Abstract: A disk media retaining and exchange system configured to accept a disk media assembly including a disk and a ferromagnetic material coupled therewith, includes a spindle motor assembly with a spindle motor and a permanent magnet retainer coupled therewith, whereby the system is configured to retain the disk on the spindle motor by a magnetic force between the ferromagnetic material of the disk media assembly and the permanent magnet retainer of the spindle motor assembly. An electromagnet disk exchange tool may be employed, configured such that energization of coils in close proximity to the disk media assembly overcomes the magnetic force to release the disk media assembly from retention with the spindle motor assembly, and generates another magnetic force between the ferromagnetic material of the disk media assembly and at least one electromagnet of the exchange tool to remove the disk away from the spindle motor for disk exchange.

Abstract: A disk media retaining and exchange system configured to accept a disk media assembly including a disk and a ferromagnetic material coupled therewith, includes a spindle motor assembly with a spindle motor and a permanent magnet retainer coupled therewith, whereby the system is configured to retain the disk on the spindle motor by a magnetic force between the ferromagnetic material of the disk media assembly and the permanent magnet retainer of the spindle motor assembly. An electromagnet disk exchange tool may be employed, configured such that energization of coils in close proximity to the disk media assembly overcomes the magnetic force to release the disk media assembly from retention with the spindle motor assembly, and generates another magnetic force between the ferromagnetic material of the disk media assembly and at least one electromagnet of the exchange tool to remove the disk away from the spindle motor for disk exchange.

Abstract: A disk retention system includes a spindle motor assembly with a spindle motor and an electromagnet retainer coupled and rotatable therewith, and a disk media assembly including a disk medium and a ferromagnetic material coupled therewith, whereby the disk is retained on the spindle motor by an adjustable attractive magnetic force between the ferromagnetic material of the disk assembly and the electromagnet retainer of the motor assembly. The motor assembly may further include a pair of stationary electrically-conductive liquid or liquid metal slip rings and a pair of rotatable electrical contacts each electrically coupled with a respective slip ring and with the electromagnet retainer, where the slip rings may utilize a Gallium-Indium-Tin alloy.

Abstract: A network attached storage device coupled to a local network and including a network interface configured to receive digital content from a remote content provider outside the local network. The network attached storage device includes storage having a first region accessible by a user of the local network and a secure region. The network attached storage device includes a processor coupled to the storage, the processor configured to control access to the secure region of the storage based on instructions received from a remote content provider.

Abstract: A network attached storage device coupled to a local network and including a network interface configured to receive digital content from a remote content provider outside the local network. The network attached storage device includes storage having a first region accessible by a user of the local network and a secure region. The network attached storage device includes a processor coupled to the storage, the processor configured to control access to the secure region of the storage based on instructions received from a remote content provider.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to receive a voltage at a first value at a voltage reducing adaptor, ascertain a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain and ascertained voltage supply requirement, reduce the voltage from the first value to the ascertained voltage supply requirement within the adaptor and supply the voltage at the ascertained voltage supply requirement to the memory arrangement.

Abstract: A network attached storage device coupled to a local network and including a network interface configured to receive digital content from a remote content provider outside the local network. The network attached storage device includes storage having a first region accessible by a user of the local network and a secure region. The network attached storage device includes a processor coupled to the storage, the processor configured to control access to the secure region of the storage based on instructions received from a remote content provider.

Abstract: A network attached storage device coupled to a local network and including a network interface configured to receive digital content from a remote content provider outside the local network. The network attached storage device includes storage having a first region accessible by a user of the local network and a secure region. The network attached storage device includes a processor coupled to the storage, the processor configured to control access to the secure region of the storage based on instructions received from a remote content provider.

Abstract: A network device includes memory with permanent storage. A request for information is received from a user device. In response to determining that an erasure encoded version of the requested information is not stored in the memory of the network device, the requested information is requested to be transmitted from a storage external to the network device and partially received. In response to determining that an amount of the partially received requested information does not satisfy an erasure encoding threshold, it is determined whether the erasure encoding threshold can be satisfied within a time duration. If so, the partially received requested information is erasure encoded, stored in the permanent storage, and transmitted. If not, the requested information is requested to be retransmitted from the storage external to the network device.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a storage medium, an input configured to receive a supply voltage from a voltage source, and control circuitry powered by the supply voltage. The control circuitry is configured to adjust a load of the data storage device, detect a load voltage at the adjusted load, detect a load current at the adjusted load, process the detected load voltage and the detected load current to detect a current limit of the voltage source, and configure the data storage device in response to the detected current limit of the voltage source.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to receive a voltage at a first value at a voltage reducing adaptor, ascertain a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain and ascertained voltage supply requirement, reduce the voltage from the first value to the ascertained voltage supply requirement within the adaptor and supply the voltage at the ascertained voltage supply requirement to the memory arrangement.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a first head actuated over the first disk surface, and a second head actuated over a second disk surface. A concurrent access of the first and second disk surface is executed by accessing the first disk surface without accessing the second disk surface during a single access interval, and after the single access interval, concurrently accessing the first and second disk surface during a dual access interval.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to receive a voltage at a first value at a voltage reducing adaptor, ascertain a voltage supply requirement for the memory arrangement to obtain and ascertained voltage supply requirement, reduce the voltage from the first value to the ascertained voltage supply requirement within the adaptor and supply the voltage at the ascertained voltage supply requirement to the memory arrangement.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a coarse actuator configured to actuate a first head over a first disk surface and a second head over a second disk surface. A first fine actuator is configured to actuate the first head over the first disk surface, and a second fine actuator is configured to actuate the second head over the second disk surface. A first bias signal is calibrated for the first fine actuator, and a second bias signal is calibrated for the second fine actuator. The first fine actuator is controlled based on the first bias signal and the second fine actuator is controlled based on the second bias signal in order to concurrently access the first disk surface and the second disk surface.

Abstract: A data storage device is disclosed comprising a storage medium, an input configured to receive a supply voltage from a voltage source, and control circuitry powered by the supply voltage. The control circuitry is configured to adjust a load of the data storage device, detect a load voltage at the adjusted load, detect a load current at the adjusted load, process the detected load voltage and the detected load current to detect a current limit of the voltage source, and configure the data storage device in response to the detected current limit of the voltage source.

Abstract: A Multi-Chip Module (MCM) includes a substrate and a switch controller on the substrate. An optical module on the substrate includes at least one optical crosspoint switch for selectively routing optical signals received by the optical module out of the MCM without the MCM converting the optical signals into electrical signals for processing data from the optical signals by the switch controller. According to another aspect, at least one memory on the substrate is electrically connected to the switch controller by a parallel bus. In another aspect, the MCM includes a plurality of input optical paths for receiving optical signals from outside the MCM, a plurality of output optical paths for transmitting optical signals from the MCM, and a plurality of optical crosspoint switches each connecting an input optical path to an output optical path to selectively route optical signals.

Abstract: A network device includes memory with permanent storage. A request for information is received from a user device. In response to determining that an erasure encoded version of the requested information is not stored in the memory of the network device, the requested information is requested to be transmitted from a storage external to the network device and partially received. In response to determining that an amount of the partially received requested information does not satisfy an erasure encoding threshold, it is determined whether the erasure encoding threshold can be satisfied within a time duration. If so, the partially received requested information is erasure encoded, stored in the permanent storage, and transmitted. If not, the requested information is requested to be retransmitted from the storage external to the network device.

Abstract: A server chassis includes a plurality of microservers with each microserver including a Micro Baseboard Management Controller (?BMC) and at least one processor for controlling operation of the microserver. A BMC communication manager of the server chassis directly communicates with each ?BMC of the plurality of micro-servers. A Chassis BMC (CBMC) connects to the BMC communication manager and communicates with the BMC communication manager via a plurality of communication protocols. The BMC communication manager translates at least one of the plurality of protocols to a different protocol for direct communication with each ?BMC. According to one aspect, a ?BMC is connected to an out-of-band port of a microserver for communicating with at least one processor of the microserver. According to another aspect, the BMC communication manager includes at least one CBMC connector for communicating with the CBMC, and a plurality of ?BMC ports for communicating directly with a respective ?BMC.

Abstract: A Chassis Baseboard Management Controller (CBMC) includes at least one memory for storing data related to a plurality of microservers in a server chassis. A request is received from a remote device for microserver hostnames to build a locality map for a storage or processing pool in a distributed storage or processing network. A device slot number corresponding to a physical location of the microserver in the server chassis is determined for each microserver. The determined device slot number is appended to a chassis hostname to create respective microserver hostnames. According to one aspect, a microserver hostname is received from a CBMC and stored in a memory of a ?BMC of a microserver. The microserver hostname is retrieved from the memory by a processor of the microserver during a boot sequence. The retrieved microserver hostname is set as a hostname for communicating via at least one network interface.

Abstract: Embodiments of network devices for content distribution are described. In some embodiments, an edge network device integrates network coding for content distribution with erasure coding for data storage. Embodiments of methods of integrating network coding and erasure coding are also disclosed. In some embodiments, an edge network device can determine content distribution and storage for content based on one or more penalty functions that assess storage capacity, computational power, user demand, and/or network bandwidth for optimal resource usage. In some embodiments, an edge network device creates fragments of content and transmits a subset of the fragments for early distribution. In response to a user request for the content, the edge network device can transmit the remaining fragments to the user device for the user device to reconstruct the original content.