Abstract: Systems and methods for coupling subsea tubular members together are provided. An apparatus may be used to properly orient and/or provide communication between a first subsea tubular member that is being landed on a second subsea tubular member. An apparatus for coupling subsea tubular members may include an alignment sub and a corresponding alignment member. The alignment sub includes: a generally cylindrical body having one or more fluid, electric, or fiber optic lines extending therethrough, one or more couplings coupled to at least one end of the alignment sub, and an orientation profile disposed on a surface of the alignment sub. The alignment member has a profile designed to interface with the orientation profile of the alignment sub. One of the alignment sub and the alignment member remains stationary while the other rotates relative to the stationary structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods for landing a tubing hanger in a wellhead and then orienting a tree (or spool, or flowline connection body) relative to the tubing hanger while landing the tree on the wellhead are provided. This alignment is accomplished without the use of either a tubing spool or a BOP stack with an orientation pin. The tubing hanger alignment devices may be used to orientate the tree as the tree is landed so that the couplings and stabs between the tree and the tubing hanger line up with each other just at the moment of landing.

Abstract: A replica control system includes software to control replication in virtual environments. The replica control system identifies a plurality of data blocks within an underlying storage volume in response to a request to update a replica of a target storage volume, identifies changed data blocks of the plurality of data blocks within the underlying storage volume, and identifies a subset of the changed data blocks with which to update the replica of the target storage volume based on a characteristic of the changed data blocks.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus asynchronously verify data stored in a cloud data storage system. One embodiment comprises a monitoring circuit that determines if a data auditing condition associated with a cloud storage system or archived data stored in the cloud storage system has been met, a metadata mirror circuit that controls a metadata mirror to provide metadata, including a first checksum, associated with the archived data to the apparatus, a checksum circuit that computes a second checksum based on the archived data, a verification circuit that generates an audit of the first checksum and the second checksum by comparing the second checksum with the first checksum, and a reporting circuit that generates a log of the audit, that provides the log to the data storage system, and that provides a notification of a data integrity failure to a user associated with the archived data.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and method for storing metadata to unused portions of a virtual disk file. In a particular embodiment, a method provides selecting a virtual disk file stored on a data storage volume and identifying unused portions of the virtual disk file. The method further provides writing metadata for the virtual disk file in the unused portions of the virtual disk file.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for performing garbage collection in virtual environments. In a particular embodiment, a method provides performing a garbage collection process to identify at least a portion of a secondary storage volume located within a primary storage volume. The method further provides triggering a data block release process on at least a portion of the primary storage volume corresponding to the at least a portion of the secondary storage volume.

Abstract: Example methods and apparatus asynchronously verify data stored in a cloud data storage system. One embodiment comprises a monitoring circuit that determines if a data auditing condition associated with a cloud storage system or archived data stored in the cloud storage system has been met, a metadata mirror circuit that controls a metadata mirror to provide metadata, including a first checksum, associated with the archived data to the apparatus, a checksum circuit that computes a second checksum based on the archived data, a verification circuit that generates an audit of the first checksum and the second checksum by comparing the second checksum with the first checksum, and a reporting circuit that generates a log of the audit, that provides the log to the data storage system, and that provides a notification of a data integrity failure to a user associated with the archived data.

Abstract: A data identification system and method for operating the data identification system are provided. The method comprises identifying processing elements contained within the storage environment, identifying virtual processing elements contained within the processing elements, identifying virtual storage elements contained within the virtual processing elements, identifying contents of the virtual storage elements, generating the file system view of the storage environment, wherein the file system view comprises the processing elements, the virtual processing elements, the virtual storage elements, and the contents of the virtual storage elements arranged in a hierarchical order. The file system view of the storage environment is then provided.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for encrypting data to ensure that portions of the subject data are correctly accessed. In a particular embodiment, a method provides identifying a first portion of the subject data to be accessible using a first access key. The method further provides encrypting the first portion using a subject key and encrypting the first portion using the first access key. Also, the method provides identifying a second portion of the subject data to be accessible using a second access key. The method then provides encrypting the second portion using the subject key and encrypting the second portion using the second access key.

Abstract: Software, systems, and methods are disclosed herein for enhanced updating of replica storage volumes within virtual machine environments. A first group of data blocks of a plurality of data blocks on an underlying storage volume that have changed are identified. A second group of data blocks of the first group of data blocks that are live are identified. Changed data items associated with the second group of data blocks are identified. An ancillary process is initiated on the changed data items. An update of the replica of the target storage volume with the second group of data blocks is also initiated.

Abstract: A replica control system includes software to control replication in virtual environments. The replica control system identifies a plurality of data blocks within an underlying storage volume in response to a request to update a replica of a target storage volume, identifies changed data blocks of the plurality of data blocks within the underlying storage volume, and identifies a subset of the changed data blocks with which to update the replica of the target storage volume based on a characteristic of the changed data blocks.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and method for storing metadata to unused portions of a virtual disk file. In a particular embodiment, a method provides selecting a virtual disk file stored on a data storage volume and identifying unused portions of the virtual disk file. The method further provides writing metadata for the virtual disk file in the unused portions of the virtual disk file.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer readable media for correlating media with biometric sensor information. In a particular embodiment, a method provides determining that media is being presented to a user. The method also provides receiving biometric sensor information regarding the user captured by at least one biometric sensor during presentation of the media.

Abstract: A replica control system includes software to control replication in virtual environments. The replica control system identifies a plurality of data blocks within an underlying storage volume in response to a request to update a replica of a target storage volume, identifies changed data blocks of the plurality of data blocks within the underlying storage volume, and identifies a subset of the changed data blocks with which to update the replica of the target storage volume based on a characteristic of the changed data blocks.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and method for storing metadata to unused portions of a virtual disk file. In a particular embodiment, a method provides selecting a virtual disk file stored on a data storage volume and identifying unused portions of the virtual disk file. The method further provides writing metadata for the virtual disk file in the unused portions of the virtual disk file.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for fingerprint analysis for anti-virus scanning. In an embodiment, a method of scanning for infected data items is disclosed. The method provides identifying a plurality of changed data items on a server machine. The method further provides, from a data system in communication with the server machine, performing a virus scan on the plurality of changed data items. The method further provides that the data system maintains a list of data items that the virus scan found to be infected.

Abstract: Responsive to an instruction to collapse a derivative version of an ancestor data volume into the ancestor data volume, it is determined if a characteristic of the derivative version of the ancestor data volume satisfies a criteria relative to a characteristic of the ancestor data volume. If the characteristic of the derivative version satisfies the criteria, the ancestor data volume is merged into the derivative version of the underlying data to form an updated derivative version. The updated derivative version is established as the ancestor data volume.

Abstract: A data control system facilitates transfer of a virtual disk from a primary storage system to a secondary storage system. The data control system, responsive to an instruction to transfer the virtual disk, wherein the virtual disk comprises a plurality of data blocks, determines whether each of the plurality of data blocks is allocated or unallocated; for each data block of the plurality of data blocks determined to be allocated, the data control system reads the data block from memory in the primary storage system and transfers the data block for storage in the secondary storage system; and for each data block of the plurality of data blocks determined to be unallocated, the data control system refrains from reading the data block from memory in the primary storage system.

Abstract: Responsive to an instruction to collapse a derivative version of an ancestor data volume into the ancestor data volume, it is determined if a characteristic of the derivative version of the ancestor data volume satisfies a criteria relative to a characteristic of the ancestor data volume. If the characteristic of the derivative version satisfies the criteria, the ancestor data volume is merged into the derivative version of the underlying data to form an updated derivative version. The updated derivative version is established as the ancestor data volume.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of operating a data storage system. The method comprises identifying changed segments of a primary storage volume, receiving a data request for a plurality of data items in a secondary storage volume, identifying changed data items of the plurality of data items in the secondary storage volume based on a correspondence between the plurality of data items in the secondary storage volume and the changed segments of the primary storage volume, and transferring the changed data items in response to the data request.