Abstract: Various methods, apparatuses/systems, and media for integrating incompatible open identity connect (OIDC) implementations are disclosed. A processor creates a custom protocol within an API gateway that understands data coming in from the OIDC protocol; receives data from the OIDC protocol; and determines, based on analyzing the data received from the OIDC protocol, any communication gap between an application and an identity layer, wherein the API gateway is implemented between the application and the identity layer. The processor then converts, in response to determining a communication gap, the data received from the OIDC protocol into a formatted data that is understandable by the application; transmits the formatted data to the application; and automatically eliminates any communication gap between the application and the identity layer based on the received formatted data.

Abstract: The described technology is generally directed towards efficient detection of data changes between different data representations, to enable replication of the detected data changes. A process is presented that compares different “snapshot” representations of data, wherein the data may have changed between the different snapshots. The process can detect changed files a well as namespace changes that occur when a file or directory is deleted, added, or moved to a different location.

Abstract: A first group of chunk identifiers associated with a first content identifier structure of a first metadata element and a second group of chunk identifiers associated with a second content identifier structure of a second metadata element are determined. A common sequence of chunk identifiers across at least a portion of the first group of chunk identifiers associated with the first content identifier structure and the second group of chunk identifiers associated with the second content identifier structure is determined. A portion of the first group of chunk identifiers associated with the first content identifier structure and a portion of the second group of chunk identifiers associated with the second content identifier structure is updated to reference a common sequence identifier in place of the determined common sequence of chunk identifiers.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a computer stores source files and source clone files in a source filesystem. The source clone files are shallow copies of the source files, which initially share the same data blocks as the source files. A source file or a source clone file may eventually be modified, where some of the shared blocks are replaced by modified blocks. In a first phase, all data blocks of all source files that are not clones are replicated to a standby filesystem. A second phase compares each clone file on the source filesystem with its base file to detect a set of differed blocks. The second phase copies the differed blocks into the standby filesystem and, in the standby filesystem, applies the differed blocks to a corresponding clone file. Efficiency of keeping the standby filesystem synchronized with the source filesystem is improved by transferring, from the source filesystem to the standby filesystem, only one copy of only data blocks that are modified.

Abstract: Interleaved ECC coding for key-value data storage devices. In one embodiment, a controller includes a memory interface including a namespace database; an ECC engine; a controller memory; and an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to receive a host write command, determine whether write access was setup as a key-value (KV) namespace in the namespace database and is associated with the host write command, and control the ECC engine and the memory interface to perform one or more program operations on the data in the memory using the interleaved ECC coding and based on the host write command in response to determining that the write access was setup as the KV namespace in the namespace database and the KV namespace is associated with the host write command.

Abstract: Embodiments for a method of storing documents using a document data protection process. Documents are first compressed and stored in a container along with selected metadata. An Document Record is created for each document. A Container Record is created for each newly created container, and a Backup Record is created for each container for each backup. Once the required records are created, the process facilitates the execution of backup operations, such as full or incremental backups of the stored documents. Data tiering is supported so that low cost object storage in the public cloud is used instead of expensive processing methods like deduplication. A user interface receives a user setting dictating a storage media storing the container based on a relative availability of the storage media versus cost of storage.

Abstract: A deduplication service can be provided to a storage domain from a services framework that expands and contracts to both meet service demand and to conform to resource management of a compute domain. The deduplication service maintains a fingerprint database and reference count data in compute domain resources, but persists these into the storage domain for use in the case of a failure or interruption of the deduplication service in the compute domain. The deduplication service responds to service requests from the storage domain with indications of paths in a user namespace and whether or not a piece of data had a fingerprint match in the fingerprint database. The indication of a match guides the storage domain to either store the piece of data into the storage backend or to reference another piece of data. The deduplication service uses the fingerprints to define paths for corresponding pieces of data.

Abstract: An intelligent assistant device for conversation-based indexing and searching of a file. The intelligent assistant device having a processor configured to detect a conversation having at least one user. The processor, responsive to detecting the conversation having at least one user configured to mine the conversation for a file associated with the conversation. The processor, responsive to identifying the file further configured to mine the conversation for contextual keywords associated with the file. The processor also configured to index the contextual keywords to the file.

Abstract: Described is a system for a providing a service (or microservice) for performing deduplication for an object storage. The service (or microservice) may be source-agnostic in that it may receive data from multiple types of source systems by providing a uniform set of functions for deduplicating and writing the data to a destination object storage. The set of functions encapsulate a previously dispersed set of functionality provided by various components. Accordingly, the service provides a single scalable and stateless component for performing deduplication. For example, the service (e.g. deduplication service) may receive object related information and perform a filtering to accelerate network transfers. Accordingly, the service provides the ability to only transfer and write data that does not already exist on the object storage.

Abstract: A lightweight deduplication system can perform resource efficient data deduplication using an extent index and a content index. The extent index can store full fingerprints of data segments to be deduplicated and the content index can store shortened versions of the full fingerprints. The system can alternate between the extent and content indexes, and cache portions of the indices to perform lightweight data deduplication. Further, the system can be configured with an efficient heuristic approach for selecting content index data lookups for chains of volumes for deduplication, such as a long chain of snapshots.

Abstract: A file division and erasure code application executing in a controlling computational device generates data fragments and parity fragments of a file. Each of the generated data fragments and parity fragments are distributed in a different distributed computational device of a plurality of distributed computational devices, where distributing of a generated data fragment comprises determining whether any distributed computational device already stores a duplicate copy of the generated data fragment, and if any distributed computational device already stores the duplicate copy of the generated data fragment, placing the generated data fragment in the distributed computational device if no other data or parity fragment of the file has already been placed in the distributed computational device.

Abstract: Described embodiments enable device users to share content items directly from the context of a desktop file system user interface. A share bar is displayed in the file system user interface, where the share bar includes one or more graphical control elements that provide additional functionality with respect to one or more selected content items in the user interface. The additional functionality can include sharing the selected item, moving the item, downloading the item, and viewing sharing status, version history, completion status, comments, or other information about the item.

Abstract: Provided are a method, system, and computer program product in which a storage controller receives a request from a host to migrate a source dataset comprising a plurality of tracks to a cloud storage. A plurality of readers are initiated to read the plurality of tracks of the source dataset in parallel, wherein each of the plurality of readers reads different tracks from the source dataset and transmits the tracks that are read from the source dataset to a migrator. For each track received by the migrator from the plurality of readers, the track is appended sequentially to a migrate dataset to be stored in the cloud storage. Metadata that indicates a mapping of tracks of the source dataset to tracks of the migrate dataset is generated.

Abstract: A file is received from a client for storage at a deduplication file system. The file is in an archive file format that is used by an application on the client. The file includes subfiles compressed together in the file according to the archive file format, local headers corresponding to the subfiles, and a central directory used by the application to locate information stored in the file. The file is decompressed to store the subfiles separately. A metadata file is created that describes a structure of the file. The metadata file includes the local headers, central directory, pointers to the subfiles, but does not include the subfiles. The file is presented to the client as a single file having the archive file format. A request from the client is received to read the file and the metadata file is read to return data responsive to the request.

Abstract: Methods and systems for deduplicating data by a system having a first storage device and a second storage device to store deduplicated data are described, wherein data is retrievable from the first storage faster than data is retrievable from the second storage. The first storage may be an SSD device. Data is received data for deduplication and deduplicated. It is determined whether to store the received data in the first storage or the second storage, and the data is stored in the determined location. If the first storage is full, data may be moved to the second storage to make room for data to be stored in the first storage. One or more factors may be used to determine whether to store the received data in the first storage and which data to move out of the first storage, if necessary. Retrieval methods and systems are also described.

Abstract: A user authorizes cross-platform interlinking or user data. The cross-platforms are mined for user-authorized data. The data is processed into graph data and metrics data. The graph data is presented as an interactive graph interface to a user that responds to user selections/directions to provide user-defined views and levels of detail.

Abstract: A system according to certain aspects improves the process of creating secondary copies of data (e.g., creating backup copies). The system can compute the score of the data (e.g., a computer file storing information) to be backed up, and determine whether the score satisfies one or more threshold criteria before backing up the data. In one example, a change in score indicates a change in the content of the data. The threshold criteria may be that the score be different from the score of the most recently backed up copy of the data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for synchronizing distributed databases are provided. In one aspect, a method includes transmitting a request to determine a schema of a first database and updating a metadata store with the schema. The method includes generating at least one database query. The method includes, responsive to the database query, selectively determining a data block size for a second database; segmenting a data source stored in the second database into sink data blocks; processing the data source into sink hashes; and transmitting, to an agent, at least one selected sink hash, wherein the agent transmits instructions to segment a table associated with the first database into source data blocks; process the table into source hashes; and generate, in response to a determination that the at least one selected sink hash differs from a corresponding source hash, query results. The method includes updating the data source with the query results.

Abstract: Techniques for handling multiple data streams in stream-aware data storage systems. The data storage systems can detect multiple sub-streams in an incoming stream of data, form a group of data blocks corresponding to each respective sub-stream, and associate, bind, and/or assign a stream ID to each data block in the respective sub-stream. The data storage systems can write each group of data blocks having the same stream ID to the same segment of a data log in one or more non-volatile storage devices, and manage and/or maintain, in persistent data storage, attribute information pertaining to the groups of data blocks in the respective sub-streams relative to time periods during which the respective groups of data blocks were written and/or received. The techniques can improve the detection of multiple sub-streams in an incoming stream of data, and improve the management of attribute information pertaining to data blocks in the respective sub-streams.

Abstract: Identifying files that do not deduplicate well in a storage system with deduplication facilitates optimizing storage capacity by moving the identified files to less expensive storage without deduplication. Any set of files can be examined to remove files that are identified as files that do not deduplicate well. The process of identification includes arranging the files in a predefined order and using bitmap representations of the unique segments in the files to determine a count of different segments in neighboring next files compared to the previous files, and removing from deduplication any next files that exceed a difference threshold. The bitmap representations of the files allows the identification processes to be performed efficiently for large datasets. Any over-identification of files is minimized by repeating the identification processes on the set of files after arranging them in the reverse order.

Abstract: Responsive to a data lookup in a buffer triggered for a search string, a processor searches for a selection of pairs from among multiple pairs of a hash table read from at least one address hash of the search string and matching at least one data hash of the search string, each row of the hash table assigned to a separate address hash, each of the pairs comprising a pointer to a location in the buffer and a tag with a previous data hash of a previously buffered string in the buffer. The processor identifies, from among the selection of pairs, at least one separate location in the buffer most frequently pointed to by two or more pointers within the selection of pairs. The processor, responsive to at least one read string from the buffer at the at least one separate location matching at least a substring of the search string, outputs the at least one separate location as the response to the data lookup.

Abstract: Responsive to a data lookup in a buffer triggered for a search string, a processor searches for a selection of pairs from among multiple pairs of a hash table read from at least one address hash of the search string and matching at least one data hash of the search string, each row of the hash table assigned to a separate address hash, each of the pairs comprising a pointer to a location in the buffer and a tag with a previous data hash of a previously buffered string in the buffer. The processor identifies, from among the selection of pairs, at least one separate location in the buffer most frequently pointed to by two or more pointers within the selection of pairs. The processor, responsive to at least one read string from the buffer at the at least one separate location matching at least a substring of the search string, outputs the at least one separate location as the response to the data lookup.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method, according to one embodiment, includes: determining which of a plurality of fingerprints correspond to a copy of user data stored in one or more logical volumes at a storage location, and which of the plurality of fingerprints correspond to a pointer that points to a copy of user data stored in the one or more logical volumes at the storage location. A number of unique fingerprints is determined, and a number of the copies of user data stored in the one or more logical volumes is determined. The number of the copies of user data and the number of unique fingerprints are used to calculate an actual deduplication efficiency value. The number of the copies of user data and the number of unique fingerprints are used to calculate a potential deduplication efficiency value. The actual deduplication efficiency value is compared to the potential deduplication efficiency value.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for dynamically directing data in a deduplication backup system. A computer system identifies a data type for the data. The computer system determines whether the data is suitable for deduplication in the deduplication backup system based on the data type identified for the data and a policy. The computer system directs the data to a deduplication storage pool responsive to the data having the data type that is suitable for deduplication, reducing storage usage issues for backing up the data in the computer system.

Abstract: A virtual computing system deduplicates data. The system includes one or more processors, and one or more computer-readable storage media communicably coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more computer-readable storage media has instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to: scan extents for duplicate data chunks; calculate hash values for the extents at different chunk lengths; emit the hash values at the different chunk lengths; identify matching ones of the hash values; and select one or more candidates from among the matching ones of the hash values for dedup.

Abstract: A hybrid deduplication system operates to detect variable-sized deduplication matches, while performing the storage deduplication on fixed-size segments of data. The hybrid deduplication system calculates unique identifiers for variable-sized sections of data within a data stream being written to a deduplicated data store. The hybrid deduplication system then compares those newly-calculated identifiers to identifiers of variable-sized sections of data that have already been stored within the deduplicated data store. If a match is found, the hybrid deduplication system identifies the location of each of the fixed-size data segment(s), already stored in the deduplicated data store, that include the identified variable-sized section of data.

Abstract: A data object can be encoded into multiple encoded data fragments and stored on the backend of a distributed encoded storage system. The identifiers and metadata corresponding to each fragment of the data object can be stored in a first section of a metadata unit, and the initial part of the data object in a second section. The metadata unit is encoded into multiple metadata fragments, which are stored on the backend. The identifiers of the metadata fragments can be associated with the data object and stored on a fast frontend storage device. In response to a request to access the data object, the identifiers are used to retrieve the metadata fragments from the backend, and decode the metadata unit. The initial part of the data object is retrieved from the metadata unit and transmitted to the requesting client application to begin processing the data object.

Abstract: A cluster of data transfer devices is used to augment the capabilities of a data storage system. For example, the cluster of data transfer devices may be configured to store a portion of a bundle of redundancy coded shards in a similar fashion as a data storage system. As another example, the cluster may be configured to provide other capabilities incident to the devices used, such as computational capabilities. Data stored on the cluster may be read from and written directly to the cluster without transfer of data to the data storage system. In some embodiments, a connecting entity (such as a customer entity) may interchangeably interface with the data storage system and the cluster, and the requested capabilities may be directed to either in a fashion that is transparent to the requestor.

Abstract: In general, a data synchronization management system is disclosed in which files (and/or other data) are synchronized among two or more client computing devices in connection with a backup of those files. Synchronization polices specify files to be synchronized based on selected criteria including file data, metadata, and location information. In general, files are initially copied from a primary client computing device to secondary storage. Thereafter, files to be synchronized are identified from the secondary storage, and copied to other client computing devices. Additionally, synchronized files may be viewed and accessed through a cloud and/or remote file access interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for restoring a database in an information management system that does not include a secondary copy of the database, are disclosed. The systems and methods may include using metadata stored in non-production storage devices to restore the database. In some implementations the methods are used to consolidate multiple information management systems. In other implementations, the systems and methods are used for reviewing content of archived storage media. Other implementations are disclosed.

Abstract: Proactive duplicate identification may include receiving a document, and determining data related to the document. The documents may be indexed from history data and/or current data for duplicate analysis of the document. The indexing of the documents may include an initial indexing based on the determination of the data related to the document for an initial data field, and a further indexing based on a further determination of further data related to the document for a further data field. The initial indexing may narrow a scope of the documents for the duplicate analysis, and the further indexing may further narrow the scope of the documents for the duplicate analysis. The indexed documents may be used to perform the duplicate analysis of the document to determine whether the document is a duplicate document, a probable duplicate document, or a non-duplicate document.

Abstract: A process compares respectively corresponding data blocks in redundant data storage systems having ongoing I/O activity, to detect discrepancies between blocks that are supposed to be identical. Storage systems have replica copies of the data. A hashing algorithm processes a first data block from to produce a first hash. The hashing algorithm processes the second data block (a replica of the first data block) to produce a second hash. The first and second hashes are compared to determine whether or not the underlying data blocks match each other. If a write command directed to the data blocks is received during the overall comparison process, the comparison process is halted to permit the write command to proceed without adverse impact from the comparison process. The comparison process is then restarted.

Abstract: A set of encoded data fragments is grouped into a container object in sequential order. Each encoded data fragment is a specific fragment size, and the container object is a specific container object size. The sequential order of the set of encoded data fragments can be tracked in a log in memory, such that the location of any one of the data fragments in the container object can be determined. The container object can be stored directly on a specific backend storage element, without using a file system. A corresponding container object identifier identifies the physical storage location of the container object on the backend storage element. The container object identifier is tracked in the log in memory, such that the physical location on the backend storage element of any specific one of the set of encoded data fragments in the container object can be determined.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for asynchronous semi-inline deduplication. A multi-tiered storage arrangement comprises a first storage tier, a second storage tier, etc. An in-memory change log of data recently written to the first storage tier is evaluate to identify a fingerprint of a data block recently written to the first storage tier. A donor data store, comprising fingerprints of data blocks already stored within the first storage tier, is queried using the fingerprint. If the fingerprint is found, then deduplication is performed for the data block to create deduplicated data based upon a potential donor data block within the first storage tier. The deduplicated data is moved from the first storage tier to the second storage tier, such as in response to a determination that the deduplicated data has not been recently accessed. The deduplication is performed before cold data is moved from first storage tier to second storage tier.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a storage apparatus that executes de-duplication processing. Specifically, a storage apparatus includes a storing apparatus configured to provide a first storage area and a second storage area and a control unit. The control unit determines, on the basis of a result of comparison of a compression ratio of compressed data with a threshold, whether first duplication determination for determining whether data same as the data compressed without being stored in the first storage area is stored in the second storage area is executed or second duplication determination for determining whether data same as the data compressed after being stored in the first storage area is stored in the second storage area is executed. Further, the control unit changes the threshold on the basis of a state of the storage apparatus.

Abstract: A mobile application that allows for backup and restore of user data on a mobile device is provided. The data backup application records a history of all user actions performed with mobile device data. The backup application monitors all of the user actions or applications that affect the mobile device data and reflects it into history, which can be viewed by the user. If the data is affected—it is backed up on a cloud. This works best within a framework of a continuous backup. A user can undo any of his destructive actions and the backup application can restore the affected data from the cloud storage. A history list serves as a filter to user data already located on the cloud.

Abstract: A file indexing system for indexing a file to be stored onto a distributed file system includes a segmentation module to segment the file into a plurality of segments. The file indexing system further includes an index generation module to initiate indexing of the file through a plurality of nodes of a Hadoop cluster, where each of the plurality of nodes indexes one or more segments from amongst the plurality of segments to generate at least one index corresponding to the one or more segments. The file indexing system further includes an index transfer module to store the at least one index onto the distributed file system.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems, non-transitory computer-readable medium having one or more computer programs stored therein, and computer-implemented methods are provided to enhance data storage and retrieval during performance of a plurality of hydrocarbon reservoir simulation runs of one or more hydrocarbon reservoir simulation models. Embodiments can relate to performing hydrocarbon reservoir simulation runs while efficiently storing simulation files by utilizing file links rather than duplicate copies of simulation files. Efficient storage can also include use of one or more shared storage locations and other separate individual hydrocarbon reservoir simulation model storage locations. Simulation files stored in the shared storage locations can be shared among a plurality of hydrocarbon reservoir simulation models. Embodiments can further relate to efficient data storage during the building, copying, or editing of a hydrocarbon reservoir simulation model.

Abstract: Presented herein are mass data storage systems, file system protocols, non-transitory machine readable devices, and methods for storing data blocks in data file systems. Methods for compressing snapshot data in a data file system are disclosed which include: loading a snapshot file with one or more data blocks, the snapshot representing a state of the data file system at a point in time; determining if at least one of the snapshot data blocks is less than a predetermined byte value; responsive to a snapshot data block having a size that is less than the predetermined byte value, identifying a packed block configured to store data chunks from plural distinct snapshots and having available sufficient storage space to store the snapshot data block; and adding to the packed block the snapshot data block and lost-write context information corresponding to the snapshot data block.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for cloud-based data protection storage may include (1) identifying a request to maintain a data protection image for a volume of data, (2) identifying a third-party storage service to use for storing the data protection image, (3) receiving a stream of data to apply to the data protection image, (4) buffering a portion of the stream of data, (5) writing the buffered portion of the stream to the third-party storage service as a single storage object, and (6) associating the single storage object with the buffered portion of the stream in a data map. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: An example method of providing deduplication support for remote direct memory access (RDMA) memory includes detecting that a first memory page and a second memory page are identical. A first mapping maps a first virtual memory address (VMA) to a first physical memory address (PMA) of the first memory page. A second mapping maps a second VMA to a second PMA of the second memory page. An RDMA memory region includes the first memory page. The method also includes updating the first mapping to map from the first VMA to the second PMA. The method further includes re-registering the RDMA memory region for RDMA.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods, circuits, apparatuses, systems and associated computer executable code for data deduplication. An email data deduplication system includes an email server to send and receive emails and to store and retrieve emails from an email repository. The email data deduplication system further includes an email proxy to communicate with the email server, access one or more native repository data structures functionally associated with the email server, access one or more supplementary repository data storage resources, and parse an email being stored by the email server into a first email portion to be stored in one or more of the native repository data structures and a second email portion to be stored in one or more of the supplementary repository data storage resources.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards a data deduplication technology in which a hash index service's index and/or indexing operations are adaptable to balance deduplication performance savings, throughput and resource consumption. The indexing service may employ hierarchical chunking using different levels of granularity corresponding to chunk size, a sampled compact index table that contains compact signatures for less than all of the hash index's (or subspace's) hash values, and/or selective subspace indexing based on similarity of a subspace's data to another subspace's data and/or to incoming data chunks.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing, storing, and serving data within a virtualized environment are described. In some embodiments, a data management system may manage the extraction and storage of virtual machine snapshots, provide near instantaneous restoration of a virtual machine or one or more files located on the virtual machine, and enable secondary workloads to directly use the data management system as a primary storage target to read or modify past versions of data. The data management system may allow a virtual machine snapshot of a virtual machine stored within the system to be directly mounted to enable substantially instantaneous virtual machine recovery of the virtual machine.

Abstract: A storage management solution according to certain embodiments is provided which decouples certain aspects of the storage manager from the data storage cell. The data storage system according to certain aspects can provide one or more external storage managers that manage data protection and administer the operation of data storage cells. According to certain aspects, usage of the decoupled storage manager can be allocated amongst multiple data storage cells, such as by data storage cells of multiple companies, sub-units of a company, or both.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for deduplicating archive objects may include (1) tagging, using an archiving service, archive objects to indicate data related to the archive objects, (2) assigning an archive object and an additional archive object to be processed by a deduplication engine, (3) determining a degree of overlap between the archive object and the additional archive object based on tags assigned to the archive object and the additional archive object by the archiving service, and (4) adjusting, using the deduplication engine, deduplication between the archive object and the additional archive object using the degree of overlap determined to exist between the archive object and the additional archive object based on the tags assigned by the archiving service. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A single-ended optimized storage protocol enables storage clients or other devices to direct a remote data storage to copy data. In response to commands via the protocol, a remote data storage can copy portions of a data stream at the remote data storage to destination storage locations within the same or a different data stream. The protocol may be utilized for optimized transfer of data via a network to a remote data storage. An initial data stream is divided into segments. Redundant segments are removed from the data stream to form an optimized data stream, which is transferred to the remote data storage. Commands are issued to the remote data storage using the protocol to direct the remote data storage to reconstruct the initial data stream at the remote data storage using the optimized data stream and optionally segments from other data streams previously transferred to the remote data storage.

Abstract: A cloud edge appliance (CEA) may augment the providing, by a remote cloud service provider, of cloud applications to a customer. The CEA may be installed at the customer premises and may provide a local access point for the customer. In one implementation, the CEA may provide a cloud-based application to a number of user devices, the cloud-based application being associated with functions, in which at least a first portion of the functions are implemented by the CEA and at least a second portion of the plurality of functions are forwarded, over a wide area network, to the cloud service provider.

Abstract: Methods and systems for the in-place or post-facto migration of data to a cloud-based data storage service or other virtual storage environment, include a Cloud Storage Import Utility (CSIU) device having a file selection module and configured to generate a user interface. The user interface allows a storage administrator to select one or more files, file folders, or shares to be published to the cloud and optionally migrated from a current storage device to another storage service, and for providing an indication of the selection. The CSIU is configured to capture metadata for the selected files or file folders. The CSIU also provides one or more commands understandable by the cloud-based data storage service, to migrate the metadata to the cloud-based data storage service independently of the files or file folders, so that they are usable by the cloud-based storage service without being moved to the cloud-based storage service.

Abstract: Systems, devices and methods for transferring data between two or more different electronic devices are described further herein. The data transfer is mediated by an object, such as a stylus, having a unique identifier. The same object is used when copying the data from a first electronic device and when pasting the data at a second electronic device.