Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern selective adaptive predictive data placement to improve the operating and/or electrical efficiency of a data storage apparatus. A future input/output operation is predicted from a current input/output operation, the state of the data storage apparatus, relationships between data currently being processed and data previously processed, environmental factors, or other factors. The apparatus and methods may improve data storage efficiency by selectively pre-fetching data, relocating data on the data storage apparatus or within a plurality of data storage apparatus, speculatively producing erasure codes or other error correction codes, speculatively deduplicating data, or other adaptive functions. Relocation and pre-fetching may be configured to achieve different policies focused on electrical efficiency, operating efficiency, use spreading, or other considerations.

Abstract: Embodiments include an apparatus for replicating a file system (FS) that stores a file in a first location in a first data storage device, the apparatus comprising a query circuit configured to generate a spatial query that identifies a primary directory tree in the FS, and to receive a response to the query from the FS, where the response identifies a range of the primary directory tree in which a changed file may be found; a scan filter circuit configured to generate a scan filter based on the response, where the scan filter defines a portion of the primary directory tree that is smaller than the primary directory tree to search for a changed file; and a replication circuit configured to scan the portion of the primary directory tree, and upon detecting a changed file, replicate the changed file from the first location to a different location.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and other embodiments facilitate discovering and serializing metadata for a file system. After initializing or accessing a serialization data structure, recursive search threads that begin at a selected location in the file system are spawned. The threads analyzes the selected location in the file system, acquire metadata associated with the selected location in the file system, serialize the metadata associated with the selected location in the file system into the serialization data structure, and then selectively spawn additional recursive search threads. Additional recursive search threads may be spawned upon determining that the current recursive search thread has reached a branch point in a hierarchy of the file system. Different threads may perform different types of searches (e.g., depth-first breadth-first) and may operate in parallel. The serialization data structure may be persisted and surfaced in an object (e.g., JSON object) that can be queried or searched.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern metadata peering that allows a file system to address a file in a local namespace while actually accessing the file using an address used by a shared secondary storage. This allows the file system to operate unmodified and more efficiently in a native mode that addresses files in the shared secondary storage using addresses local to a computer running the file system. An example method accesses an inode associated with a file that is stored in a shared secondary storage. The method accesses a local namespace identifier used by the file system to access the file and accesses a reference used by the shared secondary storage to access the file. The reference is not associated with the local namespace. The method stores an opaque value in the inode. The opaque value facilitates accessing the file in the shared secondary storage using the local namespace.

Abstract: Embodiments include an apparatus for replicating a file system (FS) that stores a file in a first location in a first data storage device, the apparatus comprising a query circuit configured to generate a spatial query that identifies a primary directory tree in the FS, and to receive a response to the query from the FS, where the response identifies a range of the primary directory tree in which a changed file may be found; a scan filter circuit configured to generate a scan filter based on the response, where the scan filter defines a portion of the primary directory tree that is smaller than the primary directory tree to search for a changed file; and a replication circuit configured to scan the portion of the primary directory tree, and upon detecting a changed file, replicate the changed file from the first location to a different location.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern identifying an error in a file system. The error is identified during one or more b-tree traversals through the file system. A fix for the error is produced upon detecting the error. Data or metadata associated with the fix is not initially written to the file system, but instead is stored somewhere other than the file system using a copy on write approach. After the traversals are complete, the file system may be fixed using the data or metadata stored using the copy on write approach.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern storing additional information about inodes to facilitate n-way inode translation between local inode spaces and external inode spaces. Example apparatus and methods also concern publishing information about actions that affect inodes to facilitate n-way inode translation. Additional data is added to local file systems so that a local file system can determine whether an inode for which an action is requested or reported is a native inode or an imported inode. The additional data added to the local file systems through the updated inode data storage and inode action publication also facilitates determining which local inode to act on based on the n-way inode translation mechanism.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern selective adaptive predictive data placement to improve the operating and/or electrical efficiency of a data storage apparatus. A future input/output operation is predicted from a current input/output operation, the state of the data storage apparatus, relationships between data currently being processed and data previously processed, environmental factors, or other factors. The apparatus and methods may improve data storage efficiency by selectively pre-fetching data, relocating data on the data storage apparatus or within a plurality of data storage apparatus, speculatively producing erasure codes or other error correction codes, speculatively deduplicating data, or other adaptive functions. Relocation and pre-fetching may be configured to achieve different policies focused on electrical efficiency, operating efficiency, use spreading, or other considerations.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern metadata peering that allows a file system to address a file in a local namespace while actually accessing the file using an address used by a shared secondary storage. This allows the file system to operate unmodified and more efficiently in a native mode that addresses files in the shared secondary storage using addresses local to a computer running the file system. An example method accesses an inode associated with a file that is stored in a shared secondary storage. The method accesses a local namespace identifier used by the file system to access the file and accesses a reference used by the shared secondary storage to access the file. The reference is not associated with the local namespace. The method stores an opaque value in the inode. The opaque value facilitates accessing the file in the shared secondary storage using the local namespace.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern storing additional information about inodes to facilitate n-way inode translation between local inode spaces and external inode spaces. Example apparatus and methods also concern publishing information about actions that affect inodes to facilitate n-way inode translation. Additional data is added to local file systems so that a local file system can determine whether an inode for which an action is requested or reported is a native inode or an imported inode. The additional data added to the local file systems through the updated inode data storage and inode action publication also facilitates determining which local inode to act on based on the n-way inode translation mechanism.

Abstract: Example apparatus and methods concern identifying an error in a file system. The error is identified during one or more b-tree traversals through the file system. A fix for the error is produced upon detecting the error. Data or metadata associated with the fix is not initially written to the file system, but instead is stored somewhere other than the file system using a copy on write approach. After the traversals are complete, the file system may be fixed using the data or metadata stored using the copy on write approach.

Abstract: A set of three low cost processes for removing boron, phosphorus, carbon and other metal and nonmetal impurities during the process of converting metallurgical grade silicon to electronic grade silicon. One process removes boron by using one or more high temperature solids removal devices to remove solid titanium diboride from a halosilane reactor effluent stream where the high temperature is preferably greater than 200 C., more preferably greater than 300 C. and most preferably greater than 400 C. A second process removes carbon as methane and phosphorus as phosphine by means of a membrane separator which processes all or part of a hydrogen recycle stream to recover hydrogen while rejecting methane and phosphine. A third process separates a high boiling halosilane stream into a large low impurity stream and one or more small high impurity streams some of which can be sent for halogen recovery.

Abstract: A system and method for cleansing, including cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and decontamination comprises apparatus for generating and issuing superheated vapor including at least one (1) sterilant, the liquid from which the superheated vapor is generated comprising solution of sterilant and in some applications at least one anticorrosive and includes control for exposure to said superheated vapor. A method for cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing, and decontaminating includes the steps of directing superheated vapor under pressure including at least one sterilant therein toward the object to be cleaned, disinfected, sterilized and decontaminated and may include provision of an anticorrosion reagent therein. Apparatus may provide a tortuous path such as to expose an object to be cleaned, sterilized, disinfected, or decontaminated in various aspects such as to treat substantially the entire object, either through use of manual intervention or substantially wholly automated.

Abstract: A method for safely handling unstable hydrides in an enclosure which contains a hydride and has one or more openings, by partitioning the enclosure into smaller but interconnected volumes and providing heat storage and transfer within the enclosure to rapidly remove heat from any incipient hot spot before it can reach a temperature where it could rapidly propagate to the rest of the enclosure. The minimum temperature used to size the partitions is the thermal decomposition temperature for unstable gases which can decompose without oxidation such as hydrazine, silane and germane. A preferred embodiment includes where the partitioning material comprises part or all of the means to store the heat and has a large surface area to rapidly adsorb heat from the gases in the smaller volume. An even more preferred embodiment is where the partitioning material comprises materials that can be poured into the enclosure. The use of sensible heat, phase change or chemical reactions is feasible ways to store the heat.