Abstract: A method, and corresponding system, is provided for generating replicas or copies of data objects that are used to serve data streams. The method includes determining one of the storage devices is operating at a load above a predetermined overload value. The method continues with identifying the data objects being served by data streams from the near overload storage device and then, selecting one of these served data objects for replication. To create a replica, the method includes writing data from the selected data object to another less busy one of the data storage devices, with the writing being done using data from one or more of the streams being served from the selected data object on the near-overload storage device. During replica creation, one or more streams from the selected data object provide data concurrently to a stream consumer or client device and to the replica.

Abstract: A storage device controller coupled to a storage device having a multiple locations for storing data coupled to may receive a WRITE ANYWHERE command including write data but not specifying a location of the storage device where the write data should be stored. The controller responds to the WRITE ANYWHERE command by selecting one or more unused locations of the storage device, and writing the write data in the one or more unused locations of the storage device. After writing the write data to the storage device, the controller may report where the write data is stored to the host. The host may also issue FREE commands to the controller specifying locations of the storage device which should be identified as unused. In response to a received FREE command, the controller may store information in a memory indicating that the location specified by the FREE command is unused.

Abstract: A storage array interconnection fabric may be configured using multiple independent paths. A storage system including a plurality of communication paths is configured for connecting each node of a plurality of nodes forming an interconnection fabric. Each of the communications paths is an independent communications path. In addition, a first portion of the plurality of nodes is configured to communicate with a plurality of mass storage devices such as disk drives. A second portion of the plurality of nodes may be configured to communicate with a host.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to restore data redundancy in a storage system with a storage virtualization engine. In one aspect of the invention, a method to restore data redundancy includes: receiving input indicating loss of redundancy for first data on a first storage unit; copying the first data from the first storage unit to a second storage unit so that the first data stored on the second storage unit has redundancy; and mapping (or configuring a storage virtualization engine to map) logical addresses for accessing the first data to physical addresses for the second storage unit in which the first data is stored. In one example according to this aspect, a portion of the second storage unit is determined and the first data is copied onto the portion of the second storage unit. The first and second storage units can be in a same storage subsystem under control of a storage controller or in different storage subsystems under control of separated storage controllers (e.g., disk controllers).

Abstract: Systems and methods for routing messages in an interconnection fabric are provided. The fabric includes a plurality of nodes, each node having, for example, four ports coupled to adjacent nodes in the fabric. A source node initiating a message in the fabric can transmit the message out of one of its four ports. Between a source node and a destination node, there are at least four independent paths which may be taken, depending on the output port from the source node. However, the precise path is not expressly delineated in the message. Instead, the message contains the address of the destination node, the address of the originating node, and a target region for the message. Each intermediate node is configured to receive a message via one of its four ports, and then select an appropriate output port based on the location of the port which received the message combined with the address and target information contained in the message.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a scalable routing system for use in an interconnection fabric are disclosed. In this routing scheme, a routing directive describes a route in the interconnection fabric between a sending node and a destination node. Either the sending node or a sending device connected to the sending node encodes the routing directive in a message to be sent to the destination node. The routing directive may include a variable number of segments. Each segment includes a distance component and a direction component that tell each node along the route how it should send the message. Generally, each distance component describes a distance in the interconnection fabric while each direction component specifies a direction in the interconnection fabric.

Abstract: A system and method for discovering nodes in an M×N torus interconnection fabric of nodes is provided. The method comprises probing an M×N torus interconnection fabric, wherein M and N are integer values and said interconnection fabric includes a first plurality of nodes forming an x-axis and a second plurality of nodes forming a y-axis; and identifying a location of a first node relative to the x and y axes. The computer system comprises an M×N array of nodes, wherein M and N are integer values; and a plurality of interconnects connecting the M×N array. A first plurality of nodes in the M×N array form an x-axis in the M×N array, a second plurality of nodes in the M×N array form a y-axis in the M×N array, and a first node in the M×N array is configured to probe the M×N array to identify a location of the first node relative to the x-axis and the y-axis.

Abstract: Embodiments of a routing system are disclosed, including a method for routing communications in a storage system. The storage system may include multiple nodes interconnected by an interconnection fabric that provides multiple independent paths between a source node and a destination node. Some nodes may be connected to one or more disk drives. The method may include receiving a communication to be sent from a source node to a destination node, selecting a communication path from the multiple independent paths, and sending the communication on the selected communication path. This process may be repeated so that multiple communications may be sent. Each communication path may be selected according to a preference assigned to it, so that a more preferred path is selected more often than a less preferred path.

Abstract: A method and system for mapping nodes in an M×N torus interconnection fabric of nodes is provided. The method includes generating an observed mapping of the nodes in the interconnection fabric showing a location of a first node relative to an x-axis of the fabric and relative to a y-axis of the fabric, comparing the observed mapping of the nodes to a set of expected mappings, and identifying the expected mapping which is most similar to the observed mapping.

Abstract: A single field replaceable storage or computer system may include a processor coupled to a peripheral bus by a bridge device. The field replaceable unit (FRU) may also include system memory coupled to the processor and a network interface coupled to the peripheral bus. One or more drive controllers may also be included coupled to the peripheral bus. Additionally, the single field replaceable unit includes an array of disk drives coupled to the one or more drive controllers. The array of disk drives may be configured as one or more RAID logical volumes and exported or presented to client machines as one or more file systems through the network interface. The processor, system memory, network interface, drive controllers, and array of disk drives are all packaged together as a single field replaceable unit. The processor, system memory, network interface, drive controllers, and array of disk drives may be configured not to be individually field serviceable or replaceable.

Abstract: A routing scheme using intention packets is contemplated. At times, one or more switching devices within a network may become overloaded with traffic or may encounter other adverse transmission conditions. When this occurs, a switching device may drop one or more packets to alleviate some of the congestion or other adverse condition. The switching devices may support a particular amount of resources (e.g. bandwidth, buffers, etc.) in and out of each of their ports. When a packet or a header portion of a packet arrives at a switching device, the switching device may determine what port the packet will need and the amount resources required by the packet on that port. If the required resources available for the packet on the port, then the switching device may route the packet to a next device. If the required resources are not available for the packet on the port, then the switching device may drop at least a portion of the packet. As opposed to or in addition to congestion (e.g.

Abstract: Embodiments of a routing system are disclosed, including a method for routing communications in a storage system. The storage system may include multiple nodes interconnected by an interconnection fabric that provides multiple independent paths between a source node and a destination node. Some nodes may be connected to one or more disk drives. The method may include receiving a communication to be sent from a source node to a destination node, selecting a communication path from the multiple independent paths, and sending the communication on the selected communication path. This process may be repeated so that multiple communications may be sent. Each communication path may be selected according to a preference assigned to it, so that a more preferred path is selected more often than a less preferred path. The preferences may be updated to reflect changed conditions in the interconnection fabric.

Abstract: Embodiments of a routing system are disclosed, including a method for routing a plurality of communications in a storage system. The storage system may include a plurality of nodes interconnected by an interconnection fabric that provides multiple independent paths between each source node and each destination node. Some nodes may be connected to one or more disk drives. The method may include receiving a communication to be sent from a source node to a destination node, selecting a communication path from the multiple independent paths between the source and destination nodes, and sending the communication on the selected communication path. This process may be repeated so that multiple communications may be sent. Each communication path is systematically selected at least occasionally to send at least one of the communications to prevent any path from having undetected problems.

Abstract: A switch is presented including a host input/output (I/O) port adapted for coupling to a controller, multiple device I/O ports each adapted for coupling to at least one device, and logic coupled between the host I/O port and the device I/O ports configured to selectively form a communication channel between the host I/O port and one of the device I/O ports. The switch may operate in a connected mode and a disconnected mode. When in the switch is in the disconnected mode, the logic may not form a communication channel between the host I/O port and any of the device I/O ports. In an ATA embodiment, the switch may comply with an AT attachment (ATA) standard, and thus be an ATA switch. The host I/O port may be adapted for coupling to an ATA controller, the device I/O ports may be adapted for coupling to at least one ATA device, and the logic may selectively form an ATA communication channel between the host I/O port and one of the device I/O ports.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for implementing a transmission scheme employing intention is contemplated. At times, a switching device within a network may detect a fault, corruption, or congestion. When a switching device detects a fault, corruption, or congestion, it may drop one or more packets to resolve the fault, corruption or congestion. When a packet is dropped, the switching device that dropped it may create an intention, packet that corresponds to the dropped packet. The switching device may then route the intention packet to the destination device specified by the dropped packet. The intention packet may be routed along a different route than the original route specified by the dropped packet. The intention packet may be much smaller than the dropped packet and may include parts of a portion of the dropped packet. The intention packet may also record the route it takes to get to the destination device.

Abstract: A system may include mirroring logic, a controller, and first and second devices (e.g., data storage devices). The first and second devices may include multiple registers. The mirroring logic may be configured in a first mode wherein the mirroring logic allows the registers of the first device to be accessed from the controller and prevents the registers of the second device from being accessed from the controller. The mirroring logic may be configured in a second mode wherein the mirroring logic allows the registers of the second device to be accessed from the controller and prevents the registers of the first device from being accessed. The first and second devices may be configured via the mirroring logic such that the first and second devices are selected simultaneously. When selected simultaneously, the first and second devices may carry out a subsequently issued command substantially simultaneously.

Abstract: A storage device controller configured for coupling to a storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive) having a multiple locations for storing data. The controller is coupled to receive a WRITE ANYWHERE command including write data. Unlike a conventional write command, the WRITE ANYWHERE command does not specify a location of the storage device where the write data is to be stored. The controller responds to the WRITE ANYWHERE command by: (i) selecting one or more unused locations of the storage device, and (ii) writing the write data to the storage device, wherein the writing of the write data includes directing the storage device to store the write data in the one or more unused locations of the storage device. At least a portion of the write data in stored in each of the one or more unused locations. The controller may be coupled to receive the WRITE ANYWHERE command from a host configured to track usage of the locations of the storage device.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to deter piracy through localization with proprietary information. In one aspect of the invention, a method to deter piracy includes combining the proprietary data (e.g., financial information, such as a credit card or debit card number, a checking account number, or a purchase account number, or others such as social security number) of a customer with the content purchased by the customer to generate a customized version of the bought content for the customer so that the access to the customized bought content is bundled with the access to the proprietary data of the customer.

Abstract: A data storage subsystem including a storage disk array employing dynamic data striping. A data storage subsystem includes a plurality of storage devices configured in an array and a storage controller coupled to the storage devices. The storage controller is configured to store a first stripe of data as a plurality of data stripe units across the plurality of storage devices. The plurality of data stripe units includes a plurality of data blocks and a parity block which is calculated for the plurality of data blocks. The storage controller is further configured to store a second stripe of data as a plurality of data stripe units across the storage devices. The second plurality of data stripe units includes another plurality of data blocks, which is different in number than the first plurality of data blocks, and a second parity block calculated for the second plurality of data blocks. Furthermore, the second plurality of data blocks may be a modified subset of the first plurality of data blocks.

Abstract: A routing scheme using intention packets is contemplated. At times, one or more switching devices within a network may become overloaded with traffic or may encounter other adverse transmission conditions. When this occurs, a switching device may drop one or more packets to alleviate some of the congestion or other adverse condition. The switching devices may support a particular amount of resources (e.g. bandwidth, buffers, etc.) in and out of each of their ports. When a packet or a header portion of a packet arrives at a switching device, the switching device may determine what port the packet will need and the amount resources required by the packet on that port. If the required resources available for the packet on the port, then the switching device may route the packet to a next device. If the required resources are not available for the packet on the port, then the switching device may drop at least a portion of the packet. As opposed to or in addition to congestion (e.g.