Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to taking a snapshot of an origin volume in conjunction with a backup process in response to receiving a snapshot request by a snapshot service. A persistent time stamp associated with the creation time of the snapshot may be recorded on the origin volume. The persistent time stamp is accessible to the file system process associated with the origin volume in most embodiments. If access to a file is requested, the time the file was last modified may be compared with the persistent time stamp, and if the file modified time is earlier than the persistent time stamp, the file's archive bit can be reset. Otherwise, the archive bit is not reset. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for peer-to-peer (P2P) replicated backup and versioning. Peer clients register and share storage with one another for purposes of P2P data replication, data versioning, and/or data restoration via a P2P server. The P2P server also provides security and management between the peer clients. Moreover, the P2P sever can audit behaviors of the peer clients and take punitive actions against any of the peer clients that violate policy.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to assign a plurality of managing nodes to manage a corresponding plurality of groups of blocks forming a portion of a snapshot volume for copy-on-write execution and snapshot write execution. Further operations include coordinating the copy-on-write execution and the snapshot write execution using a write completion map accessible to the managing nodes. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for peer-to-peer (P2P) replicated backup and versioning. Peer clients register and share storage with one another for purposes of P2P data replication, data versioning, and/or data restoration via a P2P server. The P2P server also provides security and management between the peer clients. Moreover, the P2P sever can audit behaviors of the peer clients and take punitive actions against any of the peer clients that violate policy.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to compare a first hashed value of at least a first decryption key, the first decryption key received from a sender, to a second hashed value of at least a second decryption key that has been received as a signed value from a receiver. Further operations may include sending the first decryption key to the receiver and sending the signed value to the sender upon determining that the first hashed value matches the second hashed value. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to execute a plurality of screen saver program instances to display a plurality of separately visible screen saver images using a single display device at substantially the same time. In some embodiments, some or all of the screen saver images are displayed in a plurality of non-overlapping display compartments. The images may be selectively assigned a dominant color, or color scheme. The compartments may have boundaries that can be selectively revised. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing systems using common information models (CIM) are presented. According to a method embodiment, CIM functions are provided, and a file system interface for the CIM functions is provided. An embodiment of a method receives file operation commands through a client interface and performs CIM functions corresponding to the received file operation commands based on a mapping of the file operation commands to the CIM functions.

Abstract: System and method for offline management of software in VM images are described. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining updation-related information from the software application and an operating system in which the software application runs while the software application is in an online mode, writing the updation-related information to a first set of files of a virtual machine (VM) image while the software application is in the online mode, reading the updation-related information from the first set of files of the VM image while the software application is in an offline mode; using the read updation-related information to update the software application while the software application is in the offline mode; and writing post-updation files to a second set of files of the VM image using the updation-related information read from the first set of files while the software application is in the offline mode.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to emulate a virtual device with bidirectional communication capability using a hypervisor. A virtual machine, started by the hypervisor, is capable of receiving hypervisor information from, and transmitting virtual machine information to the hypervisor via the bidirectional communication capability. Further activity may include detecting the existence of the hypervisor information by detecting a logical connection of the virtual device, and masking the existence of the virtual device from a virtual machine user inside the virtual machine. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Abstract: Techniques for secure data management in a distributed environment are provided. A secure server includes a modified operating system that just allows a kernel application to access a secure hard drive of the secure server. The hard drive comes prepackaged with a service public and private key pair for encryption and decryption services with other secure servers of a network. The hard drive also comes prepackaged with trust certificates to authenticate the other secure servers for secure socket layer (SSL) communications with one another, and the hard drive comes with a data encryption key, which is used to encrypt storage of the secure server. The kernel application is used during data restores, data backups, and/or data versioning operations to ensure secure data management for a distributed network of users.

Abstract: Techniques for supporting disparate file systems are provided. A native file system is managed so as to be capable of supporting a protocol associated with access attempts to files of the file system, wherein the protocol is associated with a non-native and disparate file system. The files are managed, maintained, and served from the native file system to a plurality of similar and disparate operating systems and to similar and disparate file systems.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for peer-to-peer (P2P) replicated backup and versioning. Peer clients register and share storage with one another for purposes of P2P data replication, data versioning, and/or data restoration via a P2P server. The P2P server also provides security and management between the peer clients. Moreover, the P2P sever can audit behaviors of the peer clients and take punitive actions against any of the peer clients that violate policy.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for synchronizing and archive-versioning encrypted files. Blocks of encrypted data are managed and metadata is maintained for the blocks. The metadata identifies a maximum number of blocks and an index or parameter string. The string includes transaction identifiers and relative block numbers. The metadata is used as parameter information to a hash algorithm along with a hash key to acquire a unique initialization vector for each block. Each initialization vector when supplied to a cipher service along with a particular block of data produces an encrypted version of the data supplied or supplies a decrypted version of the data supplied. The techniques are also applied to files being archived and versioned from a storage volume.

Abstract: Replication techniques are presented. According to an embodiment of a method, a node of a replicated storage network is assigned to be an owner of a data block to issue write memory block commands. The network includes at least two nodes including the node assigned to be the owner. If a read memory block command is received to read the data block, a read_lock is issued for the data block, the data block is read, and the read_lock for the data block is released. If a write memory block command is received to write new data to the data block, a write_lock is issued for the data block, the data block is written and a version associated with the data block is incremented, and the write_lock for the data block is released.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for versioning files. Base files are acquired for files on a primary volume. At configurable points in time changes to the files are noted on different volumes, these changes are represented as deltas. The deltas are stored on an archive volume and represent versions and a version history for the files.

Abstract: Techniques are presented for secure broadcasting and multicasting. Communications for multicasting and broadcasting are encrypted and decrypted using a secure communication key. The secure communication key is represented in a broadcast value that is sent to selected parties. The broadcast value represents the product of unique prime numbers and an additional number plus the secure communication key. Each party is represented by one of the unique prime numbers. Each party can acquire the secure communication key by dividing the broadcast value by its particular prime number to obtain a remainder, which is the secure communication key.