Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that distributes data for a distributed filesystem across multiple cloud storage systems. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the stored data. Whenever each cloud controller receives new data from a client, it outputs an incremental metadata snapshot for the new data that is propagated to the other cloud controllers and an incremental data snapshot containing the new data that is sent to a cloud storage system. During operation, a backup cloud controller associated with the distributed filesystem is also configured to receive each (incremental) metadata snapshot, such that, upon determining the failure of a cloud controller, the backup cloud controller can immediately begin receiving data requests from clients associated with the failed cloud controller.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that archives data for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the stored data. During operation, a cloud controller receives a request from a client for a data block of a file stored in the distributed filesystem. Upon determining that the requested data block is not currently cached in the cloud controller, the cloud controller sends a peer cache request for the requested data block to a peer cloud controller in the distributed filesystem.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that distributes data for a distributed filesystem across multiple cloud storage systems. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the stored data. Whenever each cloud controller receives new data from a client, it outputs an incremental metadata snapshot for the new data that is propagated to the other cloud controllers and an incremental data snapshot containing the new data that is sent to a cloud storage system. During operation, data stored in the distributed filesystem can be distributed across two or more cloud storage systems to optimize performance and/or cost for the distributed filesystem.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that archives data for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for the stored data. During operation, a cloud controller determines that a cloud file in a previously stored data snapshot is no longer being actively referenced in the distributed filesystem. The cloud controller transfers this cloud file from the (first) cloud storage system to an archival cloud storage system, thereby reducing storage costs while preserving the data in the cloud file in case it is ever needed again.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates pre-fetching data for a distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller (e.g., a computing device that caches data from the distributed filesystem) that maintains a set of metadata for the distributed filesystem receives a request to access a data block for a file. The cloud controller traverses the metadata to identify a metadata entry that is associated with the block, and then uses this metadata entry to download a cloud file containing the data block from a cloud storage system. While performing these operations, the cloud controller additionally determines that an additional cloud file in the cloud storage system includes data that is likely to be accessed in conjunction with the data block, and proceeds to pre-fetch this additional cloud file from the cloud storage system.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, a method is devised for tailoring downloaded content to the requesting device by receiving attribute parameters associated with a device that initiates a request for downloaded content. The attribute parameters are values that identify specific characteristics of the device. Thereafter, the content is modified according to the attributes parameters, and thereafter, the modified content is transmitted to the device.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for executing a cloud command for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller presents a distributed-filesystem-specific capability to a client system as a file in the distributed filesystem (e.g., using a file abstraction). Upon receiving a request from the client system to access and/or operate upon this file, the client controller executes an associated cloud command. More specifically, the cloud controller initiates a specially-defined operation that accesses additional functionality for the distributed filesystem that exceeds the scope of individual reads and writes to a typical data file.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques that facilitate the process of performing anti-virus checks for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller receives a write request from a client system that seeks to store a target file in the distributed system. A scan is then performed for this target file. For instance, the scan may be an anti-virus scan that ensures that viruses are not spread to the distributed filesystem or the clients of the distributed filesystem.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques that facilitate of avoiding client timeouts in a distributed filesystem. Multiple cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in one or more cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem in a local storage pool. During operation, a cloud controller receives from a client system a request for a data block in a target file that is stored in the distributed filesystem. Although the cloud controller is already caching the requested data block, the cloud controller delays transmission of the cached data block; this additional delay gives the cloud controller more time to access uncached data blocks for the target file from a cloud storage system, thereby ensuring that subsequent requests of such data blocks do not exceed a timeout interval on the client system.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates forwarding filesystem-level information to a storage management system. During operation, a computing device receives a request for a file operation from a client computing device, and issues one or more filesystem operations in response. A filesystem device driver extracts filesystem-level information from these filesystem operations, and then forwards the extracted filesystem-level information to the storage management system.

Abstract: Snapshots of data and metadata associated with the data are created. The snapshot of the data is separate from the snapshot of the associated metadata. The snapshot of metadata is maintained locally in a cloud network attached storage (NAS) and globally. The snapshot of data is maintained according to an accessibility metric. Snapshot of metadata is transmitted from a backup remote site to a cloud network attached storage (NAS). A request for data corresponding to the metadata is received from the cloud NAS. The requested data is not available at the cloud NAS. The requested data is transmitted from the backup site to the cloud NAS.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments describe interactions and synchronization techniques for global deduplication file systems. In one embodiment of the invention, a method and system implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally by making use of the deduplication dictionary included in metadata being periodically snapshot. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally and provides appropriate read/write locks.

Abstract: An embodiment is a method and apparatus to provide a network-attached media plug-in. A network interface interfaces with a client and a server. The network interface receives an input from the client requesting content from the server. The client has a network plug-in interface. A network processor extracts a media stream from the requested content. A multimedia processor dynamically modifies the media stream according to the input from the client.

Abstract: Snapshots of data and metadata associated with the data are created. The snapshot of the data is separate from the snapshot of the associated metadata. The snapshot of metadata is maintained locally in a cloud network attached storage (NAS) and globally. The snapshot of data is maintained according to an accessibility metric. Snapshot of metadata is transmitted from a backup remote site to a cloud network attached storage (NAS). A request for data corresponding to the metadata is received from the cloud NAS. The requested data is not available at the cloud NAS. The requested data is transmitted from the backup site to the cloud NAS.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for delegating commands for a network attached storage system is described. A command permission associated with a command to be executed on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server is delegated to a user of a NAS client having a mounted network filesystem of the NAS server. The command is issued through the filesystem of the NAS client.

Abstract: An application programming interface (API) interfaces to an application having a data file of an arbitrary size. The application has parameters characterizing the application. An externalizing provider externalizes the data file. An application network storage (ANS) subsystem saves the data file according to the parameters of the application and the arbitrary size of the data file.

Abstract: Embodiments of methods and systems implementing global deduplication file systems are described. In one embodiment of the invention, a method and system implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally by making use of the deduplication dictionary included in metadata being periodically snapshot. In yet another embodiment of the invention, a method implements a global deduplication file system between a plurality of interconnected systems located in different locations globally and provides appropriate read/write locks.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of video deduplication, cache, and virtual private content delivery network are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, the bandwidth traffic between an access module and a signal module may be reduced by making a determination at the signal module that the requested video data is redundant. According to another embodiment of the invention, the determination of whether the requested video data is redundant is performed at the access module. In one embodiment, a cache module and a signal module are used to decrease bandwidth usage over the Internet. In another embodiment, the cache module makes the determination of whether the requested data is redundant to efficiently route data. In one embodiment, a virtual private content delivery network is implemented to allow for private data to be securely sent over a network systems such as a content delivery network or cloud computing services or a cache.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods of video deduplication, cache, and virtual private content delivery network are described herein. In one embodiment of the invention, a virtual private content delivery network is implemented to allow for private data to be securely sent over a network systems such as a content delivery network or cloud computing services or a cache. In yet another embodiment, bandwidth usage is curtailed using a virtual private content delivery network that backs up data which originates from the Internet on a signal module.

Abstract: An embodiment is a method and apparatus to process video frames. An entropy decoder performs entropy decoding on a bitstream of a video frame extracted from a network frame. The entropy decoder generates discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficients representing a picture block in the video frame. The entropy decoder is configured for serial operations. A graphics processing unit (GPU) performs image decoding using the DCT coefficients. The GPU is configured for parallel operations. One disclosed feature of the embodiments is a technique to decode a video frame. A GPU performs image encoding of a video frame computing quantized DCT coefficients representing a picture block in the video frame. The GPU is configured for parallel operations. An entropy encoder performs entropy encoding on the quantized DCT coefficients. The entropy encoder is configured for serial operations.