Network memory appliance

• US 20070038815A1
• Filed: 09/29/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Silver Peak Systems Incorporated (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Inventors: Hughes, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways

Abstract

A first appliance of a network memory includes a processor configured to receive data. The processor determines whether the data is locally accessible to a second appliance of the network memory and generates an instruction based on the determination in order that the second appliance obtain the data. The processor then transfers the instruction over a communication network to the second appliance. In another first appliance of a network memory, the first appliance includes a processor configured to receive an instruction over a communication network from a second appliance of the network memory. The processor processes the instruction to determine an action to perform to obtain the data. The processor performs the action to obtain the data if the data is locally accessible to the first appliance.

Claims

1. A first appliance of a network memory, the first appliance comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a communication network; and

a processor configured to receive data, determine whether the data is locally accessible to a second appliance of the network memory, generate an instruction based on the determination in order that the second appliance obtain the data, and transfer the instruction over the communication network to the second appliance.

2. The first appliance of claim 1 wherein the instruction indicates to retrieve the data from storage locally accessible to the second appliance.

3. The first appliance of claim 1 wherein the instruction indicates to store the data in storage locally accessible to the second appliance.

4. The first appliance of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit over the communication network to the second appliance a portion of the data.

5. A method for a first appliance of a network memory, the method comprising:

receiving data;

determining whether a portion of the data is locally accessible to a second appliance of the network memory;

generating an instruction based on the determination in order that the second appliance obtain the data; and

transferring the instruction over a communication network to the second appliance.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the instruction indicates to retrieve the data from storage locally accessible to the second appliance.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the instruction indicates to store the data in storage locally accessible to the second appliance.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting over the communication network from the first appliance a portion of the data to the second appliance.

9. A first appliance of a network memory, the first appliance comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a communication network; and

a processor configured to receive an instruction over the communication network from a second appliance of the network memory, process the instruction to determine an action to perform to obtain the data, and perform the action to obtain the data if the data is locally accessible to the first appliance.

10. The first appliance of claim 9 wherein the action comprises retrieving the data from a database locally accessible to the first appliance.

11. The first appliance of claim 9 wherein the instruction indicates to store the data at an index within a database locally accessible to the first appliance.

12. The first appliance of claim 9 wherein the processor is further configured to receive over the communication network from the second appliance a portion of the data that is not locally accessible to the first appliance, retrieve a portion of the data locally accessible to the first appliance, and process the portions to obtain the data.

13. A method for a first appliance of a network memory, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction over a communication network from a second appliance of the network memory;

processing the instruction to determine an action to perform to obtain the data; and

performing the action to obtain the data if the data is locally accessible to the first appliance.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the action comprises retrieving the data from a database locally accessible to the first appliance.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the instruction indicates to store the data at an index within a database locally accessible to the first appliance.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving over the communication network from the second appliance a portion of the data that is not locally accessible to the first appliance;

retrieve a portion of the data locally accessible to the first appliance; and

process the portions to obtain the data.

17. A software product for a first appliance of a network memory, the software product comprising:

software operational when executed by a processor to direct the processor to receive data, determine whether the data is locally accessible to a second appliance of the network memory, generate an instruction based on the determination in order that the second appliance obtain the data, and transfer the instruction over a communication network to the second appliance; and

a software storage medium operational to store the software.

18. The software product of claim 17 wherein the instruction indicates to the second appliance to retrieve the data from storage locally accessible to the second appliance.

19. The software product of claim 17 wherein the instruction indicates to the second appliance to store the data in storage locally accessible to the second appliance.

20. The software product of claim 17 wherein the software is operational when executed by the processor to further direct the processor to transmit over the communication network to the second appliance a portion of the data.

21. A software product for a first appliance of a network memory, the software product comprising:

software operational when executed by a processor to direct the processor to receive an instruction over a communication network from a second appliance of the network memory, process the instruction to determine an action to perform to obtain the data; and

perform the action to obtain the data if the data is locally accessible to the first appliance; and

a software storage medium operational to store the software.

22. The software product of claim 21 wherein the software is operational when executed by the processor to further direct the processor to obtain the data by retrieving the data from a database locally accessible to the first appliance.

23. The software product of claim 21 wherein the instruction indicates to store the data at an index within a database locally accessible to the first appliance.

24. The software product of claim 21 wherein the software is operational when executed by the processor to further direct the processor to receive over the communication network from the second appliance a portion of the data that is not locally. accessible to the first appliance, retrieve a portion of the data locally accessible to the first appliance, and process the portions to obtain the data.