Abstract: A method and system for communicating across heterogeneous networks having components with dissimilar data structure definitions is disclosed in which determinations are made as to whether the sender is up-level or down-level and whether the up-level data structure size is greater or lesser than the down-level data structure size. According to these determinations, data fields for the decoded data structure may skip data or assign default values. The invention reduces upgrade costs and system down time.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and managing devices on a network. The system and method preferably comprises a proxy server connected to the network and a managed device connected to the proxy server. The system further comprises storage means for storing a device management application program associated with the managed device, and a management station in communication with the managed device via the proxy server and in communication with the storage means. The management station preferably is configured to retrieve the device management application program from the storage means and process the device management application program. As the management station processes the device management application program, the management station is able to monitor and manage the managed device.

Abstract: A system and method for monitoring and managing devices on a network. The system and method preferably comprises a proxy server connected to the network and a managed device connected to the proxy server. The system further comprises storage means for storing a device management application program associated with the managed device, and a management station in communication with the managed device via the proxy server and in communication with the storage means. The management station preferably is configured to retrieve the device management application program from the storage means and process the device management application program. As the management station processes the device management application program, the management station is able to monitor and manage the managed device.

Abstract: An exemplary storage system for maintaining content (e.g. a Web site) for a shared network (e.g. the World Wide Web) includes content servers (e.g. Web servers) and storage devices connected together in a storage area network (SAN). A production server is used to develop new data to update the content of the Web site. The production server distributes the new data through the SAN to the storage devices, bypassing the Web servers. The Web servers are not involved in transferring the new data, so the Web servers preferably remain primarily dedicated to servicing Web page accesses from users across the Web.

Abstract: A graphical user interface is provided to represent relative and absolute physical locations of all RAID system components. Numerous graphical representations are defined. These graphical representations represent, in whole or in part, RAID system components such as disk drives, storage array controllers, controller and drive trays, power supplies, fans, software versions, hardware interfaces, connectors and/or cabling or wiring. The graphical representations are selected and arranged using a display screen. Their selection and arrangement are based on actual physical locations of their corresponding system components. The combined graphical representations can be used to check status of one or more system components, find and access the actual system components and/or update, either under user control or system control, the graphical representations to reflect any changes made to the corresponding actual RAID system components.

Abstract: A system for globally prioritizing and scheduling I/O requests from a plurality of storage users or clients to one or more storage objects. The system comprises a storage controller configured to receive I/O requests from the client workstations and prioritize and schedule those I/O requests in accordance with a scheduling algorithm. Specifically, the storage controller receives I/O requests from the storage users and places the I/O requests in memory queues associated with the particular storage users. The storage controller then selects the I/O requests from the various memory queues based on the scheduling algorithm.

Abstract: A paged addressing method and associated apparatus for dynamically addressed disk storage subsystem. The present invention stores the logical to physical address map in the disk array. The logical to physical address map is divided into useful sized portions. The logical to physical address map portions containing the most recently used logical to physical address information are retained in cache. Paging techniques are used to swap the logical to physical address map portions from disk to cache when a host disk access requires a logical address not currently within the mapping information in local memory (e.g., cache). The present invention keeps track of the most recently used logical to physical address map portions in cache by defining a cache map. Furthermore, a directory resides in cache that keeps track of the physical address for each logical to physical address map portion. The present invention reduces memory requirements, because the memory map of the disk array is not stored within cache.

Abstract: In a redundant server network system, failover services for a failed server are provided by a survivor server belonging to a common failover group. At startup of a local server process running on the survivor server, a context is created for the local server and for each remote server belonging to the same failover group as the local server. At startup the context of the local server is also activated. The local server process is configured to operate on and make decisions based upon activated contexts. Each context includes server specific configuration and control information. When the survivor server must provide failover services for a failed server belonging to its same failover group, the context corresponding to the failed remote server is activated.