Abstract: A method for maintaining I/O statistics in a tiered storage environment includes maintaining, by a tiered storage layer within a storage system, I/O statistics for data storage elements or areas within the storage system. The tiered storage layer migrates data between storage tiers in accordance with the I/O statistics. A data services layer, that operates independently from the tiered storage layer, alters (e.g., compresses, decompresses) selected data within the storage system and generates a message to the tiered storage layer describing the alteration. The message identifies the selected data, how the selected data before the alteration maps to the selected data after the alteration, and an operator (e.g., percentage) to be applied to I/O statistics associated with the selected data as a result of the alteration The tiered storage layer receives this message and modifies its internal I/O statistics accordingly. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for printing multicolored three-dimensional objects. The method includes: selectively exposing a photosensitive thermoplastic feedstock to light within an extrusion nozzle, the feedstock comprising a thermoplastic base mixed with a photosensitive material; extruding the exposed feedstock into a deposit to print an object; and photo-chemically developing the deposit to provide color to the deposit. An apparatus is provided for three-dimensional printing with an extrusion nozzle including a light exposing component for selectively exposing the photosensitive thermoplastic feedstock to light within the extrusion nozzle.

Abstract: Mechanisms are provided for cabling a set of enclosures. Using a set of cables that comprises eight physical layers (PHYs), the set of enclosures are coupled together such that: for a first enclosure and each intermediate enclosure in the set of enclosures, at least four PHYs of the eight PHYs terminate within a Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) (SAS) expander of the first enclosure and a SAS expander of each intermediate enclosure white passing through a remaining four PHYs of the eight PHYs without connecting to the respective SAS expander; and, for a last enclosure in the set of enclosures, all of the eight PHYs terminate in the SAS expander of the last enclosure.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for printing multicolored three-dimensional objects. The method includes: selectively exposing a photosensitive thermoplastic feedstock to light within an extrusion nozzle, the feedstock comprising a thermoplastic base mixed with a photosensitive material; extruding the exposed feedstock into a deposit to print an object; and photo-chemically developing the deposit to provide color to the deposit. An apparatus is provided for three-dimensional printing with an extrusion nozzle including a light exposing component for selectively exposing the photosensitive thermoplastic feedstock to light within the extrusion nozzle.

Abstract: Operating a data storage system comprising a plurality of disk drives and a storage controller connected to the disk drives. A first subset and a second subset of the plurality of disk drives are operated as short stroked disk drives and non-short stroked disk drives, respectively. Priority storage spaces are defined including a high priority storage space, a moderate priority storage space, and a low priority storage space. Data is received including associated access rates for each portion of the data. One of the priority storage spaces is identified to store a portion of the data, based on the access rates for each portion of the data. Data accessed most frequently is stored in the high priority storage space, data accessed least frequently is stored in the low priority storage space, and the remaining data is stored in the moderate priority storage space.

Abstract: The various embodiments relate to a storage system, storage system method and computer program product including: providing a distributed collection of drives, each drive having logical blocks, each logical block being assignable to a segment with an associated volume and being configurable to RAID characteristics associated with that volume; assigning a first group of logical blocks to a segment with an associated volume and configuring the first group of logical blocks to RAID characteristics associated with that volume; and wherein a further group of logical blocks is ready to be assigned to any segment but is not yet assigned.

Abstract: A system comprises a video hosting subsystem configured to access a database of video streams. The video hosting subsystem comprises a processor for processing data associated with the video streams, and memory for storing data. The processor is configured to receive a user request to access a selected primary video stream. The processor is further configured to identify other video streams captured at substantially the same time and location as the selected primary video stream and in which a person specified in the user request appears. The processor is configured to select, from the identified other video streams, an alternative video stream. The processor is further configured to provide the user with access to the selected primary video stream, together with an option to access the alternative video stream.

Abstract: A RAID system, RAID controller, method, and computer program product for reducing the number of reads of XOR data in a multi-storage-enclosure RAID array includes a RAID array controller that implements a selected distributed RAID scheme. The RAID array controller determines a set of drives and logical block addresses corresponding to a parity group and divides the set of drives into subsets of drives that are located within each individual storage enclosure of the multiple storage enclosures. The controller issues a single EnclosureXOR Read to each storage enclosure corresponding to the subsets of drives to read enclosure-level intermediate XOR data calculated by each storage enclosure for each subset of drives and in response to receiving the enclosure-level intermediate XOR data results from all storage drives in the parity group, and calculates an array level XOR result by XORing the enclosure-level intermediate XOR data results from the storage enclosures.

Abstract: A method for replicating data from a primary site to a secondary site is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes tracking, at a primary site, updates to storage elements of a primary volume over a specified period of time. The method further calculates a size associated with the updates and communicates the size from the primary site to a secondary site. At the secondary site, using the size received from the primary site, the method determines an amount of storage space required to accommodate the updates in a secondary volume. In certain embodiments, this may include taking into account compression or deduplication algorithms at the secondary site. The method allocates the storage space to the secondary volume and replicates, from the primary site to the secondary site, the updates to the secondary volume. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of creating an artificially tiltable image display from an image containing Z distance values, the method comprising: separating the image into a plurality of layers using the Z distance values; expanding the plurality of layers by a factor dependent on the Z distance values, a layer closer to a viewer being enlarged by a larger factor than a layer further from a viewer, to create information in the layer further from a viewer that is occluded by the layer closer to a viewer; and responsive to a request to tilt the image display, moving the plurality of layers relative to each other so as to display the occluded information.

Abstract: A RAID system includes a storage enclosure comprising a plurality of independent data storage devices. A processor is associated with the storage enclosure. The processor is configured for processing data for the plurality of storage devices of the storage enclosure. The processor is configured to receive a request to read intermediate XOR data based on data stored in two or more of the plurality of storage devices of the storage enclosure. The processor is further configured to read data from each of the two or more storage devices in response to receiving the request. The processor is configured to determine intermediate XOR data based on the data read from the two or more storage devices of the storage enclosure. The intermediate XOR data may be provided to a RAID storage controller and may be used in an XOR-based recovery process.

Abstract: This invention relates to a storage system, storage system method and computer program product comprising: providing a distributed collection of drives, each drive having logical blocks, each logical block being assignable to a segment with an associated volume and being configurable to RAID characteristics associated with that volume; assigning a first group of logical blocks to a segment with an associated volume and configuring the first group of logical blocks to RAID characteristics associated with that volume; and wherein a further group of logical blocks is ready to be assigned to any segment but is not yet assigned.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of determining modified portions of a RAID storage array for use in resynchronizing said RAID storage array after a failure, the computer-implemented method comprising: resolving areas in the RAID storage array that represent space allocated to volumes; resolving which of said allocated volumes comprise gathered writes; and for said allocated volumes that comprise gathered writes, resolving a set of writes that potentially have incomplete parity updates at the time of the failure.

Abstract: A system comprises a video hosting subsystem configured to access a database of video streams. The video hosting subsystem comprises a processor for processing data associated with the video streams, and memory for storing data. The processor is configured to receive a user request to access a selected primary video stream. The processor is further configured to identify other video streams captured at substantially the same time and location as the selected primary video stream and in which a person specified in the user request appears. The processor is configured to select, from the identified other video streams, an alternative video stream. The processor is further configured to provide the user with access to the selected primary video stream, together with an option to access the alternative video stream.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for backing up metadata in a data storage system. Given metadata stored on the data storage system is implemented by way of a tree structure operable by fixed mapping. A stream of snapshots is taken of leaves in the metadata tree structure of given metadata stored on persistent data storage. The metadata tree structure of the given metadata stored on the persistent data storage is reconstructed on a basis of the stream of snapshots taken for backing up the given metadata stored on the persistent data storage. A journal over the reconstructed metadata tree structure is then replayed. In response to a given status discrepancy being flagged in respect of any given metadata, the status of a given leaf corresponding thereto in the reconstructed data tree structure is modified for consistency with the corresponding journal entry in the journal for that given metadata.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems of managing a plurality of storage devices having a lifetime of a finite number of operations. An average number of storage devices reaching said lifetime of a finite number of operations per first unit time is calculated. For each one of the plurality of storage devices an estimated date when a finite number of operations will be reached is calculated. For each date, a variable related to the number of storage devices reaching said finite number of operations within a predetermined period of said date is set. For one or more variables having a value larger than average number of storage devices reaching said lifetime of a finite number of operations per first unit time, an action is carried out to reduce the number of storage devices reaching said lifetime per first unit of time.

Abstract: Cache management. It is determined that a cache operation relating to the transfer of data between a cache memory and a data storage system is required. A state of a utilization model is received, the utilization model including requirements for utilization of resources of the data storage system over a time period, and the state indicating a cost of resource utilization associated with cache operations in the current time period. It is determined whether to perform the cache operation, based on the utilization requirements and the state of a utilization model. If the cache operation is not to be performed, and if the cache operation is a write operation, it is determined whether the cache memory is full. If so, the cache operation is managed according to an emergency cache management process; if not, the data associated with the cache operation is maintained in the cache memory.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide techniques for implementation of a photographic effect. An image is acquired while in a zoom configuration. The image is divided into pixel groups. A distance is determined for each group of pixels. The groups of pixels are based on the detected distance of the group of pixels from the camera. The detected distance can be based on the autofocus module within the camera. The detected distance can be a relative distance or an absolute distance. An expansion factor is determined for each group of pixels based on the corresponding determined distance. Expanded pixel groups are created for each pixel group based on the expansion factor. The expanded pixel groups are composited together to create the processed image.

Abstract: Disclosed embodiments provide techniques for implementation of a photographic effect. An image is acquired while in a zoom configuration. The image is divided into pixel groups. A distance is determined for each group of pixels. The groups of pixels are based on the detected distance of the group of pixels from the camera. The detected distance can be based on the autofocus module within the camera. The detected distance can be a relative distance or an absolute distance. An expansion factor is determined for each group of pixels based on the corresponding determined distance. Expanded pixel groups are created for each pixel group based on the expansion factor. The expanded pixel groups are composited together to create the processed image.

Abstract: A method for minimizing head seek movement and improving I/O performance of a hard disk drive is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method includes logically dividing storage space of a hard disk drive into storage areas of substantially equal size. The method monitors a temperature of each of the storage areas. The temperature indicates how frequently data in a corresponding storage area is accessed. The method swaps data in storage areas of the hard disk drive based on temperature. These swaps involve moving hotter data toward outer tracks of the disk drive and colder data toward inner tracks of the disk drive. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed.