Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080250269 | System and Method for Improving Rebuild Speed Using Data in Disk Block - A fast rebuild mechanism by which a RAID controller is made aware of what blocks are actually in use so that only those blocks are rebuilt after a disk drive failure. The fast rebuild mechanism uses data stored in the disk metadata to indicate whether a virtual disk supports a fast rebuild and on every block to indicate whether the block has valid user data. The fast rebuild mechanism also includes functionality for an IO controller (such as storage controller) to detect whether a block has stored data to indicate that the block has valid data when the block is accessed. | 10-09-2008 |
20090037655 | System and Method for Data Storage and Backup - Systems and methods for data storage and backup are disclosed. A system for data storage and backup may include a storage array comprising one or more storage resources and an agent running on a host device, the agent communicatively coupled to the storage array. The agent may be operable to automatically allocate one or more storage resources for the storage of data associated with a backup job of the hose device and communicate the data associated with the backup job to the allocated storage resources. | 02-05-2009 |
20090044043 | System and method to support background initialization for controller that supports fast rebuild using in block data - A fast rebuild mechanism that includes a background initialization mechanism. The fast rebuild mechanism allows a RAID controller to be made aware of what blocks are actually in use so that only those blocks are rebuilt after a disk drive failure. The fast rebuild mechanism also includes functionality for an IO controller (such as storage controller) to detect whether a block has stored data to indicate that the block has valid data when the block is accessed. | 02-12-2009 |
20090049160 | System and Method for Deployment of a Software Image - Systems and methods for deployment of a software image are disclosed. A system for deployment of a software image may include a host communicatively coupled to a first logical unit including a generic boot image and a software image, and to a second logical unit communicatively coupled to the first logical unit. The host may be operable to (a) boot from the generic boot image via a transport protocol; (b) copy the software image from the first logical unit to the second logical unit via the transport protocol; and (c) boot from the software image via the transport protocol. | 02-19-2009 |
20090080663 | System and Method For Reducing Latency On Remotely-Booted Information Handling Systems - Systems and methods for reducing latency on a remotely-booted information handling system are disclosed. A method may include remotely booting an information handling system having a local storage resource. The method may also include establishing, at the start of a session, an encryption key for the local storage resource for use during the session. Additionally, the method may include using the encryption key to encrypt data written to the local storage resource during the session. The method may further include permanently disabling access to the encrypted data written to the local storage resource at the end of the session. | 03-26-2009 |
20090112877 | System and Method for Communicating Data in a Storage Network - Systems and methods for communicating data in a storage network are disclosed. A method may include communicating, from a host to a storage array, a request for data having different portions stored in different storage nodes of the storage array. In response to the request, a first storage node of the storage array may communicate to the host a first portion of the requested data stored on the first storage node. The first storage node may communicate a message to the host indicating that a second portion of the requested data is stored on a second storage node of the storage array. The host may communicate a message to the second storage node indicating that the host is ready to receive the second portion of the requested data. The second storage node may communicate to the host a second portion of the requested data stored on the second storage node. | 04-30-2009 |
20090125676 | INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM INCLUDING A LOGICAL VOLUME AND A CACHE AND A METHOD OF USING THE SAME - A system and method of recovering cached data can be used when a particular physical storage device becomes unsuitable for storing data. In one aspect, the method can include providing the information handling system including a logical volume and a cache. The cache includes data that is to be stored within a particular physical storage device. The method can also include persisting the data within a different physical storage device. In one embodiment, the different physical storage device can be used to temporarily store the data when a logical volume is inaccessible. After the particular physical storage device becomes suitable to persist the data, the logical volume can be restored. The method can further include persisting the data within the particular or a replacement physical storage device. In another aspect, a system can be configured to carry out the methods described herein. | 05-14-2009 |
20090132838 | System and Method for Power Management of A Storage Enclosure - A system and method for power management of storage enclosures are disclosed. A system may include a storage enclosure and a host communicatively coupled to the storage enclosure. The storage enclosure may include at least one storage resource and a management module. The host may be configured to: (a) communicate data to the at least one storage resource via a particular transmission protocol; (b) communicate a power down command via the particular transmission protocol to the storage enclosure, the power down command operable to transition the storage enclosure from a high-power state to a low-power state; and (c) communicate a power up command via the particular transmission protocol to the storage enclosure, the power up command operable to transition the storage enclosure from the low-power state to the high-power state. | 05-21-2009 |
20090144463 | System and Method for Input/Output Communication - Systems and methods for input/output communication are disclosed. A method for communicating data may include communicating metadata from a storage array to a host device, the metadata comprising information regarding data stored on a plurality of storage nodes disposed in the storage array. The method may further include determining, from the metadata, individual I/O requests to be communicated to each of the plurality of storage nodes. The host device may communicate the individual I/O requests to the plurality of storage nodes. Each of the plurality of storage nodes may execute the I/O operations responsive to the individual I/O requests. | 06-04-2009 |
20090164769 | POLICY BASED PROVISIONING OF SHARED BOOT IMAGES - A method for policy based provisioning of shared boot images includes querying a storage name server for boot target that is in an accessible discovery domain. Boot target information about the boot target is received. A login request is sent to the boot target. The login request includes a flag specifying whether the login request is a first login request after a reboot. | 06-25-2009 |
20090165097 | SINGLE SIGN-ON FOR OS BOOT IMAGE PROVISIONING AND OS LOGIN BASED ON USER IDENTITY - A method for single sign-one for operating system (OS) boot image provisioning and OS login based on user identity includes receiving authentication information from an information handling system (IHS) over a network. The authentication information is associated with a user. The authentication information is sent to network services. Boot image information is received from the network services. The boot image information is associated with a boot image and the authentication information. The boot image is provisioned to the IHS over the network, wherein the boot image includes an OS that is configured to read the authentication information from a shared memory region of the IHS and use the authentication information to auto-login the user to the OS. | 06-25-2009 |
20090232137 | System and Method for Enhancing TCP Large Send and Large Receive Offload Performance - A system and method for enhancing TCP large send and large receive offload performance are disclosed. A method may include: (a) receiving from a particular sender one or more incoming packets, each incoming packet having control information indicating a source node and a destination node for that packet; (b) determining the source node and the destination node of each incoming packet based on the control information of each packet; (c) determining a number of successive incoming packets that have the same source node and the same destination node; (d) determining whether the number of successive incoming packets having the same source node and the same destination node is greater than a predetermined minimum threshold; and (e) pausing transmission of packets from one or more senders other than the particular sender if the number of successive incoming packets having the same source node and destination node is greater than the predetermined minimum threshold. | 09-17-2009 |
20090327675 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OS BOOT IMAGE PROVISIONING BASED ON USER IDENTITY TO ENABLE MOBILE USERS - A method for provisioning a boot image includes receiving authentication information from an information handling system (IHS) over a network. The authentication information is associated with a user. The authentication information is sent to network services. Boot image information is received from the network services. The boot image information is associated with a boot image. The boot image is provisioned to the IHS over the network. | 12-31-2009 |
20100070631 | System and Method for Management of Remotely Shared Data - Systems and methods for reducing latency on a remotely-booted information handling system are disclosed. A method for access and management of remote data may include receiving from a host a standard input-output instruction including a persistent image update (PIU) parameter indicating a request by the host to access a shared computer-readable medium storing an image shared by the host and one or more other hosts. The method may further include determining a value of the PIU parameter and determining whether to allow the host to access the shared computer readable medium based at least on the value of the PIU parameter. | 03-18-2010 |
20100125653 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING STORAGE RESOURCES - A network includes a management module with a first root complex, a first server with a first endpoint coupled to the first root complex, and a second server with a second root complex, a second endpoint coupled to the second root complex, a third endpoint coupled to the first root complex, and a bridge coupled to the second endpoint and to the third endpoint. A method includes discovering a PCIe host bridge adapter (PHBA) and a storage resource coupled to multiple storage extents in a PCIe domain, creating a first virtual function on the storage resource and sending a first identifier for the first virtual function to the PHBA. A network interface device includes a PCIe endpoint that is coupleable to a PCIe root complex, another PCIe endpoint that is coupleable to another PCIe root complex, and a bridge that couples the first PCIe endpoint with the second PCIe endpoint. | 05-20-2010 |
20100131773 | System and Method for Providing Data Integrity - Systems and methods for providing data integrity for stored data are disclosed. A method may include, in connection with the receipt of a read command at a storage resource, reading a data block from the storage resource, the data block including a data field, a data integrity field indicating the integrity the data field, and an encryption indicator field indicating whether the data block is encrypted with a current cryptographic key for the storage resource. The method may further include determining whether the data field is encrypted with the current cryptographic key based at least on the encryption indicator field. The method may additionally include returning at least a portion of the data block in reply to the read command in response to determining that the data field is encrypted with a cryptographic key other than the current cryptographic key. | 05-27-2010 |
20100138642 | INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEMS INCLUDING NETWORK ADAPTERS AND METHODS OF BOOTING THE INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEMS USING BOOT CONFIGURATION INFORMATION FROM REMOTE SOURCES - A system can be operable to receive boot configuration information from a remote source independent of the type of initiator (e.g., software or hardware) used by an information handling system. The information handling system having the initiator can be coupled to the remote source, which includes the boot configuration information, and a storage array that includes a boot image. While operating within a pre-operating system (pre-OS) environment, the information handling system can create a boot configuration table and populate the boot configuration table with the boot configuration information. The boot configuration information can include an address for the boot image and information for configuring an OS initiator to be used when loading the OS. | 06-03-2010 |
20100180065 | Systems And Methods For Non-Volatile Cache Control - In some embodiments, a method for controlling a cache having a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory during a power up sequence is provided. The method includes receiving, at a controller configured to control the cache and a storage device associated with the cache, a signal indicating whether the non-volatile memory includes dirty data copied from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory during a power down sequence, the dirty data including data that has not been stored in the storage device. In response to the received signal, the dirty data is restored from the non-volatile memory to the volatile memory, and flushed from the volatile memory to the storage device. | 07-15-2010 |
20100180274 | System and Method for Increased System Availability in Virtualized Environments - A method may include a hypervisor instantiating a virtual machine including an initiator client and the hypervisor determining whether a virtualized information handling system is interfaced to an associated storage resource via an offload host bus adapter (HBA). If the virtualized information handling system is interfaced to the associated storage resource via an offload HBA, the hypervisor may execute an adapter driver for the HBA, the adapter driver for communicating input/output communications between the virtual machine and the associated storage resource via the offload HBA. If the virtualized information handling system is interfaced to the associated storage resource via another adapter other than an offload HBA, the hypervisor may execute an emulator, the emulator for emulating the functionality of the adapter driver for the HBA and for communicating input/output communications between the virtual machine and the associated storage resource via the other adapter. | 07-15-2010 |
20100287345 | System and Method for Migration of Data - Systems and methods for data migration are disclosed. A method may include allocating a destination storage resource to receive migration data. The method may also include assigning the destination storage resource a first identifier value equal to an identifier value associated with a source storage resource. The method may additionally include assigning the source storage resource a second identifier value different than the first identifier value. The method may further include migrating data from the source storage resource to the destination storage resource. | 11-11-2010 |
20110085563 | Virtualization Aware Network Switch - A network switch includes a port coupled to a host, and a profile. The profile includes a key associated with a virtual machine on the host, and information for configuring the port for the virtual machine. The switch receives communication on another port with the key and configures the other port for the virtual machine. A method includes coupling a host with a virtual machine to a port of a network switch, receiving communications from the virtual machine on the port, and creating a profile with a key for identifying data associated with the virtual machine and with information for configuring the switch to route data associated with the virtual machine through the port, receiving communications with the key information at another port, and modifying the information to route data for the virtual machine through the other port. | 04-14-2011 |
20110093576 | System and Method for Storage Discovery in a Storage Area Network - A storage area network (SAN) includes a management server, a storage device, and a management station coupled to a fabric. The management server implements device domains on the SAN. The storage device instructs the management server to add new device domains on the SAN. The management station defines the new device domains to include the storage device and an initiator coupled to the fabric, and directs the storage device to instruct the management server to add the new device domains. A method includes coupling a management server to a SAN fabric, implementing device domains in the management server, defining a new device domain that includes a storage device and an initiator coupled to the SAN, and coupling a storage device to the SAN fabric, the storage device being operable to instruct the management server to add the new device domain. | 04-21-2011 |
20110093670 | System and Method for Enhanced Application Performance with Tiered Storage in an Information Handling System - An information handling system includes a memory controller coupled to a first and a second storage device. The memory controller stores information on the first storage device based upon an access count related to the information, stores other information on the second storage device based upon a another access count related to the other information, and stores access data including the access counts. The information handling system also includes a processing system coupled to the memory controller. The processing system obtains the access data from the memory controller, and determines to perform an operation on the data based upon the access count, and to not perform the operation on the other data based upon the other access count. | 04-21-2011 |
20110093677 | System and Method for Write Once Read Many (WORM) Storage in an Information Handling System - A Write-Once Read-Many (WORM) memory controller receives data from a processing system that is addressed to a location in a storage device, stores the data and a tag at the location, receives second data from the processing system that is addressed to the location, determines that the location includes the tag, and prevents the second data from being stored at the location based upon the presence of the tag. A WORM memory device sends a reply to a controller in response to an initialization command. The reply includes an address number that corresponds with the storage capacity of the WORM memory device. The WORM memory device sends another reply to another controller in response to another initialization command. The initialization commands are different from each other. The other initialization reply includes an address number of zero. | 04-21-2011 |
20110093849 | System and Method for Reconfigurable Network Services in Dynamic Virtualization Environments - A method includes configuring a host system to instantiate a virtual machine using server configuration information from a virtual machine monitor (VMM) and configuring a switch network to provide the virtual machine with access to resources on the switch network using network configuration information from the VMM. A VMM includes a workload with a server configuration module that configures a host system to include a virtual machine, and a network configuration module that configures a switch network coupled to the host system, such that the virtual machine obtains access to resources on the switch network. | 04-21-2011 |
20110173325 | System and Method for Management of Remotely Shared Data - Systems and methods for reducing latency on a remotely-booted information handling system are disclosed. A method for access and management of remote data may include receiving from a host a standard input-output instruction including a persistent image update (PIU) parameter indicating a request by the host to access a shared computer-readable medium storing an image shared by the host and one or more other hosts. The method may further include determining a value of the PIU parameter and determining whether to allow the host to access the shared computer readable medium based at least on the value of the PIU parameter. | 07-14-2011 |
20110176551 | Information Handling System Data Center Bridging Features with Defined Application Environments - Information handling system network traffic is managed by populating a DCBX client framework with application network parameters associated with predetermined applications. Network devices, such as information handling system clients and servers, retrieve a TLV from a switch to obtain application network parameters for an application and apply the parameters so that the application executing on the device tags network communications with the associated parameters, such as bandwidth, loss less behavior, priority, latency, through put and CPU utilization. | 07-21-2011 |
20110289561 | System and Method for Information Handling System Multi-Level Authentication for Backup Services - Access to backup information, such as at network attached storage compliant with NDMP, is managed by interfacing a backup authentication mechanism with a primary authentication system and responding to requests for backup information according to permissions defined by the primary authentication system. A data management application requests access to backup information with an NDMP MD5 hash and includes a domain name and password for an LDAP or AD authentication through a pluggable authentication module. Access to backup information is provided based upon the permissions associated with the domain of the primary authentication mechanism. | 11-24-2011 |
20120047246 | System and Method for Storage Discovery in a Storage Area Network Using Device Domains Under Control of a Storage Device - A storage area network (SAN) includes a management server, a storage device, and a management station coupled to a fabric. The management server implements device domains on the SAN. The storage device instructs the management server to add new device domains on the SAN. The management station defines the new device domains to include the storage device and an initiator coupled to the fabric, and directs the storage device to instruct the management server to add the new device domains. A method includes coupling a management server to a SAN fabric, implementing device domains in the management server, defining a new device domain that includes a storage device and an initiator coupled to the SAN, and coupling a storage device to the SAN fabric, the storage device being operable to instruct the management server to add the new device domain. | 02-23-2012 |
20120079220 | System and Method for Optimized Data Backup - A spilt backup agent model where a component on a host and a component on the block storage device function together logically to provide a backup agent. In certain embodiments, the mechanism provides a split backup agent model using a NDMP protocol. The NDMP protocol is an industry standard protocol that allows for backup of hosts with a single backup agent that is compatible with multiple independent software vendor (ISV) backup software. Thus with the present invention, proprietary backup software dependent host agents are not required. The NDMP protocol provides for separation of control and data connections where the control path runs between the data server on the host that needs to be backed up and backup software (e.g., a Data Management Application (DMA)) and between the backup device and the backup software. The data path runs between the host and the backup device. | 03-29-2012 |
20120102291 | System and Method for Storage Allocation in a Cloud Environment - A system includes a host processing system that launches virtual machines, a switched fabric, a storage area network that provides storage capabilities to the virtual machines, and a virtualized cloud environment manager that receives workload service profiles. The manager includes a virtual machine allocation framework that directs the host to launch a virtual machine in response to receiving a service profile, a network allocation framework that directs the fabric to provide network connectivity to the virtual machine in response to receiving the service profile, and a storage allocation framework with a workload interface that receives a workload storage requirement from the service profile, a storage capabilities database that determines capabilities of the network, and a storage manager that determines a storage allocation from the capabilities and allocates storage to the workload. | 04-26-2012 |
20120110593 | System and Method for Migration of Data - Systems and methods for data migration are disclosed. A method may include allocating a destination storage resource to receive migration data. The method may also include assigning the destination storage resource a first identifier value equal to an identifier value associated with a source storage resource. The method may additionally include assigning the source storage resource a second identifier value different than the first identifier value. The method may further include migrating data from the source storage resource to the destination storage resource. | 05-03-2012 |
20120166750 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING RESETS IN A SYSTEM USING SHARED STORAGE - A method of managing storage device resets in a system using shared storage is provided. A reset instruction is received at a shared storage device from a first node. In response, the storage device is at least partially reset, including aborting one or more queued I/O commands including a first I/O command received from a second node. A reset notification timer is started. If an I/O command is received from the second node during the reset notification timer, in response to receiving the I/O command the second node is notified of the storage device reset such that the second node can determine that the first I/O command was aborted. If no I/O command is received from the second node during the reset notification timer, at the expiration of the timer, the second node is notified of the storage device reset such that the second node can determine that the first I/O command was aborted. | 06-28-2012 |
20130007852 | System And Method For Information Handling System Multi-Level Authentication For Backup Services - Access to backup information, such as at network attached storage compliant with NDMP, is managed by interfacing a backup authentication mechanism with a primary authentication system and responding to requests for backup information according to permissions defined by the primary authentication system. A data management application requests access to backup information with an NDMP MD | 01-03-2013 |
20130013857 | System and Method for Providing a RAID Plus Copy Model for a Storage Network - A storage system includes a storage server adapted to receive data, determine parity data based upon the data, and store the data and the parity data in a storage array associated with the storage server. The data and the parity data may be sent to a second storage server. | 01-10-2013 |
20130091185 | System and Method for Efficient Inode Enumeration - A system and method for efficient inode enumeration is disclosed. The system and method for enumerating inodes, comprises locating one or more inode files associated with the file system. For each of the one or more inode files, determining a physical address range for each inode within the inode file. The system and method further comprises creating a list of the physical address range for each of the inodes within the one or more inode files. The system and method comprises sorting the list based on physical addresses of the inodes. | 04-11-2013 |
20130173561 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DE-DUPLICATION IN STORAGE SYSTEMS - In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a storage system may include a storage array comprising one or more storage resources, a processor communicatively coupled to the storage array, and a de-duplication module comprising instructions embodied on a computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor. The de-duplication module may be configured to, when read and executed by the processor: generate a fingerprint for an item of data stored on the storage array; identify a partition for the fingerprint; associate the partition with a hardware instance selected from a plurality of hardware instances, wherein each particular hardware instance comprises one or more information handling resources; and query the selected hardware instance to determine if the fingerprint exists on the hardware instance. | 07-04-2013 |
20140075006 | System and Method for Sharing Storage Resources - A network includes a management module with a first root complex, a first server with a first endpoint coupled to the first root complex, and a second server with a second root complex, a second endpoint coupled to the second root complex, a third endpoint coupled to the first root complex, and a bridge coupled to the second endpoint and to the third endpoint. A method includes discovering a PCIe host bridge adapter (PHBA) and a storage resource coupled to multiple storage extents in a PCIe domain, creating a first virtual function on the storage resource and sending a first identifier for the first virtual function to the PHBA. A network interface device includes a PCIe endpoint that is coupleable to a PCIe root complex, another PCIe endpoint that is coupleable to another PCIe root complex, and a bridge that couples the first PCIe endpoint with the second PCIe endpoint. | 03-13-2014 |
20140207834 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SCALABLE STORAGE NAME SERVER INFRASTRUCTURE - In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include extracting identities of one or more hosts from a storage resource-to-host mapping database associated with a storage resource. The method may also include, for each of the one or more hosts: computing a discovery domain unique identifier based on the host unique identifier, determining if the discovery domain unique identifier is present in a discovery domain database associated with the storage resource, and adding a storage resource unique identifier of the storage resource to an entry of the discovery domain database associated with the storage resource. | 07-24-2014 |
20140307548 | Information Handling System Data Center Bridging Features with Defined Application Environments - Information handling system network traffic is managed by populating a DCBX client framework with application network parameters associated with predetermined applications. Network devices, such as information handling system clients and servers, retrieve a TLV from a switch to obtain application network parameters for an application and apply the parameters so that the application executing on the device tags network communications with the associated parameters, such as bandwidth, loss less behavior, priority, latency, through put and CPU utilization. | 10-16-2014 |
20140337641 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING DATA INTEGRITY - Systems and methods for providing data integrity for stored data are disclosed. A method may include, in connection with the receipt of a read command at a storage resource, reading a data block from the storage resource, the data block including a data field, a data integrity field indicating the integrity the data field, and an encryption indicator field indicating whether the data block is encrypted with a current cryptographic key for the storage resource. The method may further include determining whether the data field is encrypted with the current cryptographic key based at least on the encryption indicator field. The method may additionally include returning at least a portion of the data block in reply to the read command in response to determining that the data field is encrypted with a cryptographic key other than the current cryptographic key. | 11-13-2014 |