Abstract: A method and system for intercepting I/O requests and responses in a proprietary operating environment or hypervisor-virtualization utilizing open source software or general public license device drivers. The processing includes at the added functionality module comprises at least one of encrypting, de-duplicating, compressing and caching.

Abstract: Synchronous local and cross-site switchover and switchback operations of a node in a disaster recovery (DR) group are described. In one embodiment, during switchover, a takeover node receives a failover request and responsively identifies a first partner node in a first cluster and a second partner node in a second cluster. The first partner node and the takeover node form a first high-availability (HA) group and the second partner node and a third partner node in the second cluster form a second HA group. The first and second HA groups form the DR group and share a storage fabric. The takeover node synchronously restores client access requests associated with a failed partner node at the takeover node.

Abstract: A method and system to translate virtual storage device addresses to physical storage device addresses without the cooperation of the proprietary virtualization hypervisor is disclosed herein. The method of the present invention allows additional functionality to be added to the I/O processing of a closed/proprietary virtualization hypervisor by third party software or physical storage devices on the basis of individual virtual storage devices.

Abstract: A method and system for intercepting I/O requests and responses in a proprietary operating environment or hypervisor-virtualization utilizing open source software or general public license device drivers. The processing includes at the added functionality module comprises at least one of encrypting, de-duplicating, compressing and caching.

Abstract: Synchronous local and cross-site switchover and switchback operations of a node in a disaster recovery (DR) group are described. In one embodiment, during switchover, a takeover node receives a failover request and responsively identifies a first partner node in a first cluster and a second partner node in a second cluster. The first partner node and the takeover node form a first high-availability (HA) group and the second partner node and a third partner node in the second cluster form a second HA group. The first and second HA groups form the DR group and share a storage fabric. The takeover node synchronously restores client access requests associated with a failed partner node at the takeover node.

Abstract: An exemplary storage system for storing data from a host system and emulating a storage tape device is presented. In one example, the storage system includes a compression device configured to associate with a controller of a plurality of storage devices. The compression device is adapted to receive a sequence of data to be stored, divide the sequence of data into two or more blocks, and compress at least two of the two or more blocks in parallel. The system may further create an index associated with the blocks of data to output the data as a continuous stream of data. The compression device may further include dual or multiple ports.

Abstract: A back up storage device (20) that backs up non-compressed data during a backup window period and then later after the backup window period is over and the device (20) is idle, it retrieves, compresses and then re-stores the data to reclaim space on the storage medium of the device (20). During operation, a duty cycle having a backup window period and an idle period is defined. When the back up window starts, data is down-loaded and stored on the device (20) in non-compressed form. When the idle period begins, the non-compressed data is retrieved, compressed and then re-stored on the device (20) to reclaim space on the storage medium of the device (20). In one embodiment of the invention, the back up storage device (20) is an emulated tape drive (20) that uses a software compression algorithm to compress the data stored in the device (20).

Abstract: A storage system (14) that stores data from a host system (12) includes a plurality of disk drives (30), and a controller (32) that controls the disk drives (30). At least one of the disk drives (30) is in a stand-by mode and one of the disk drives (30) is in a write/read mode at approximately the same time. In one embodiment, the controller (32) directs data to a first subset (500) of disk drives (30) and a second subset (502) of disk drives (30) simultaneously. In this embodiment, at least one of the subsets (500)(502) can include five disk drives (30). Further, during a data transfer, one third of the disk drives (30) can be in the write/read mode while two-thirds of the disk drives (30) are in the stand-by mode.

Abstract: An exemplary storage system for storing data from a host system and emulating a storage tape device is presented. In one example, the storage system includes a compression device configured to associate with a controller of a plurality of storage devices. The compression device is adapted to receive a sequence of data to be stored, divide the sequence of data into two or more blocks, and compress at least two of the two or more blocks in parallel. The system may further create an index associated with the blocks of data to output the data as a continuous stream of data. The compression device may further include dual or multiple ports.

Abstract: A back up storage device (20) that backs up non-compressed data during a backup window period and then later after the backup window period is over and the device (20) is idle, it retrieves, compresses and then re-stores the data to reclaim space on the storage medium of the device (20). During operation, a duty cycle having a backup window period and an idle period is defined. When the back up window starts, data is down-loaded and stored on the device (20) in non-compressed form. When the idle period begins, the non-compressed data is retrieved, compressed and then re-stored on the device (20) to reclaim space on the storage medium of the device (20). In one embodiment of the invention, the back up storage device (20) is an emulated tape drive (20) that uses a software compression algorithm to compress the data stored in the device (20).

Abstract: A storage system (14) that stores data from a host system (12) includes a plurality of disk drives (30), and a controller (32) that controls the disk drives (30). At least one of the disk drives (30) is in a stand-by mode and one of the disk drives (30) is in a write/read mode at approximately the same time. In one embodiment, the controller (32) directs data to a first subset (500) of disk drives (30) and a second subset (502) of disk drives (30) simultaneously. In this embodiment, at least one of the subsets (500)(502) can include five disk drives (30). Further, during a data transfer, one third of the disk drives (30) can be in the write/read mode while two-thirds of the disk drives (30) are in the stand-by mode.

Abstract: A system backs up computer files to a remote site via modem, LAN, WAN, or other network device 16. Files of a user computer that are found in a common library at the remote site initially are not copied to the remote site, whereas files not in the library are copied to the remote site and potentially automatically added to the library when a sufficient number of computers contain the files. Then, periodically or continuously if the user is online via the modem, the user computer determines which blocks have been changed, and the user computer transmits only changed blocks to the remote site. The blocks are gathered in "chunk" files, and when a chunk file reaches a predetermined size, it is transmitted to the remote site for updating the back up version of the respective file. The process then resumes identifying changed blocks.

Abstract: A portable computer back up system copies user-selected files for back up as the computer is being used, and when the computer senses a network connection and the network is relatively available, the blocks of the files to be backed up are interleaved with, e.g., metadata and transmitted to a remote facility via the network. The back up system suspends the backing up of files if a disk space limit is reached, transmits any copied files when the network is available, deleting the back up copies of the files from disk, and then resumes copying files for back up. Also, each time the portable computer is connected to a network, it determines what other devices are on the network, and if the computer recognizes the network configuration, the computer reconfigures its settings as appropriate for, e.g., printing to the printer that happens to be connected to the particular network to which the portable computer is connected at the time.

Abstract: A Web advertising measurement system that correlates the number of impressions of Web advertisements with post-impression transactional activity to measure the effectiveness of the advertisements. When a user clicks on a banner advertisement, an impression is established and the user's identification is recorded. Then, when the user undertakes post-impression transactional activity such as downloading software related to the advertisement, ordering products and services related to the advertisement, and so on, the transactional activity along with the user's identification is recorded. Based on the user identifications, the number of impressions associated with the advertisements are correlated to the post-impression transactional activity as a measure of effectiveness of each advertisement.