Abstract: A clean air apparatus includes a fan and a filter for producing a flow of clean air and for discharging the clean air from an outlet and towards a target clean area. The apparatus includes a Coanda effect device disposed at least adjacent the clean air means, which is arranged, in use, to induce a Coanda effect upon the flow of clean air. The apparatus includes guide means for guiding the clean air towards a target clean area in the form of an air curtain. A method for discharging clean air towards a target clean area in the form of an air curtain includes inducing a Coanda effect upon the flow of clean air using the Coanda effect device; and guiding the discharged clean air, downstream of the Coanda effect device, towards a target clean area in the form of an air curtain.

Abstract: A method and system for backing up data is provided. The method includes storing a first plurality of data units in a backup storage, as a result of a fingerprint database being available, the first plurality of data units being deduplicated through application of the fingerprint database. The method includes storing a second plurality of data units in the backup storage, as a result of the fingerprint database being unavailable, wherein at least one step of the method is executed through a processor.

Abstract: A hybrid deduplication system operates to detect variable-sized deduplication matches, while performing the storage deduplication on fixed-size segments of data. The hybrid deduplication system calculates unique identifiers for variable-sized sections of data within a data stream being written to a deduplicated data store. The hybrid deduplication system then compares those newly-calculated identifiers to identifiers of variable-sized sections of data that have already been stored within the deduplicated data store. If a match is found, the hybrid deduplication system identifies the location of each of the fixed-size data segment(s), already stored in the deduplicated data store, that include the identified variable-sized section of data.

Abstract: A network attached storage management appliance that can be inserted into a pre-existing network. The appliance sits between an end user and the available storage and optimizes performance and storage through acceleration of data, migration of data, compression of data, deduplication of data, and expansion of storage. The device moves data between lower- and higher-performance storage, with frequently accessed data sitting in higher-performance storage and infrequently accessed data sitting in lower-performance storage.

Abstract: A network attached storage management appliance that can be inserted into a pre-existing network. The appliance sits between an end user and the available storage and optimizes performance and storage through acceleration of data, migration of data, compression of data, deduplication of data, and expansion of storage. The device moves data between lower- and higher-performance storage, with frequently accessed data sitting in higher-performance storage and infrequently accessed data sitting in lower-performance storage.

Abstract: A hybrid deduplication system operates to detect variable-sized deduplication matches, while performing the storage deduplication on fixed-size segments of data. The hybrid deduplication system calculates unique identifiers for variable-sized sections of data within a data stream being written to a deduplicated data store. The hybrid deduplication system then compares those newly-calculated identifiers to identifiers of variable-sized sections of data that have already been stored within the deduplicated data store. If a match is found, the hybrid deduplication system identifies the location of each of the fixed-size data segment(s), already stored in the deduplicated data store, that include the identified variable-sized section of data.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for a fingerprint service that maintains a fingerprint index configured to support a number of dissimilar fingerprint types. In one embodiment, the fingerprint service receives a lookup request, where the lookup request comprises one or more fingerprint descriptors, and each of the one or more fingerprint descriptors comprises a fingerprint value and a corresponding fingerprint type. A first fingerprint descriptor of the one or more fingerprint descriptors is identified. A first sub-index of a fingerprint index is selected, where the first sub-index is associated with a first fingerprint type of the first fingerprint descriptor. A lookup operation for a first fingerprint value of the first fingerprint descriptor is performed in the first sub-index. In response to the first fingerprint value being present in the first sub-index, information associated with the first fingerprint value is returned.

Abstract: A network attached storage management appliance that can be inserted into a pre-existing network. The appliance sits between an end user and the available storage and optimizes performance and storage through acceleration of data, migration of data, compression of data, deduplication of data, and expansion of storage. The device moves data between lower- and higher-performance storage, with frequently accessed data sitting in higher-performance storage and infrequently accessed data sitting in lower-performance storage.

Abstract: A first value is calculated as a function of data in an nth data block of a backup copy. The first value is then compared with each of a plurality of values in a plurality of entries, respectively, of a first data structure. The plurality of entries in the first data structure include a plurality of pointers, respectively, that correspond to a plurality of data blocks, respectively, in a storage system. If the first value compares equally to a value contained in one of the plurality of entries of the first data structure, a pointer of the one entry is added to an nth entry of a second data structure. This pointer corresponds to a copy of the nth data block that is stored in the storage system. If the first value does not compare equally with any value contained in the plurality of entries of the first data structure, (1) the nth data block is stored in the storage system, and (2) a first pointer is added to the nth entry of the second data structure.

Abstract: A clean air apparatus comprises clean air means for producing a flow of clean air and for discharging the clean air from an outlet and towards a target clean area. The apparatus comprises a Coanda effect device disposed at least adjacent the clean air means, which is arranged, in use, to induce a Coanda effect upon the flow of clean air. The apparatus comprises guide means for guiding the clean air towards a target clean area in the form of an air curtain.

Abstract: Storage systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a variable length segment storage method comprises: receiving a data stream; performing a tailored segment process on the data stream, wherein at least one of a plurality of tailored segments include corresponding data of at least one of a plurality of variable length segments and alignment padding to align with boundaries of a fixed length de-duplication scheme; performing a de-duplication process on the plurality of tailored segments; and storing information corresponding to the result of the de-duplication process. In one embodiment, the tailored segment process includes adjusting the alignment padding of the at least one of a plurality of tailored segments, wherein an adjustment in the alignment padding of the at least one of a plurality of tailored segments corresponds to a modification in the at least one of the plurality of variable length segments.

Abstract: A system and method for managing data storage. A computer system comprises a data storage application and an API. The API presents a logical storage model to the data storage application for storing data on one or more storage appliances and accepts first and second plugins coupling first and second storage appliances, respectively, to the API. The first and second storage appliances store data according to different physical storage models. The API receives an access request from the data storage application targeting a portion of the logical storage model. In response to the access request, the API identifies a plugin and a corresponding storage appliance associated with the portion of the logical storage model and utilizes the identified plugin to map the portion of the logical storage model to a corresponding portion of the selected storage appliance's physical storage model.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for migrating an object from a deduplication store to an external domain in an external media is described. A deduplication store (dstore) deduplication map (dmap) is retrieved from a dstore for an object stored in the dstore. A determination is made as to whether an external dmap exists in the external domain for an object referenced in the dstore dmap. If the external dmap exists, a determination is made as to whether data referenced in the dstore dmap exist in the external dmap. If the referenced data do not exist, the referenced data is extracted from the dstore to the external domain. If the external dmap does not exist, the object and the associated dmap are extracted from the dstore to the external domain.

Abstract: Techniques for data deduplication are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for data deduplication comprising receiving a write request for a unit of data, generating a fingerprint for the unit of data, transmitting at least a portion of the fingerprint to a plurality of deduplication monitors, performing the write request using an indicator indicating a location of a previously stored unit of data having a fingerprint matching the transmitted at least a portion of the fingerprint if a response indicating the previously stored unit of data having the fingerprint matching the transmitted at least a portion of the fingerprint is received from at least one of the plurality of deduplication monitors, and performing the write request using the unit of data if no response is received.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for deduplicating data is disclosed. The method may include identifying a request to transfer data from a client in a deduplication system to a server in the deduplication system. The method may also include determining, based at least in part on performance of the deduplication system, whether to deduplicate the data before transferring the data from the client to the server. The method may further include performing the following, the order of which is based on the determination: deduplicating the data and transferring the data from the client to the server. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Storage systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a variable length segment storage method comprises: receiving a data stream; performing a tailored segment process on the data stream, wherein at least one of a plurality of tailored segments include corresponding data of at least one of a plurality of variable length segments and alignment padding to align with boundaries of a fixed length de-duplication scheme; performing a de-duplication process on the plurality of tailored segments; and storing information corresponding to the result of the de-duplication process. In one embodiment, the tailored segment process includes adjusting the alignment padding of the at least one of a plurality of tailored segments, wherein an adjustment in the alignment padding of the at least one of a plurality of tailored segments corresponds to a modification in the at least one of the plurality of variable length segments.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for file-level restore from raw partition backups. A backup mechanism may be provided that is configured to perform raw partition backups to a media server and to support file-level restores from the raw partition backups through, for example, Fibre Channel (FC) or iSCSI Logical Unit (LUN) export of the raw partition backup images to client systems. Once a LUN is exported and mounted on the client system, direct file manipulation using standard file system commands may be performed. Embodiments achieve both fast backup and individual file retrieval without the necessity of understanding native file system formats and without requiring a file system mapping of the source (client) partition. Thus, embodiments may be used in heterogeneous environments.

Abstract: Deterministic space management queries are answered in a deduplication context. A block subkey data structure comprises a subkey (a subset of the bits of a corresponding hash key identifying a block) and refcount (an indication of the total number of objects that reference a given block) for each block in a deduplication store. For each object, an object subkey data structure is maintained. An object subkey data structure comprises a list of subkeys corresponding to blocks referenced by that object. To answer a space management query concerning a given object set, a corresponding object set subkey data structure is created, comprising an entry for each block referenced by at least one object in the object set. Each entry comprises a subkey identifying that block and an object set refcount for that block. The data structures are utilized to efficiently answer space management queries.

Abstract: A system and method of characterizing a logical storage object. Information associated with the logical storage object is stored. The information includes information characterizing quiesce capabilities and split characteristics for the logical storage object. That information is transmitted to a processor and is used to characterize the logical storage object.

Abstract: Systems and methods for performing sparse backups are disclosed. One method may involve: receiving information indicating unallocated extents from a file system that organizes data on a primary storage device; copying to a backup storage device data from extents of the primary storage device, where the unallocated extents indicated by the information are not copied; and for each of a plurality of copied extents, storing a mapping from an original extent on the primary storage device to a new extent on the backup storage device into which data stored in that original extent is copied. A backup volume that includes the data included in plurality of copied extents may be mounted, and the mapping may be used to translate accesses to the extents on the backup volume to extents on the backup storage device.