Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer program products for streaming video data to a user. In one implementation, the video includes first video data and second video data. The user is allowed to fast-forward the first video data but is not allowed to fast-forward the second video data. The first video data is stored on a first member of data storage and the second video data is stored on a second member of the data storage. In one implementation, a module is operable to read the video data from a first and a second portion of a virtual partition, and to refuse a request to fast-forward any video data stored on the second portion.

Abstract: A system and a method manages storage space in one or more data storage devices. This is done by receiving a request for storage space from a requester, the request specifying one or more criteria associated with the requested storage space; searching a data structure such as a table containing attributes associated with the data storage devices; selecting one of the data storage devices whose attributes best match the one or more criteria; returning an identification associated with a portion of the selected data storage devices to the requester; and creating a communication path between the requester and the selected data storage device.