Abstract: An apparatus, a method, a method of manufacturing an apparatus, and a method of constructing an integrated circuit are provided. A processor of an application server layer detects a degree of a change in a workload in an input/output stream received through a network from one or more user devices. The processor determines a degree range, from a plurality of preset degree ranges, that the degree of the change in the workload is within. The processor determines a distribution strategy, from among a plurality of distribution strategies, to distribute the workload across one or more of a plurality of solid state devices (SSDs) in a performance cache tier of a centralized multi-tier storage pool, based on the determined degree range. The processor distributes the workload across the one or more of the plurality of solid state devices based on the determined distribution strategy.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, a method of manufacturing an apparatus, and a method of constructing an integrated circuit are provided. A processor of an application server layer detects a degree of a change in a workload in an input/output stream received through a network from one or more user devices. The processor determines a degree range, from a plurality of preset degree ranges, that the degree of the change in the workload is within. The processor determines a distribution strategy, from among a plurality of distribution strategies, to distribute the workload across one or more of a plurality of solid state devices (SSDs) in a performance cache tier of a centralized multi-tier storage pool, based on the determined degree range. The processor distributes the workload across the one or more of the plurality of solid state devices based on the determined distribution strategy.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method, a method of manufacturing an apparatus, and a method of constructing an integrated circuit are provided. A processor of an application server layer detects a degree of a change in a workload in an input/output stream received through a network from one or more user devices. The processor determines a degree range, from a plurality of preset degree ranges, that the degree of the change in the workload is within. The processor determines a distribution strategy, from among a plurality of distribution strategies, to distribute the workload across one or more of a plurality of solid state devices (SSDs) in a performance cache tier of a centralized multi-tier storage pool, based on the determined degree range. The processor distributes the workload across the one or more of the plurality of solid state devices based on the determined distribution strategy.

Abstract: A priority restore agent in a data storage system generates a priority restore data set for a client computer system or device by identifying a set of active data sets and/or a set of key data sets within client system data generated by the client computer system. The priority restore agent looks at or processes file system attributes for the client system data and compares these attributes with predefined restore parameters. The restore parameters may indicate that any file that has been accessed, modified, or created within a particular period of time be included in the priority restore data set. The key data sets may be identified in a set of automated restore rules. A data protection application within the data storage system can restore data in the priority restore data set onto the client computer system after a disaster or system crash.

Abstract: A method of connecting and operating three or more devices to an IDE bus under the conditions that: (1) no more than two IDE devices may be active at any given time on the same IDE bus, and (2) cable/trace lengths for the IDE bus may not exceed the limits set forth in the IDE bus standard. The IDE devices are configured for cable select connected to the IDE bus, wherein no more than two of the IDE devices are powered on at any given. Further, those IDE devices which are powered on at a give time, have the appropriate logic level asserted on CSEL line so that only one IDE device powered on at any time is a “Master” device, and only one IDE device powered on is a “Slave”.

Abstract: Cryptographic keys or metadata implement timely deletion of data stored on removable storage media that has exceeded its desired lifespan. The data itself is not destroyed, rather metadata is deleted or the data is encrypted at the time it is written, and the encryption key used for the data is deleted. The data is thereby rendered incomprehensible. The encryption/decryption process may be performed in hardware by the device that reads/writes the removable storage media. The encryption/decryption process is transparent to software interfacing with the read/write device and is performed automatically whenever a piece of removable storage media is detected as having an encryption key present. Thus, this encryption does not provide confidentiality, although a separate confidentiality encryption key may be used to encrypt the temporary encryption key. In one embodiment a circuit within each case or carrier for removable storage media is capable of autonomously deleting the temporary encryption key.

Abstract: The timepiece comprises at least one pushbutton (9), at least one control member actuable by the pushbutton (9) and a device (10) for locking the pushbutton (9), and is characterized in that the locking device (10) is arranged to permit the pushbutton (9) to occupy an unlocked axial position, from which it can be pressed to actuate the control member, and a locked axial position, nearer the interior of the timepiece than the unlocked axial position and in which the control member is not actuated.

Abstract: The timepiece comprises a case (1), a mechanism (6) disposed in the case (1) and a rotatable control member (10) manipulable by a user, and is characterized in that the rotatable control member (10) is movable in translation relative to the case (1) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis (A) of the rotatable control member (10), between first and second positions, and in that in at least one of these first and second positions a rotation of the rotatable member (10) controls a function of the mechanism (6).

Abstract: A data storage system that has one or more IDE disk drives, each IDE disk drive connected to a USB to IDE controller, and the USB to IDE controllers are connected to one or more USB controllers. Within the data storage system (array), USB to IDE controllers are integrated into disk drive carriers. The logical interface presented to the storage array is strictly USB, and the insertion or removal of the drive carrier corresponds directly to USB device insertion/removal from the USB bus. Hubs can be used to associate up to 127 USB devices to a single USB controller, and multiple USB controllers may be utilized to increase overall system. Using the simple four wire interface of USB and the extend lengths of USB relative to IDE, a passive center plane design for the storage array is made possible by the present invention. Using USB as an internal interconnect allows the use of inexpensive IDE disk drives within a storage array with simplified cabling/signal routing, “hot plugging”, and passive center plane.

Abstract: A digital data storage unit, such as tape library, has a multiplicity of storage media slots, each storage media slot for receiving a storage media unit, a plurality of storage media units loaded in particular ones of the storage media slots, a plurality of data transfer devices for writing data to and reading data from the storage media units, a plurality of data transfer device interfaces corresponding to the plurality of the data transfer devices, each data transfer device interface configured for transferring data between a corresponding data transfer device and a host computing environment, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a storage media unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, and a storage unit controller connected to the loader mechanism and to the data transfer device interfaces, wherein the storage unit controller is configured for connection to the host computing environment to receive and decode one or more host commands sent by the host computin

Abstract: A process/method for controlling a digital data storage unit including a multiplicity of storage media slots for receiving media storage units, a plurality of media storage units loaded in some of the storage media slots, a plurality of data storage drives each having a unique drive address, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a media storage unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, and a storage unit controller connected to at least one host computer. One or more of the data storage drives are reserved as spare data storage drives wherein the spare data storage drives are masked from the host computer such the spare data storage drives are not directly accessible by the host computer. The storage unit controller receives and decodes host commands including a source address corresponding to a storage media slot location, and a destination address corresponding to a data storage drive specified by the host computer.

Abstract: A data storage system that has one or more IDE disk drives, each IDE disk drive connected to a USB to IDE controller, and the USB to IDE controllers are connected to one or more USB controllers. Within the data storage system (array), USB to IDE controllers are integrated into disk drive carriers. The logical interface presented to the storage array is strictly USB, and the insertion or removal of the drive carrier corresponds directly to USB device insertion/removal from the USB bus. Hubs can be used to associate up to 127 USB devices to a single USB controller, and multiple USB controllers may be utilized to increase overall system. Using the simple four wire interface of USB and the extend lengths of USB relative to IDE, a passive center plane design for the storage array is made possible by the present invention.

Abstract: A method of connecting and operating three or more devices to an IDE bus under the conditions that: (1) no more than two IDE devices may be active at any given time on the same IDE bus, and (2) cable/trace lengths for the IDE bus may not exceed the limits set forth in the IDE bus standard. The IDE devices are configured for cable select connected to the IDE bus, wherein no more than two of the IDE devices are powered on at any given. Further, those IDE devices which are powered on at a give time, have the appropriate logic level asserted on CSEL line so that only one IDE device powered on at any time is a “Master” device, and only one IDE device powered on is a “Slave”.

Abstract: A digital data storage unit, such as tape library, has a multiplicity of storage media slots, each storage media slot for receiving a storage media unit, a plurality of storage media units loaded in particular ones of the storage media slots, a plurality of data transfer devices for writing data to and reading data from the storage media units, a plurality of data transfer device interfaces corresponding to the plurality of the data transfer devices, each data transfer device interface configured for transferring data between a corresponding data transfer device and a host computing environment, a loader mechanism for selectively moving a storage media unit between a storage media slot and one of the plurality of data storage drives, and a storage unit controller connected to the loader mechanism and to the data transfer device interfaces, wherein the storage unit controller is configured for connection to the host computing environment to receive and decode one or more host commands sent by the host computin