摘要:
A queuing architecture and method for scheduling disk drive access requests in a video server. The queuing architecture employs a controlled admission policy that determines how a new user is assigned to a specific disk drive in a disk drive array. The queuing architecture includes, for each disk drive, a first queue for requests from users currently receiving information from the server, and a second queue for all other disk access requests, as well as a queue selector selecting a particular first queue or second queue for enqueuing a request based on the controlled admission policy. The controlled admission policy defines a critical time period such that if a new user request can be fulfilled without causing a steady-state access request for a particular disk drive to miss a time deadline, the new user request is enqueued in the second queue of the particular disk drive; otherwise, the controlled admission policy enqueues the new user request in a second queue of another disk drive.
摘要:
A method for streaming content striped in RAID 5 format from an array of disk drives to subscribers to minimize disruptive service from a disk drive failure. The method includes accessing content data on an extent-by-extent basis from a plurality of disk drives in an array and streams the content data to the subscribers on an extent-by-extent basis, sequentially, from the plurality of disk drives. Upon detection of an actual disk drive failure the method transitions to a stream regeneration mode of operation, which includes reading the content data substantially simultaneously from all extents in a parity group and regenerating a failed portion of the content data from a failed extent in the parity group corresponding to the failed disk drive. The content data in the parity group is streamed to the subscribers, extent-by-extent, immediately following the regenerating of the content data from the failed extent in the parity group.
摘要:
A queuing architecture and method for scheduling disk drive access requests in a video server. The queuing architecture employs a controlled admission policy that determines how a new user is assigned to a specific disk drive in a disk drive array. The queuing architecture includes, for each disk drive, a first queue for requests from users currently receiving information from the server, and a second queue for all other disk access requests, as well as a queue selector selecting a particular first queue or second queue for enqueuing a request based on the controlled admission policy. The controlled admission policy defines a critical time period such that if a new user request can be fulfilled without causing a steady-state access request for a particular disk drive to miss a time deadline, the new user request is enqueued in the second queue of the particular disk drive; otherwise, the controlled admission policy enqueues the new user request in a second queue of another disk drive.
摘要:
A method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data in response to user access requests. The method includes receiving a request from at least one client for a title not resident in a storage server, where the title includes a play track having a plurality of chapters. The retrieval from a secondary storage device of play track portions proximate chapter delineation points is initiated, and bandwidth capacity and quality-of-service (QoS) parameters associated with the secondary storage device is determined. In the case of a client request to begin presentation of the title at one of the chapters, streaming of retrieved portions of the play track chapter to the client is initiated, masking latency associated with the secondary storage device is provided, and retrieval of at least unretrieved portions of the play track chapter and subsequent play track portions from the secondary storage device is initiated.
摘要:
A queuing architecture and method for scheduling disk drive access requests in a video server. The queuing architecture employs at least two access request queues for each disk drive within a disk drive array, and a queue selector for selecting the first and second queues. The first queue is for disk access requests by steady-state users requesting new data streams who are currently viewing a program from the video server. The second queue is for all other types of disk access requests, including requests by new users, requests for loading content, disk maintenance, meta-data synchronizing, and the like. Steady-state disk access requests are serviced in order of ascending time deadlines. The queue selector gives highest priority to requests in the first queue, and requests from the second queue are serviced only upon a guarantee that all of the steady-state requests in the first queue will meet their time deadlines in the worst case access times for the disk drives. The second queue may comprise multiple queues to provide a queuing hierarchy including a third queue. Non-steady-state disk access requests are serviced on a first-in-first-out basis. The queue selector establishes priority in response to the location of the data upon a disk in a disk drive, and data may be stored in a disk drive based upon the queuing priority. The selecting and forwarding of the access requests to a disk drive may be performed repeatedly while an internet queue within a disk drive is not full, and there are outstanding access requests for that disk drive.
摘要:
A method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data in response to user access requests. The method includes receiving a request from at least one client for a title not resident in a storage server, where the title includes a play track having a plurality of chapters. The retrieval from a secondary storage device of play track portions proximate chapter delineation points is initiated, and bandwidth capacity and quality-of-service (QoS) parameters associated with the secondary storage device is determined. In the case of a client request to begin presentation of the title at one of the chapters, streaming of retrieved portions of the play track chapter to the client is initiated, masking latency associated with the secondary storage device is provided, and retrieval of at least unretrieved portions of the play track chapter and subsequent play track portions from the secondary storage device is initiated.
摘要:
A storage server for efficiently retrieving data from a plurality of disks in response to user access requests. The server comprises a plurality of processors coupled to disjoint subsets of disks, and a custom non-blocking packet switch for routing data from the processors to users. By tightly coupling the processors to disks and employing an application-specific switch, congestion and disk scheduling bottlenecks are minimized. By making efficient use of bandwidth, the architecture is also capable of receiving real-time data streams from a remote source and distributing these data streams to requesting users. The architecture is particularly well suited to video-on-demand systems in which a video server stores a library of movies and users submit requests to view particular movies.
摘要:
A method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data in response to user access requests. The method includes receiving a request from at least one client for a title not resident in a storage server, where the title includes a play track having a plurality of chapters, and then initiating retrieval of play track portions proximate chapter delineation points from a secondary storage device. In a case of a client request to begin presentation of the title at one of the chapters, the retrieved portions of the play track chapter are streamed to the client, while unretrieved portions of the play track chapter and subsequent play track portions are retrieved from the secondary storage device.
摘要:
A storage server for efficiently retrieving data from a plurality of disks in response to user access requests. The server comprises a plurality of processors coupled to disjoint subsets of disks, and a custom non-blocking packet switch for routing data from the processors to users. By tightly coupling the processors to disks and employing an application-specific switch, congestion and disk scheduling bottlenecks are minimized. By making efficient use of bandwidth, the architecture is also capable of receiving real-time data streams from a remote source and distributing these data streams to requesting users. The architecture is particularly well suited to video-on-demand systems in which a video server stores a library of movies and users submit requests to view particular movies.
摘要:
A method of data management for efficiently storing and retrieving data in response to user access requests. The method includes receiving a request from at least one client for a title not resident in a storage server, where the title includes a play track having a plurality of chapters. The retrieval from a secondary storage device of play track portions proximate chapter delineation points is initiated, and bandwidth capacity and quality-of-service (QoS) parameters associated with the secondary storage device is determined. In the case of a client request to begin presentation of the title at one of the chapters, streaming of retrieved portions of the play track chapter to the client is initiated, masking latency associated with the secondary storage device is provided, and retrieval of at least unretrieved portions of the play track chapter and subsequent play track portions from the secondary storage device is initiated.