公开(公告)号：US06611896B1

公开(公告)日：2003-08-26

申请号：US09382752

申请日：1999-08-25

申请人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Eitan Bachmat ,  Tao Kai Lam

发明人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Eitan Bachmat ,  Tao Kai Lam

IPC分类号： G06F1200

CPC分类号： G06F11/2058 ,  G06F3/0601 ,  G06F11/2069 ,  G06F11/3457 ,  G06F11/3485 ,  G06F2003/0697

摘要： A mechanism for adjusting seek activity in a data storage system of physical devices having mirrored logical volumes is presented. Statistics describing at least reading data from the mirrored volumes during successive time periods are collected. From the collected statistics an activity level associated with each of the mirrored logical volumes is determined. Seek activity values for the physical devices are computed based on the activity levels associated with the logical volumes stored on each of the physical devices. The computed seek activity values relate a physical device seek activity to the activity level associated with, and distance between, the mirrored logical volumes residing the physical devices. The computed seek values are used to minimize seek activity for non-mirrored ones of the physical devices.

摘要翻译： 提出了一种用于调整具有镜像逻辑卷的物理设备的数据存储系统中的搜索活动的机制。 收集至少在连续时间段内从镜像卷中读取数据的统计信息。 从收集的统计信息中，确定与每个镜像逻辑卷相关联的活动级别。 基于与存储在每个物理设备上的逻辑卷相关联的活动级别来计算物理设备的活动值。 所计算的搜索活动值将物理设备搜索活动与驻留在物理设备上的镜像逻辑卷相关联的活动级别和距离相关联。 所计算的搜索值用于最小化非镜像物理设备的搜索活动。

公开(公告)号：US06862659B1

公开(公告)日：2005-03-01

申请号：US09754860

申请日：2001-01-04

申请人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Eitan Bachmat ,  Daniel P. Leprohon

发明人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Eitan Bachmat ,  Daniel P. Leprohon

IPC分类号： G06F12/00 ,  G06F12/08

CPC分类号： G06F12/0866 ,  G06F2212/283

摘要： A data storage device is described that includes a plurality of host interface units, a plurality of disk interface units, and a plurality of disk drive units each coupled to one of the disk interface units. The host interface units may be coupled to one or more external host systems for performing a data operation to a disk drive system. A disk drive unit includes a controller with an onboard memory subdivided into two sections in which one of the sections may be used in connection with performing caching operations of data. The data cached may be from the disk platter associated with the disk drive unit, or, the data cached in the section may also be from another disk drive unit different from the one associated with the disk drive unit in which the section is included. Commands are generated for performing data caching operations to the section of the onboard memory. Also described is a method of interpreting commands provided to the disk drive unit in connection with performing data caching and other data operations to the associated disk drive.

摘要翻译： 描述了包括多个主机接口单元，多个盘接口单元和多个盘驱动器单元的数据存储设备，每个盘驱动器单元都耦合到一个盘接口单元。 主机接口单元可以耦合到一个或多个外部主机系统，用于对磁盘驱动器系统执行数据操作。 磁盘驱动器单元包括具有被划分为两个部分的板上存储器的控制器，其中一个部分可以与执行数据的高速缓存操作相结合使用。 缓存的数据可以来自与磁盘驱动器单元相关联的磁盘盘，或者，该部分中缓存的数据也可以来自与其中包括该部分的磁盘驱动器单元相关联的不同的磁盘驱动器单元。 生成用于对板载内存部分执行数据高速缓存操作的命令。 还描述了一种解释提供给磁盘驱动器单元的命令与执行数据高速缓存和其他数据操作相关联的磁盘驱动器的方法。

公开(公告)号：US6112257A

公开(公告)日：2000-08-29

申请号：US936122

申请日：1997-09-24

申请人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Yuval Ofek ,  Natan Vishlitzky ,  Dan Arnon ,  Eitan Bachmat

发明人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Yuval Ofek ,  Natan Vishlitzky ,  Dan Arnon ,  Eitan Bachmat

IPC分类号： G06F3/06 ,  G06F3/00 ,  G06F9/00 ,  G06F11/20 ,  G06F12/00 ,  G06F13/00

CPC分类号： G06F11/2066 ,  G06F11/2069 ,  G06F2003/0697 ,  G06F3/0601

摘要： The invention relates generally to mass storage systems, and in particular to mass storage systems in which stored logical volumes are duplicated in mirrored form. The system includes a method for dynamically adjusting the mirror service policy for a disk drive system by periodically collecting statistics describing the reading and writing of data to mirrored logical volumes of the system in successive time periods and determining, from time to time, from the collected statistics, whether the mirror service policy should continue or should change. In particular, the system takes into account activity levels at the physical devices and results in more efficient accessing of logical volume pairs as well as a better balance of loading and accessing the logical volumes.

摘要翻译： 本发明一般涉及大容量存储系统，特别涉及存储逻辑卷以镜像形式复制的大容量存储系统。 该系统包括一种用于通过周期性地收集描述在连续时间段内将数据读取和写入系统的镜像逻辑卷的统计信息来统计磁盘驱动器系统的镜像服务策略的方法，并且不时地从收集的 统计，镜像服务策略是应该继续还是应该改变。 特别地，系统考虑到物理设备的活动级别，并且导致对逻辑卷对的更有效的访问以及加载和访问逻辑卷的更好的平衡。

公开(公告)号：US09305011B2

公开(公告)日：2016-04-05

申请号：US11675224

申请日：2007-02-15

申请人： Robert S. Mason, Jr.

发明人： Robert S. Mason, Jr.

IPC分类号： G06F17/30

CPC分类号： G06F21/6209 ,  G06F17/30082 ,  G06F17/30188 ,  G06F17/30197

摘要： An archival storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes includes a data protection management system that periodically organizes the then-available nodes into one or more protection sets, with each set comprising a set of n nodes, where “n” refers to a configurable “data protection level” (DPL). At the time of its creation, a given protection set is closed in the sense that each then available node is a member of one, and only one, protection set. When an object is to be stored within the archive, the data protection management system stores the object in a given node of a given protection set and then constrains the distribution of copies of that object to other nodes within the given protection set. As a consequence, all DPL copies of an object are all stored within the same protection set, and only that protection set. This scheme significantly improves MTDL for the cluster as a whole, as the data can only be lost if multiple failures occur within nodes of a given protection set. This is far more unlikely than failures occurring across any random distribution of nodes within the cluster.

摘要翻译： 优选对称节点的归档存储集群包括数据保护管理系统，其周期性地将当前可用节点组织到一个或多个保护集中，其中每个集合包括一组n个节点，其中“n”是指可配置的“数据保护 级“（DPL）。 在创建时，给定的保护集是关闭的，因为每个可用节点都是一个成员，只有一个保护集。 当一个对象要存储在归档中时，数据保护管理系统将对象存储在给定保护集的给定节点中，然后将该对象的拷贝的分布约束到给定保护集内的其他节点。 因此，对象的所有DPL副本都存储在同一个保护集中，只有该保护设置。 该方案大大提高了集群整体的MTDL，因为只有在给定保护集的节点内发生多个故障时，数据才能丢失。 这比群集内节点的任何随机分布发生的故障更不可能。

公开(公告)号：US08473913B2

公开(公告)日：2013-06-25

申请号：US11329631

申请日：2006-01-11

申请人： Jesse A. Noller ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr.

发明人： Jesse A. Noller ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr.

IPC分类号： G06F9/44

CPC分类号： G06F11/3688 ,  G06F11/3684

摘要： An automated system randomly generates test cases for hardware or software quality assurance testing. A test case comprises a sequence of discrete, atomic steps (or “building blocks”). A particular test case has a variable number of building blocks. The system takes a set of test actions and links them together to create a much larger library of test cases or “chains.” The chains comprise a large number of random sequence tests that facilitate “chaos-like” or exploratory testing of the overall system under test. Upon execution in the system under test, the test case is considered successful if each building block in the chain executes successfully; if any building block fails, the test case, in its entirety, is considered a failure.

摘要翻译： 自动化系统随机生成用于硬件或软件质量保证测试的测试用例。 测试用例包括一系列离散的原子步骤（或“构建块”）。 特定的测试用例具有可变数量的构建块。 系统需要一组测试动作，并将它们链接在一起，以创建更大的测试用例库或“链”。 这些链包括大量的随机序列测试，可以帮助整个被测系统进行“混乱”或探索性测试。 在被测系统中执行时，如果链中的每个构建块成功执行，则测试用例被认为是成功的; 如果任何构建块失败，则整个测试用例被认为是失败的。

公开(公告)号：US07085781B2

公开(公告)日：2006-08-01

申请号：US10720629

申请日：2003-11-24

申请人： Preston F. Crow ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Steven T. McClure ,  Susan C. Nagy ,  Richard G. Wheeler

发明人： Preston F. Crow ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  Steven T. McClure ,  Susan C. Nagy ,  Richard G. Wheeler

IPC分类号： G06F17/30

CPC分类号： G06F17/30067 ,  Y10S707/966 ,  Y10S707/99932 ,  Y10S707/99942 ,  Y10S707/99952 ,  Y10S707/99953 ,  Y10S707/99956

摘要： A memory storage device has a file storage operating system which uses an inode to record and find segments of each data file. The inode includes a plurality of rows. A portion of the rows are written with direct extents pointing to data blocks storing portions of file segments. At least two of the extents point to data blocks having addresses in different logical volumes.

公开(公告)号：US06304946B1

公开(公告)日：2001-10-16

申请号：US09347592

申请日：1999-07-01

申请人： Robert S. Mason, Jr.

发明人： Robert S. Mason, Jr.

IPC分类号： G06F1208

CPC分类号： G06F12/0866 ,  G06F11/1076 ,  G06F12/0804 ,  Y10S707/99932 ,  Y10S707/99937

摘要： A system and method for increasing efficiency in a mass storage system such as a RAID (redundant array of inexpensive disks) array with a cache memory. Multi-host mass storage systems employ a data structure called a write tree. The write tree is stored in cache memory, and is used to mark addressable data elements stored in the cache memory which must be written back to disk (referred to as “destaging”, or “write-backs”). Disks and disk controllers must scan and traverse the write tree to search for pending write operations. By storing a write tree cache apart from the write tree, the system efficiency is greatly increased. The write tree cache consists of a cylinder address as found in the write tree, and a bit mask indicating pending write operations at a specific level of the write tree. The specific disks and disk controllers can then avoid accessing the write tree in cache memory when searching for pending write operations.

摘要翻译： 一种用于提高大容量存储系统（例如具有高速缓冲存储器的RAID（廉价磁盘的冗余阵列）阵列）的效率的系统和方法。 多主机大容量存储系统采用称为写树的数据结构。 写树存储在高速缓冲存储器中，用于标记存储在高速缓冲存储器中的可寻址数据元素，该数据元素必须写回磁盘（称为“降级”或“回写”）。 磁盘和磁盘控制器必须扫描并遍历写树，以搜索待执行的写操作。 通过将写树高速缓存与写树分开存储，系统效率大大提高。 写树高速缓存由在写树中找到的圆柱体地址以及指示写入树的特定级别的等待写入操作的位掩码组成。 然后，特定的磁盘和磁盘控制器可以避免在搜索挂起的写入操作时访问高速缓存中的写入树。

公开(公告)号：US08799231B2

公开(公告)日：2014-08-05

申请号：US12871198

申请日：2010-08-30

申请人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  David M. Shaw ,  Kevin W. Baughman ,  Stephen Fridella

发明人： Robert S. Mason, Jr. ,  David M. Shaw ,  Kevin W. Baughman ,  Stephen Fridella

IPC分类号： G06F17/30

CPC分类号： G06F11/1448 ,  G06F17/3023

摘要： A versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations, such as XML. Each structured data representation corresponds to a “version,” and each version comprises a tree of write-once objects rooted at a root directory manifest. Each version in the versioned file system has associated therewith a “borrow window.” When it is desired to reconstruct the file system to a point in time (or, more generally, a given state), i.e., to perform a “restore,” it is only required to walk (use) a single structured data representation (a tree). During a restore, metadata is pulled back from the cloud first, so users can see the existence of needed files immediately. The remainder of the data is then pulled back from the cloud if/when the user goes to open the file. As a result, the entire file system (or any portion thereof) can be restored to a previous time nearly instantaneously. A “fast” restore is performed if an object being restored exists within a “borrow window” of the version from which the system is restoring.

摘要翻译： 版本化文件系统包括一组结构化数据表示，例如XML。 每个结构化数据表示对应于“版本”，并且每个版本包括一根基于根目录清单的一次写入树的树。 版本化文件系统中的每个版本都与“借用窗口”相关联。当希望将文件系统重建到一个时间点（或更一般地，给定状态）时，即执行“恢复”时， 只需要（使用）单个结构化数据表示（树）。 在还原期间，元数据首先从云中被拉回，因此用户可以立即看到所需文件的存在。 如果/当用户打开文件时，剩余的数据将从云中被拉回。 结果，整个文件系统（或其任何部分）可以几乎瞬间恢复到之前的时间。 如果正在还原的对象存在于系统还原的版本的“借用窗口”中，则执行“快速”恢复。

公开(公告)号：US07917469B2

公开(公告)日：2011-03-29

申请号：US11936317

申请日：2007-11-07

申请人： Benjamin K. D. Bernhard ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr.

发明人： Benjamin K. D. Bernhard ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr.

IPC分类号： G06F17/00

CPC分类号： G06F11/08 ,  G06F11/1662 ,  G06F11/2028 ,  G06F11/2094 ,  G06F11/2097

摘要： A cluster recovery process is implemented across a set of distributed archives, where each individual archive is a storage cluster of preferably symmetric nodes. Each node of a cluster typically executes an instance of an application that provides object-based storage of fixed content data and associated metadata. According to the storage method, an association or “link” between a first cluster and a second cluster is first established to facilitate replication. The first cluster is sometimes referred to as a “primary” whereas the “second” cluster is sometimes referred to as a “replica.” Once the link is made, the first cluster's fixed content data and metadata are then replicated from the first cluster to the second cluster, preferably in a continuous manner. Upon a failure of the first cluster, however, a failover operation occurs, and clients of the first cluster are redirected to the second cluster. Upon repair or replacement of the first cluster (a “restore”), the repaired or replaced first cluster resumes authority for servicing the clients of the first cluster. This restore operation preferably occurs in two stages: a “fast recovery” stage that involves preferably “bulk” transfer of the first cluster metadata, following by a “fail back” stage that involves the transfer of the fixed content data. Upon receipt of the metadata from the second cluster, the repaired or replaced first cluster resumes authority for the clients irrespective of whether the fail back stage has completed or even begun.

公开(公告)号：US07694181B2

公开(公告)日：2010-04-06

申请号：US11299572

申请日：2005-12-12

申请人： Jesse A. Noller ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr.

发明人： Jesse A. Noller ,  Robert S. Mason, Jr.

IPC分类号： G06F11/00

CPC分类号： G06F11/3688

摘要： A generic testing framework to automatically allocate, install and verify a given version of a system under test, to exercise the system against a series of tests in a “hands-off” objective manner, and then to export information about the tests to one or more developer repositories (such as a query-able database, an email list, a developer web server, a source code version control system, a defect tracking system, or the like). The framework does not “care” or concern itself with the particular implementation language of the test as long as the test can issue directives via a command line or configuration file. During the automated testing of a given test suite having multiple tests, and after a particular test is run, the framework preferably generates an “image” of the system under test and makes that information available to developers, even while additional tests in the suite are being carried out. In this manner, the framework preserves the system “state” to facilitate concurrent or after-the-fact debugging. The framework also will re-install and verify a given version of the system between tests, which may be necessary in the event a given test is destructive or otherwise places the system in an unacceptable condition.