System and method for intelligent, globally distributed network storage

• US 20050120137A1
• Filed: 11/29/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Moulton, Gregory Hagan, Whitehill, Stephen B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/244
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A data storage system comprising a plurality of storage nodes, each node existing at a physical location having one or more contexts. Interface mechanisms couple to each storage node to communicate storage access requests with the storage node. Data storage management processes select one or more of the storage nodes to serve a data storage request based at least in part upon the particular contexts of each of the storage nodes.

Claims

1. A method of transporting data from a source to a destination comprising:

determining a context in which each network device that must handle the data transport exists; and

selecting a set of network devices such that the data is compliant with the context of each device that handles the data transport.