Abstract: A RAID-configured grouped-object storage system provides reduced storage space overhead for small objects. The storage system includes a plurality stripes arranged across a plurality of physical objects. Each stripe includes a plurality of storage blocks that are each mapped on to a respectively different physical object. The storage system also includes a plurality of virtual objects each containing at least one storage block. A group of virtual objects is formed when a virtual object contains less storage blocks than the number of stripes by associating the virtual object with at least one virtual object containing less storage blocks than the number of stripes and/or at least one storage block containing zero values so that the storage blocks of each group of virtual objects equals the number of stripes. The storage blocks of each virtual object and of each group of virtual objects are mapped to a respectively different stripe.

Abstract: A method and system for data redundancy, wherein method comprises storing an object in an object storage device, storing a duplicate of the object in a second object storage device, converting the object into any of a grouped object Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) layout and an individual RAID layout upon growth of the object, and discarding the duplicate object. The step of converting further comprises determining which of the grouped object RAID or individual RAID layout to convert the object into based on a size of the object being converted. Moreover, the step of converting into a grouped object RAID layout further comprises selecting a group based on whether the group comprises other objects similarly sized to the object, wherein the similarly sized objects comprise variably sized objects.

Abstract: A crown cap for applying to a beverage bottle has a circular top member; a skirt depending downwardly from a periphery of the skirt; and a flange extending from a periphery of the skirt. The flange includes plural, substantially radially oriented repeating potions, which include circumferentially spaced apart, upwardly extending flutes and land portions disposed between each flute. Each land portion has a circumferential dimension, which is measured at a perimeter of the flange, that is greater than a distance between the flat portions. The flutes are in the shape of an inverted V. The configuration prevents gearing engagement of oppositely oriented crowns and likely would enhance gripping and comfort by a user.

Abstract: RAID levels are assigned to data prior to loading the data on a disk array or other data storage device. The RAID levels are determined by applying an algorithm (e.g., a rule-based criteria, a utilization model) to data workload specifications and device specifications.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enabling an application programmer to construct a new application program for communicating with a remote machine. The systems and methods include a parser class that retrieves during runtime a representation of object instances contained in a data file and for enabling the new application program to create in memory a plurality of object instances from the representation of the plurality of the object instances.

Abstract: Data storage devices of an enterprise system are tested to determine whether the enterprise system is optimally configured. Each data storage device is tested to determine whether it can satisfy a performance requirement for an assigned group of n workloads. A group of n inequalities are generated, and only up to n of the inequalities may be evaluated to determine whether the device satisfies the performance requirement for the assigned group of workloads. The inequalities are based on a phased, correlated model of I/O activity.

Abstract: RAID levels are assigned to data prior to loading the data on a disk array or other data storage device. The RAID levels are determined by applying an algorithm (e.g., a rule-based criteria, a utilization model) to data workload specifications and device specifications.

Abstract: A storage system for storing and retrieving data records. The system includes a storage medium, a controller, and a message log. The storage medium stores data records, the data records being indexed by addresses which specify the location of the data records in the storage medium. The controller receives write messages from processors coupled to the controller. Each write message includes a data segment to be written to the storage medium at a specified address, and coordination information specifying a timestamp, and the addresses of other data records on other storage systems that were written in same write operation. The log stores the write messages prior to the data contained therein being written to the storage medium. Periodically, the controller reads the timestamps of the messages in the log and compares the timestamps to a clock in the controller to determine the message having the oldest timestamp.

Abstract: An apparatus for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types includes a computer system including a processor and memory a data communication means, coupled to the computer system and to the plurality of remote machines, for communicating with each of the plurality of remote machines, a first plurality of software objects within the memory for describing services for the plurality of remote machines, and a plurality of operations within the memory associated with the first plurality of software objects, the plurality of operations for satisfying requests described by the services of the first plurality of software objects.

Abstract: A system enabling an application programmer to construct a plurality of application programs for communicating with a plurality of remote machines of a plurality of machine types, each of the plurality of remote machines having remotely accessible data and remotely performable operations includes a computer system with a memory, a processor, and a mass storage device, the computer system for storing programs, class declarations, and class libraries in an object-oriented programming language, means for compiling files containing source-code representations of application programs in the object-oriented programming language, implementations of a hierarchy of data description classes, each implementation for describing a set of data and for describing methods for manipulating the set of data, implementations of a hierarchy of remote data description classes, each implementation for describing data items contained in one of the plurality of remote machines and for describing methods for accessing the data items,

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of multi-dimensional constraint optimization in a storage system configuration. In accordance with the primary aspect of the present invention, the objective function for a storage system is determined the workload units are selected and their standards are determined, and the storage devices are selected and their characteristics are determined. These selections and determinations are then used by a constraint based solver through constraint integer optimization to generate an assignment plan for the workload units to the storage devices.

Abstract: An improved method for operating a storage system based on a SCSI communication protocol. In general, the storage system has a data storage medium for storing information and a controller for receiving and generating messages on a communication bus executing a SCSI communication protocol. The controller responds to first and second classes of messages, each message including data specifying the source device that sent the message and a destination device to receive information generated by the message. The first class of messages includes read/write requests directed to a mode page in the storage system, and the second class of messages includes read/write requests specifying an address in the storage system at which data is to be read or written. In a storage system according to the present invention, a virtual mode page is provided for each possible device on the communication bus. The virtual page includes a region of the storage medium reserved for that device.

Abstract: A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, includes the steps of constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines, establishing communications with the one remote machine, and invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects.

Abstract: A storage system for storing and retrieving data records. The system includes a storage medium, a controller, and a message log. The storage medium stores data records, the data records being indexed by addresses which specify the location of the data records in the storage medium. The controller receives write messages from processors coupled to the controller. Each write message includes a data segment to be written to the storage medium at a specified address, and coordination information specifying a timestamp, and the addresses of other data records on other storage systems that were written in same write operation. The log stores the write messages prior to the data contained therein being written to the storage medium. Periodically, the controller reads the timestamps of the messages in the log and compares the timestamps to a clock in the controller to determine the message having the oldest timestamp.

Abstract: A storage system for storing and retrieving data records having a plurality of storage devices and a system controller. The storage devices include a storage medium, a device controller, and a message log. The storage medium stores data records, the data records being indexed by addresses which specify the location of the data records in the storage medium. The device controller receives write messages from processors coupled to the controller. Each write message includes a data segment to be written to the storage medium at a specified address, and linkage information specifying a timestamp, the addresses of other data records on other storage systems that were written in the same write operation, and the original source of the data segment. The system controller is responsive to a copy-write message specifying a source region on one of the storage devices, the "source", that is to be copied to a target region on one of the storage devices, the "target".

Abstract: The value of a p-quantile of a workload distribution is computed to determine whether a data storage system satisfies a quality-of-service guarantee desired by a client. The quality-of-service guarantee may be a predetermined percentage of a workload being serviced by a device within a predetermined response time. A p-quantile value is set to be equal of the predetermined percentage of the quality-of-service guarantee, and a bound is set to be equal to the predetermined response time. A distribution for the workload arriving at the device during an interval of time equal to the bound is then estimated. It is then determined whether a p-quantile of the workload distribution is less than the bound. In cases where the p-quantile of the workload distribution is computed directly, then the p-quantile of the workload distribution is directly compared to the bound.

Abstract: An apparatus for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types includes a computer system including a processor and memory a data communication means, coupled to the computer system and to the plurality of remote machines, for communicating with each of the plurality of remote machines, a first plurality of software objects within the memory for describing services for the plurality of remote machines, and a plurality of operations within the memory associated with the first plurality of software objects, the plurality of operations for satisfying requests described by the services of the first plurality of software objects.

Abstract: A system enabling an application programmer to construct a plurality of application programs for communicating with a plurality of remote machines of a plurality of machine types, each of the plurality of remote machines having remotely accessible data and remotely performable operations includes a computer system with a memory, a processor, and a mass storage device, the computer system for storing programs, class declarations, and class libraries in an object-oriented programming language, means for compiling files containing source-code representations of application programs in the object-oriented programming language, implementations of a hierarchy of data description classes, each implementation for describing a set of data and for describing methods for manipulating the set of data, implementations of a hierarchy of remote data description classes, each implementation for describing data items contained in one of the plurality of remote machines and for describing methods for accessing the data items,

Abstract: A method for communicating with a plurality of remote machines, of a plurality of machine types, using a computer system having a memory, includes the steps of constructing within the memory a first plurality of software objects, the first plurality of software objects describing services for one of the plurality of remote machines, establishing communications with the one remote machine, and invoking operations on the one remote machine in response to requests described by services of the first plurality of software objects.