Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a system for securing data with a storage system. The system includes at least one storage device. In addition, the system includes a security mechanism for recognizing an attempt to insert or remove the storage device. Moreover, the system includes a management unit to control the insertion and removal of the storage device.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a WORM storage system, the method including a sector-append capability. The method includes receiving data to be written to a WORM storage system. In addition, the method includes identifying a target sector at which the data is to be written. Also, the method includes determining if the received data can be added to the target sector. Moreover, the method includes adding the received data to the target sector if it is determined that the received data can be added to the target sector.

Abstract: A method to manage objects in an information lifecycle management system is provided. The method includes determining a score for each of the objects based on a score of at least one feature within respective ones of each of the objects where the score of the at least one feature being associated with a valuation of the at least one feature. The method also includes managing each of the objects based on the score for each of the objects wherein higher scored objects are managed preferentially.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a system for securing data with a storage system. The system includes at least one storage device. In addition, the system includes a security mechanism for recognizing an attempt to insert or remove the storage device. Moreover, the system includes a management unit to control the insertion and removal of the storage device.

Abstract: A method for reducing data loss and unavailability by integrating multiple levels of a storage hierarchy is provided. The method includes receiving a read request. In addition, the method includes recognizing a data failure in response to the read request. The method further includes locating an alternate source of the data to be read in response to recognizing the data failure. The alternate source includes data cached at devices in the storage hierarchy, data in a backup system, and cumulative changes to the data since the last backup. Moreover, the method includes responding to the read request with data from the alternate source.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a WORM storage system, the method including a sector-append capability. The method includes receiving data to be written to a WORM storage system. In addition, the method includes identifying a target sector at which the data is to be written. Also, the method includes determining if the received data can be added to the target sector. Moreover, the method includes adding the received data to the target sector if it is determined that the received data can be added to the target sector.

Abstract: Programs, systems and methods for providing differentiated service levels for a search index are disclosed. Data object documents are processed by extracting terms and scoring each of the terms associated with each document according to criteria to indicate relative importance of the associated document. A plurality of posting lists are generated for each term each comprising entries identifying documents that include the term. The entries are allocated to the different posting lists for the given term depending upon the score for the term associated with particular document. The different posting lists, e.g. a high score and low score posting list, may then be stored as data objects managed according to their indicated importance. For example, the high score posting list data object may be stored in higher performance storage than the low score posting list data object. Scores may be regularly updated.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a WORM storage system, the method including a sector-append capability. The method includes receiving data to be written to a WORM storage system. In addition, the method includes identifying a target sector at which the data is to be written. Also, the method includes determining if the received data can be added to the target sector. Moreover, the method includes adding the received data to the target sector if it is determined that the received data can be added to the target sector.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a method for ensuring that data stored on rewritable storage is immutable. The method includes initializing selected user-addressable blocks of storage to a writable state. In addition, the method includes accepting data to be stored in specified user-addressable blocks. Also, the method includes determining if the specified block(s) is writable. Also, the method includes storing the accepted data to the rewritable storage. Moreover, the method includes setting the state of the specified block(s) to non-writable. Each user-addressable block of storage is mapped to at least one block of rewritable storage and initializing selected user-addressable blocks of storage to a writable state includes storing predetermined bit patterns into the corresponding blocks of rewritable storage such that for each selected user-addressable block of storage, the contents of the corresponding blocks of rewritable storage satisfy a predetermined mathematical relationship.

Abstract: A method for reducing data loss and unavailability by integrating multiple levels of a storage hierarchy is provided. The method includes receiving a read request. In addition, the method includes recognizing a data failure in response to the read request. The method further includes locating an alternate source of the data to be read in response to recognizing the data failure. The alternate source includes data cached at devices in the storage hierarchy, data in a backup system, and cumulative changes to the data since the last backup. Moreover, the method includes responding to the read request with data from the alternate source.

Abstract: A method to manage objects in an information lifecycle management system is provided. The method includes determining a score for each of the objects based on a score of at least one feature within respective ones of each of the objects where the score of the at least one feature being associated with a valuation of the at least one feature. The method also includes managing each of the objects based on the score for each of the objects wherein higher scored objects are managed preferentially.

Abstract: Desired transformations such as compression, encryption and/or encoding are applied to data such that the number of duplicate chunks in the transformed data is increased and the chunks are predominantly of a predetermined size. Additionally, the unique and duplicate chunks of transformed data are identified. A variable-sized window is passed over the set of data to generate a working chunk of transformed data that is of the predetermined size. When the working chunk is a duplicate chunk of data, a next group of untransformed data is selected from the set of data, transformed and then evaluated. When the working chunk is not a duplicate chunk of data, a next group of data is selected by sliding the window over the set of data to generate another working chunk that is evaluated.

Abstract: A data chunking system divides data into predominantly fixed-sized chunks such that duplicate data may be identified. The data chunking system may be used to reduce the data storage and save network bandwidth by allowing storage or transmission of primarily unique data chunks. The system may also be used to increase reliability in data storage and network transmission, by allowing an error affecting a data chunk to be repaired with an identified duplicate chunk. The data chunking system chunks data by selecting a chunk of fixed size, then moving a window along the data until a match to existing data is found. As the window moves across the data, unique chunks predominantly of fixed size are formed in the data passed over. Several embodiments provide alternate methods of determining whether a selected chunk matches existing data and methods by which the window is moved through the data.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a system for securing data with a storage system. The system includes at least one storage device. In addition, the system includes a security mechanism for recognizing an attempt to insert or remove the storage device. Moreover, the system includes a management unit to control the insertion and removal of the storage device.

Abstract: A data organization system includes an index that offers fast retrieval of records and that protects records from logical modification. The index includes a balanced tree that grows from the root of the tree down to the leaves and requires no re-balancing. Each level in the tree includes a hash table. The hash table in each level in the tree can use a hash function that is different and independent from the hash function used in any other level in the tree. Alternatively, the hash table in each level in the tree can use a universal hash function. Possible locations of a record in the tree are fixed and determined by a hash function of a key of that record.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a WORM storage system, the method including a sector-append capability. The method includes receiving data to be written to a WORM storage system. In addition, the method includes identifying a target sector at which the data is to be written. Also, the method includes determining if the received data can be added to the target sector. Moreover, the method includes adding the received data to the target sector if it is determined that the received data can be added to the target sector.

Abstract: A system and method of optimizing storage of common data blocks within a networked storage system comprises receiving a data block to be stored in the networked storage system, analyzing contents of the received data block to determine how many copies of the data block the system is entrusted to store and how many copies of the data block existing within the system, and to identify a location of each copy of the data block within the system, identifying performance and reliability requirements of the system, determining an optimal number of copies of the received data block to store in the system, wherein the determination is made according to a number of copies of the data block the system is entrusted to store together with the identified performance and reliability requirements of the system, and maintaining the optimal number of copies of the received data block within the system.

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided a system for organizing data objects for fast retrieval. The system includes at least one data storage medium defining data sectors. In addition, the system includes at least one data object on the data storage medium. Also, the system includes at least one key associated with the at least one data object. Moreover, the system includes at least one write-once index on the data storage medium to manage the at least one data object.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for ensuring that data stored on rewritable storage is immutable. The method includes initializing selected user-addressable blocks of storage to a writable state. In addition, the method includes accepting data to be stored in specified user-addressable blocks. Also, the method includes determining if the specified block(s) is writable. Also, the method includes storing the accepted data to the rewritable storage. Moreover, the method includes setting the state of the specified block(s) to non-writable. In one embodiment, the writable/non-writable state associated with each block is encoded and stored in the contents of the corresponding block. In another embodiment, the steps of determining whether the specified block(s) is writable, storing the accepted data to the rewritable storage, and setting the state of the specified block(s) to non-writable, are integrated and indivisible.

Abstract: A method for reducing data loss and unavailability by integrating multiple levels of a storage hierarchy is provided. The method includes receiving a read request. In addition, the method includes recognizing a data failure in response to the read request. The method further includes locating an alternate source of the data to be read in response to recognizing the data failure. The alternate source includes data cached at devices in the storage hierarchy, data in a backup system, and cumulative changes to the data since the last backup. Moreover, the method includes responding to the read request with data from the alternate source.