Abstract: An x-ray window comprising a polymer and carbon nanotubes and/or graphene. The carbon nanotubes and/or graphene can be embedded in the polymer. Multiple layers of polymer, carbon nanotubes, and/or graphene may be used. The polymer with carbon nanotubes and/or graphene can be used as an x-ray window support structure and/or thin film.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for coordinating storage requests in a multi-processor/multi-thread environment. An append/invalidate module generates a first append data storage command from a first storage request and a second append data storage command from a second storage request. The storage requests overwrite existing data with first and second data including where the first and second data have at least a portion of overlapping data. The second storage request is received after the first storage request. The append/invalidate module updates an index by marking data being overwritten as invalid. A restructure module updates the index based on the first data and updates the index based on the second data. The updated index is organized to indicate that the second data is more current than the first data regardless of processing order. The modules prevent access to the index until the modules have completed updating the index.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for storage space recovery after reaching a read count limit. A read module reads data in a storage division of solid-state storage. A read counter module then increments a read counter corresponding to the storage division. A read counter limit module determines if the read count exceeds a maximum read threshold, and if so, a storage division selection module selects the corresponding storage division for recovery. A data recovery module reads valid data packets from the selected storage division, stores the valid data packets in another storage division of the solid-state storage, and updates a logical index with a new physical address of the valid data.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a front-end, distributed redundant array of independent drives (“RAID”). A storage request receiver module receives a storage request to store object or file data in a set of autonomous storage devices forming a RAID group. The storage devices independently receive storage requests from a client over a network, and one or more of the storage devices are designated as parity-mirror storage devices for a stripe. The striping association module calculates a stripe pattern for the data. Each stripe includes N data segments, each associated with N storage devices. The parity-mirror association module associates a set of the N data segments with one or more parity-mirror storage devices. The storage request transmitter module transmits storage requests to each storage device. Each storage request is sufficient to store onto the storage device the associated data segments. The storage requests are substantially free of data.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for bad block remapping. A bad block identifier module identifies one or more data blocks on a solid-state storage element as bad blocks. A log update module writes at least a location of each bad block identified by the bad block identifier module into each of two or more redundant bad block logs. A bad block mapping module accesses at least one bad block log during a start-up operation to create in memory a bad block map. The bad block map includes a mapping between the bad block locations in the bad block log and a corresponding location of a replacement block for each bad block location. Data is stored in each replacement block instead of the corresponding bad block. The bad block mapping module creates the bad block map using one of a replacement block location and a bad block mapping algorithm.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for solid-state storage as cache for high-capacity, non-volatile storage. The apparatus, system, and method are provided with a plurality of modules including a cache front-end module and a cache back-end module. The cache front-end module manages data transfers associated with a storage request. The data transfers between a requesting device and solid-state storage function as cache for one or more HCNV storage devices, and the data transfers may include one or more of data, metadata, and metadata indexes. The solid-state storage may include an array of non-volatile, solid-state data storage elements. The cache back-end module manages data transfers between the solid-state storage and the one or more HCNV storage devices.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for coordinating storage requests in a multi-processor/multi-thread environment. An append/invalidate module generates a first append data storage command from a first storage request and a second append data storage command from a second storage request. The storage requests overwrite existing data with first and second data including where the first and second data have at least a portion of overlapping data. The second storage request is received after the first storage request. The append/invalidate module updates an index by marking data being overwritten as invalid. A restructure module updates the index based on the first data and updates the index based on the second data. The updated index is organized to indicate that the second data is more current than the first data regardless of processing order. The modules prevent access to the index until the modules have completed updating the index.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for storing data on a solid-state storage device. A method includes receiving a storage request to store data on the solid-state storage device, representing the data in an object entry in an object index maintained by a solid-state storage device controller, storing the data as one or more object data segments on the solid-state storage device, and referencing in the object entry the one or more object data segments on the solid-state storage device.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for managing data with an empty data segment directive at the requesting device. The apparatus, system, and method include a token directive generation module and a token directive transmission module. The token directive generation module generates a storage request with a token directive. The token directive includes a request to store on the storage device a data segment token. The token directive substitutes for a series of repeated, identical characters or a series of repeated, identical character strings to be stored as a data segment. The token directive includes at least a data segment identifier and a data segment length. The data segment token and the token directive are substantially free from data of the data segment. The token directive transmission module transmits the token directive to the storage device.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for solid-state storage as cache for high-capacity, non-volatile storage. The apparatus, system, and method are provided with a plurality of modules including a cache front-end module and a cache back-end module. The cache front-end module manages data transfers associated with a storage request. The data transfers between a requesting device and solid-state storage function as cache for one or more HCNV storage devices, and the data transfers may include one or more of data, metadata, and metadata indexes. The solid-state storage may include an array of non-volatile, solid-state data storage elements. The cache back-end module manages data transfers between the solid-state storage and the one or more HCNV storage devices.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a front-end, distributed redundant array of independent drives (“RAID”). A storage request receiver module receives a storage request to store object or file data in a set of autonomous storage devices forming a RAID group. The storage devices independently receive storage requests from a client over a network, and one or more of the storage devices are designated as parity-mirror storage devices for a stripe. The striping association module calculates a stripe pattern for the data. Each stripe includes N data segments, each associated with N storage devices. The parity-mirror association module associates a set of the N data segments with one or more parity-mirror storage devices. The storage request transmitter module transmits storage requests to each storage device. Each storage request is sufficient to store onto the storage device the associated data segments. The storage requests are substantially free of data.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for data storage with progressive redundant array of independent drives (“RAID”). A storage request receiver module, a striping module, a parity-mirror module, and a parity progression module are included. The storage request receiver module receives a request to store data of a file or of an object. The striping module calculates a stripe pattern for the data. The stripe pattern includes one or more stripes, and each stripe includes a set of N data segments. The striping module writes the N data segments to N storage devices. Each data segment is written to a separate storage device within a set of storage devices assigned to the stripe. The parity-mirror module writes a set of N data segments to one or more parity-mirror storage devices within the set of storage devices. The parity progression module calculates a parity data segment on each parity-mirror device in response to a storage consolidation operation, and stores the parity data segments.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a shared, front-end, distributed redundant array of independent drives (“RAID”). A multiple storage request receiver module receives at least two storage requests from at least two clients to store file or object data in one or more storage devices of a storage device set. The storage requests are concurrent and have at least a portion of the data in common. The storage device set includes autonomous storage devices forming a RAID group. Each storage device is capable of independently receiving storage requests from a client over a network. A striping module calculates a stripe pattern and writes N data segments per stripe to N storage devices. A parity-mirror module writes a set of N data segments to parity-mirror storage devices. A sequencer module ensures completion of a first storage request prior to executing a second storage request.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for a shared, front-end, distributed redundant array of independent drives (“RAID”). A multiple storage request receiver module receives at least two storage requests from at least two clients to store file or object data in one or more storage devices of a storage device set. The storage requests are concurrent and have at least a portion of the data in common. The storage device set includes autonomous storage devices forming a RAID group. Each storage device is capable of independently receiving storage requests from a client over a network. A striping module calculates a stripe pattern and writes N data segments per stripe to N storage devices. A parity-mirror module writes a set of N data segments to parity-mirror storage devices. A sequencer module ensures completion of a first storage request prior to executing a second storage request.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for caching data on a solid-state storage device. The solid-state storage device maintains metadata pertaining to cache operations performed on the solid-state storage device, as well as storage operations of the solid-state storage device. The metadata indicates what data in the cache is valid, as well as information about what data in the nonvolatile cache has been stored in a backing store. A backup engine works through units in the nonvolatile cache device and backs up the valid data to the backing store. During grooming operations, the groomer determines whether the data is valid and whether the data is discardable. Data that is both valid and discardable may be removed during the grooming operation. The groomer may also determine whether the data is cold in determining whether to remove the data from the cache device. The cache device may present to clients a logical space that is the same size as the backing store.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for efficiently managing commands in a solid-state storage device that includes a solid-state storage arranged in two or more banks. Each bank is separately accessible and includes two or more solid-state storage elements accessed in parallel by a storage input/output bus. The solid-state storage includes solid-state, non-volatile memory. The solid-state storage device includes a bank interleave that directs one or more commands to two or more queues, where the one or more commands are separated by command type into the queues. Each bank includes a set of queues in the bank interleave controller. Each set of queues includes a queue for each command type. The bank interleave controller coordinates among the banks execution of the commands stored in the queues, where a command of a first type executes on one bank while a command of a second type executes on a second bank.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for coordinating storage requests in a multi-processor/multi-thread environment. An append/invalidate module generates a first append data storage command from a first storage request and a second append data storage command from a second storage request. The storage requests overwrite existing data with first and second data including where the first and second data have at least a portion of overlapping data. The second storage request is received after the first storage request. The append/invalidate module updates an index by marking data being overwritten as invalid. A restructure module updates the index based on the first data and updates the index based on the second data. The updated index is organized to indicate that the second data is more current than the first data regardless of processing order. The modules prevent access to the index until the modules have completed updating the index.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for coordinating storage requests in a multi-processor/multi-thread environment. A append/invalidate module generates a first append data storage command from a first storage request and a second append data storage command from a second storage request. The storage requests overwrite existing data with first and second data including where the first and second data have at least a portion of overlapping data. The second storage request is received after the first storage request. The append/invalidate module updates an index by marking data being overwritten as invalid. A restructure module updates the index based on the first data and updates the index based on the second data. The updated index is organized to indicate that the second data is more current than the first data regardless of processing order. The modules prevent access to the index until the modules have completed updating the index.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for storing information in a storage device that includes multi-level memory cells. The method involves storing data that is written to the storage device in the LSBs of the multi-level memory cells, and storing audit data in the MSBs of the multi-level memory cells. The audit data can be read separately from the data and used to determine whether or not there has been any unintended drift between states in the multi-level cells. The audit data may be used to correct data when the errors in the data are too numerous to be corrected using error correction code (ECC). The audit data may also be used to monitor the general health of the storage device. The monitoring process may run as a background process on the storage device. The storage device may transition the multi-level memory cells to operate as single-level memory cells.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for bad block remapping. A bad block identifier module identifies one or more data blocks on a solid-state storage element as bad blocks. A log update module writes at least a location of each bad block identified by the bad block identifier module into each of two or more redundant bad block logs. A bad block mapping module accesses at least one bad block log during a start-up operation to create in memory a bad block map. The bad block map includes a mapping between the bad block locations in the bad block log and a corresponding location of a replacement block for each bad block location. Data is stored in each replacement block instead of the corresponding bad block. The bad block mapping module creates the bad block map using one of a replacement block location and a bad block mapping algorithm.