Patents by Inventor S. Christopher Alaimo

S. Christopher Alaimo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9583130
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that allows the digital shredding of archived data is disclosed. Embodiments of the archiving system include removable disk drives that store data, which may be erased such that the data is considered destroyed but that allows the removable disk drive to be reused. The archiving system can determine which data should be erased. Then, the data is digitally shredded such that the removed data cannot be retrieved or deciphered. In alternative embodiments, a protection may be placed on the data required to be kept because the data is associated with a legal suit. This “legal hold” prevents the data from being digitally shredded. As such, the archiving system can provide a system that can dispose of data on a file-by-file or granular level without physically destroying the media upon which the data is stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Patent number: 9116900
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Publication number: 20140222764
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that provides one or more application layer partitions to archive data is disclosed. Embodiments include an active archive including a fixed storage. The active archive can create application layer partitions that associate the application layer partitions with portions of the fixed storage. Each application layer partition, in embodiments, has a separate set of controls that allow for customized storage of different data within a single archiving system. Further, embodiments of methods for ensuring storage capacity in the active archive and the application layer partitions within the active archive is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Randy Kerns
  • Publication number: 20140215137
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, embodiments of archival storage system are disclosed. The archival storage system includes two or more removable disk drives that provide random access and are readily expandable. One or more application servers can store archival data to the one or more removable disk drives. Further, the archival storage system provides intelligent archiving by adapting storage requirements to the type of data being archived by the application servers. Methods for storing archival data are also provided that store archival information in removable disk drives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Randy Kerns
  • Publication number: 20140181011
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Patent number: 8725780
    Abstract: Systems and methods for storing and accessing data on a removable media having a changeable data set and an immutable data set. In one embodiment, a system can comprise a removable media storage system adapted to determine whether a host system running one or more applications is configured to enforce Write Once Read Many (WORM) policies. The host system can be communicatively coupled with the removable media storage system and configured to execute instructions causing the host system to determine whether to allow or deny a request to access data on the removable media. The host system can use rules to determine if an access request is to access data of a changeable data set or a immutable data set. If the request is to access data of the changeable data set, access is allowed. If the request is to access data of the immutable data set, reads are allowed, as well as writes of new data. Access requests to rename, delete, and/or write to existing data of the immutable data set are denied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: S. Christopher Alaimo, Matthew D. Bondurant, Payman Dadashpour
  • Patent number: 8635419
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for maintaining immutable data in an archiving system using random access memory. To ensure data is immutable, novel pointers are maintained. For example, a modular drive bay maintains a pointer to a memory address in the removable drive memory cannot write data to a memory block that precedes the pointer. Data may only be stored after the pointer in the removable drive. As such, once data is written to the removable drive, the data cannot be overwritten although the removable drive employs random access memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, Mark Payne, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Patent number: 8595253
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Publication number: 20130311732
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that provides one or more application layer partitions to archive data is disclosed. Embodiments include an active archive including a fixed storage. The active archive can create application layer partitions that associate the application layer partitions with portions of the fixed storage. Each application layer partition, in embodiments, has a separate set of controls that allow for customized storage of different data within a single archiving system. Further, embodiments of methods for ensuring storage capacity in the active archive and the application layer partitions within the active archive is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2013
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Randy Kerns
  • Patent number: 8499128
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that provides one or more application layer partitions to archive data is disclosed. Embodiments include an active archive including a fixed storage. The active archive can create application layer partitions that associate the application layer partitions with portions of the fixed storage. Each application layer partition, in embodiments, has a separate set of controls that allow for customized storage of different data within a single archiving system. Further, embodiments of methods for ensuring storage capacity in the active archive and the application layer partitions within the active archive is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Randy Kerns
  • Patent number: 8495290
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for storing data on two or more removable disk drives. The two or more removable disk drives are inserted into a modular drive bay having two or more drive ports. Embodiments of the modular drive bay include a switch to redirect operations to a drive port. By arraying the drive ports, the removable disk drives may be replaced without needing to readdress the removable disk drives when new removable disk drives are inserted. Thus, the modular drive bay does not require configuration changes when new removable disk drives are inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Robert Sugar, S. Christopher Alaimo, Chris Mayne
  • Publication number: 20120311258
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for maintaining immutable data in an archiving system using random access memory. To ensure data is immutable, novel pointers are maintained in the hardware/firmware of the drive ports and on the removable disk drives. For example, a hardware/firmware in a modular drive bay maintains a pointer to a memory address in the removable disk drive memory that cannot write to a memory block that precedes the pointer. Data may only be stored after the pointer in the removable disk drive. As such, once data is written to the removable disk drive, the data cannot be overwritten although the removable disk drive employs random access memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, Mark Payne, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Publication number: 20120311259
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Patent number: 8250088
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a unique and novel archiving system that includes two or more network storage systems, each network storage system including removable hard disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the archiving system accesses, writes, reads, or performs functions on data from one network storage system to another remote network storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Publication number: 20120137071
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that provides one or more application layer partitions to archive data is disclosed. Embodiments include an active archive including a fixed storage. The active archive can create application layer partitions that associate the application layer partitions with portions of the fixed storage. Each application layer partition, in embodiments, has a separate set of controls that allow for customized storage of different data within a single archiving system. Further, embodiments of methods for ensuring storage capacity in the active archive and the application layer partitions within the active archive is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2012
    Publication date: May 31, 2012
    Applicant: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Randy Kerns
  • Patent number: 8171244
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for maintaining immutable data in an archiving system using random access memory. To ensure data is immutable, novel pointers are maintained in the hardware/firmware of the drive ports and on the removable disk drives. For example, a hardware/firmware in a modular drive bay maintains a pointer to a memory address in the removable disk drive memory that cannot write to a memory block that precedes the pointer. Data may only be stored after the pointer in the removable disk drive. As such, once data is written to the removable disk drive, the data cannot be overwritten although the removable disk drive employs random access memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, Mark Payne, S. Christopher Alaimo
  • Publication number: 20120096222
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for storing data on two or more removable disk drives. The two or more removable disk drives are inserted into a modular drive bay having two or more drive ports. Embodiments of the modular drive bay include a switch to redirect operations to a drive port. By arraying the drive ports, the removable disk drives may be replaced without needing to readdress the removable disk drives when new removable disk drives are inserted. Thus, the modular drive bay does not require configuration changes when new removable disk drives are inserted.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: April 19, 2012
    Applicant: IMATION CORP.
    Inventors: ROBERT SUGAR, S. CHRISTOPHER ALAIMO, CHRIS MAYNE
  • Patent number: 8156292
    Abstract: An archiving system including one or more removable disk drives embedded in removable disk cartridges, referred to simply as removable disk drives. The removable disk drives allow for expandability and replacement such that the archiving system need not be duplicated to add new or more storage capacity. In embodiments, the removable disk drives store metadata that contain information about the data stored on the removable disk drive. The metadata allows the system to retrieve the correct data from the random access memory and establishes controls on the data stored on the removable disk drive. In embodiments, the metadata is stored in two locations, such that, if the metadata in one location is corrupted, the second copy of the metadata may be retrieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Tandberg Data Holdings S.A.R.L.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Chris Mayne
  • Patent number: 8140787
    Abstract: According to the disclosure, a unique and novel archiving system that provides one or more application layer partitions to archive data is disclosed. Embodiments include an active archive including a fixed storage. The active archive can create application layer partitions that associate the application layer partitions with portions of the fixed storage. Each application layer partition, in embodiments, has a separate set of controls that allow for customized storage of different data within a single archiving system. Further, embodiments of methods for ensuring storage capacity in the active archive and the application layer partitions within the active archive is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Bondurant, S. Christopher Alaimo, Randy Kerns
  • Patent number: 8108601
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems and methods for storing data on two or more removable disk drives. The two or more removable disk drives are inserted into a modular drive bay having two or more drive ports. Embodiments of the modular drive bay include a switch to redirect operations to a drive port. By arraying the drive ports, the removable disk drives may be replaced without needing to readdress the removable disk drives when new removable disk drives are inserted. Thus, the modular drive bay does not require configuration changes when new removable disk drives are inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Imation Corp.
    Inventors: Robert Sugar, S. Christopher Alaimo, Chris Mayne