broadly includes determining a desired manner of execution of segment descriptors, or instructions, as a function of components of those instructions. Other aspects of the invention allow for execution of data segments of any size, and validation of segment descriptors and target descriptors prior to data transfer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved disk drive carrier (10) for use in a disk storage system. The disk drive carrier includes a plurality of disk drives (11A, 11B) secured to a single printed circuit board (13), and a connector (14) with at least one input/output interface portion (22). In some aspects of the invention, the disk drives are ATA disk drives or Serial ATA disk drives. In other aspects of the invention, the disk drive carrier includes a single connector. In other aspects of the invention, the connector includes a bus portion (21), and in others, the bus portion (21) includes at least one I2C bus. Other aspects of the invention include non-volatile memory (15), power controlled circuitry (16), LEDs (23A, 23B, 24) and electrode-static discharge strips (17A, 17B, 17C). The present invention provides such a disk drive carrier compatible with industry-standard rack systems.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method of ensuring the integrity of command instructions exchanged between a host and an ATA device of an array of one or more ATA devices. The invention discloses a method of error detection for transfers of both control information and command information. The invention broadly includes the steps of: writing control information to one or more locations on the selected ATA device; reading the information stored at the corresponding locations; and comparing the control information to the information stored. Other aspects of the invention include writing command information to the ATA device; reading the information stored at the location to which the command information is written; and comparing the command information to the information stored. Other aspects of the invention terminate the command instruction if any compared information is not equal; or if the command instruction is not completed within a preset time interval.

Abstract: Apparatus for applying a coating of an insulation lacquer to a moving surface of a strip comprises a rotatable roller whose surface defines a multiplicity of cells and a reservoir containing a bath of heated organic/inorganic insulating lacquer in which a part of the roller surface is immersed when rotating. Insulating lacquer enters the cells of the roller surface and excess lacquer is wiped from the roller surface. A rotatable applicator roll having a substantially plain surface free of grooves or other indentations is rotated with its surface in contact with the surface of the lacquer carrying roller whereby lacquer present in the cells of the roller is transferred to the surface of the applicator roll. The surface to be coated is moved continuously past and in contact with the roll surface to apply a uniform coating of lacquer to that surface. The strip is preferably a strip of non-oriented electrical steel.