Abstract: Communication systems and methods for controlling audio communications between a relay service and an audio endpoint with a video endpoint are disclosed. A communication system comprises a relay service configured to engage in video communications with a video endpoint and audio communications with an audio endpoint. The relay service comprises a control circuit configured to receive call control signals from the video endpoint, and automatically control communications between the relay service and the audio endpoint responsive to the call control signals. A communication system includes a video endpoint comprising a user interface configured to transmit call commands to the relay service responsive to user inputs. The call commands are directed to automatically triggering controls at the relay service over audio communications between the relay service and the audio endpoint.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for enabling electronic communication with a hearing-capable user and a hearing-impaired user are disclosed. An identified entry is selected from a database comprising one or more entries, wherein each of the one or more entries is associated with a contact of the hearing-impaired user and includes one or more connection indicators for the contact and one or more custom greetings for the contact. The identified entry is selected responsive to the one or more connection indicators for the hearing-capable user. A calling connection from the hearing-capable user to a translator is established and the translator is instructed to greet the hearing-capable user with one of the one or more custom greetings.

Abstract: Communication systems and methods for controlling audio communications between a relay service and an audio endpoint with a video endpoint are disclosed. A communication system comprises a relay service configured to engage in video communications with a video endpoint and audio communications with an audio endpoint. The relay service comprises a control circuit configured to receive call control signals from the video endpoint, and automatically control communications between the relay service and the audio endpoint responsive to the call control signals. A communication system includes a video endpoint comprising a user interface configured to transmit call commands to the relay service responsive to user inputs. The call commands are directed to automatically triggering controls at the relay service over audio communications between the relay service and the audio endpoint.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for enabling electronic communication with a hearing-capable user and a hearing-impaired user are disclosed. An identified entry is selected from a database comprising one or more entries, wherein each of the one or more entries is associated with a contact of the hearing-impaired user and includes one or more connection indicators for the contact and one or more custom greetings for the contact. The identified entry is selected responsive to the one or more connection indicators for the hearing-capable user. A calling connection from the hearing-capable user to a translator is established and the translator is instructed to greet the hearing-capable user with one of the one or more custom greetings.

Abstract: Maintaining logically consistent backups using minimal data transfer. A backup, or snapshot, copy of original data is created and stored. A user designates data blocks that are to be backed up in a process of creating a subsequent snapshot copy of the data. Data blocks that are to be backed up might include those associated with active files having data of interest to the user. Data blocks that are not desired for backup might include, for example, swap files, printer buffers and temp files. The changes that have been made to the data blocks that have been designated for backup are applied to the snapshot copy after a specified time period has elapsed. Since only desired data blocks are backed up to the snapshot copy, memory, processing cycles and communication bandwidth are used more efficiently than if all data blocks were to be backed up to the snapshot copy.

Abstract: Mirroring data to provide a virtual storage area network using policing protocols and mirror engines without a physical shared storage node. The mirror engines are found at each server computer in the network in order to mirror the data between mass storage devices of the servers as the servers receive and execute write operations, which results in each mass storage device containing the same stored data. The policing protocols prevent data corruption by not allowing more than one server at a time write to a file of data. If one server experiences failure and is incapable of providing access to network data, the other server or servers can service all read requests, since all network data is accessible by all servers. Unlike conventional storage area networks, there is no physical shared storage node and, accordingly, the costs of obtaining and operating the virtual storage area network are relatively small.

Abstract: Restoring a mass storage device, including the corresponding data blocks stored thereon, to a state in which it existed at a prior instant in time to minimize the data loss caused by data blocks becoming corrupt or lost. After a mirrored or backup copy has been made, data blocks that are to be overwritten in response to a write request are stored in a preservation memory prior to being overwritten. The data blocks stored in the preservation memory are time-stamped to designate the chronological order by which the data blocks were overwritten. If data becomes corrupted, the data blocks of the preservation memory are applied to the corrupted data in reverse chronological order until such time that a valid, non-corrupted set of data is obtained. In this manner, data more recent than that associated with the full mirrored or backup copy can be reconstructed.

Abstract: A method for providing rapid recovery from a network file server failure through the use of a backup computer system. The backup computer system runs a special mass storage access program that communicates with a mass storage emulator program on the network file server, making the disks or other mass storage devices on the backup computer system appear like they were disks on the file server computer. By mirroring data by writing to both the mass storage of the file server and through the mass storage emulator and mass storage access program to the disks on the backup computer, a copy of the data on the file server computer is made. Optionally, selected portions of the data read through the mass storage emulator program can be altered before being returned as the result of the read operation on the file server. In the event of failure of the file server computer, the backup computer can replace the file server, using the copy of the file server's data stored on its disks.

Abstract: Restoring a mass storage device, including the corresponding data blocks stored thereon, to a state in which it existed at a prior instant in time to minimize the data loss caused by data blocks becoming corrupt or lost. After a mirrored or backup copy has been made, data blocks that are to be overwritten in response to a write request are stored in a preservation memory prior to being overwritten. The data blocks stored in the preservation memory are time-stamped to designate the chronological order by which the data blocks were overwritten. If data becomes corrupted, the data blocks of the preservation memory are applied to the corrupted data in reverse chronological order until such time that a valid, non-corrupted set of data is obtained. In this manner, data more recent than that associated with the full mirrored or backup copy can be reconstructed.

Abstract: Mirroring data to provide a virtual storage area network using policing protocols and mirror engines without a physical shared storage node. The mirror engines are found at each server computer in the network in order to mirror the data between mass storage devices of the servers as the servers receive and execute write operations, which results in each mass storage device containing the same stored data. The policing protocols prevent data corruption by not allowing more than one server at a time write to a file of data. If one server experiences failure and is incapable of providing access to network data, the other server or servers can service all read requests, since all network data is accessible by all servers. Unlike conventional storage area networks, there is no physical shared storage node and, accordingly, the costs of obtaining and operating the virtual storage area network are relatively small.

Abstract: A method for providing rapid recovery from a network file server failure through the use of a backup computer system. The backup computer system runs a special mass storage access program that communicates with a mass storage emulator program on the network file server, making the disks (or other mass storage devices) on the backup computer system appear like they were disks on the file server computer. By mirroring data by writing to both the mass storage of the file server and through the mass storage emulator and mass storage access program to the disks on the backup computer, a copy of the data on the file server computer is made. Optionally, selected portions of the data read through the mass storage emulator program can be altered before being returned as the result of the read operation on the file server. In the event of failure of the file server computer, the backup computer can replace the file server, using the copy of the file server's data stored on its disks.

Abstract: A method for providing rapid recovery from a network file server failure through the use of a backup computer system. The backup computer system runs a special mass storage access program that communicates with a mass storage emulator program on the network file server, making the disks (or other mass storage devices) on the backup computer system appear like they were disks on the file server computer. By mirroring data by writing to both the mass storage of the file server and through the mass storage emulator and mass storage access program to the disks on the backup computer, a copy of the data on the file server computer is made. Optionally, selected portions of the data read through the mass storage emulator program can be altered before being returned as the result of the read operation on the file server. In the event of failure of the file server computer, the backup computer can replace the file server, using the copy of the file server's data stored on its disks.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a static snapshot, or image, of data stored on a mass storage system are disclosed. First, a preservation memory is cleared and a virtual device is created. Whenever a write is to be performed on the mass storage system, a check is made of the preservation memory to determine if it contains a block associated with the mass storage write address. If there is not, a copy of the block in the mass storage system at the block write address is placed in the preservation memory. Whenever a read is to be performed on the virtual device, a check is made of the preservation memory to determine if it contains a block associated with the virtual device read address. If there is such a block, that block is returned as the result of the virtual device read. Otherwise, the block at the virtual device block read address is returned as the result.