Multi-media server

• US 5,675,743 A
• Filed: 02/22/1995
• Issued: 10/07/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cal Media LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Callisto Media Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Mavity, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): AUVE, GLENN ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US08/392,177
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 395/650, 395/600, 395/280, 395/306, 395/200.01, 395/200.02, 395/200.09, 395/200.15, 395/200.17, 395/853, 395/281, 395/800, 395/200.03, 348/7
• US Class Current: 710/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware

Abstract

A data server for enabling the delivery of data information from any storage device containing said data and an external port requiring the data is disclosed. The server is comprised of a plurality of basic building blocks, each consisting of a first processing element connected to a second processing element via an inter-processing element bus to form a server plane. Each inter-processing element bus connects two processing elements in such a way that every processing element in a server plane is connected to every other processing element in the same server plane, via an independent inter-processing element bus. A plurality of sub-busses, each having input/output devices connected thereto are connected to the inter-processing element bus. Each input/output device is accessible by each processing element in such a way that the maximum transit distance required to access an input/output device of one sub-bus from an input/output device of another sub-bus is equal to the transit distance between two processing elements. All server planes have full access to all input/output devices such that the loading of the processing elements and the inter-processing element busses of one server plane is independent of activity on processing elements and the inter-processing element busses of any other server planes.

Claims

1. A distributed and scalable data server for enabling the delivery of digital data from any storage devices containing said digital data to interface data ports for interfacing said data server with external data distribution or processing media capable of processing the delivered data, said data server comprising:

a network of processing elements having an independent element bus disposed between any pair of said processing elements such that each processing element in said network is connected to every other processing element via an independent inter-processing element bus, each independent inter-processing element bus operating asynchronously to the processing elements such that each processing element in said network is presented with an independent data delivery path between itself and every other processing element of said network; and

each storage device and interface data port being connected to at least one said independent inter-processing element bus such that each of said storage device and interface data ports is independently accessible by any processing element in said network such that the maximum transit distance required to access a storage device on one said independent inter-processing element bus from an interface data port on another said independent inter-processing element bus is limited to two processing elements.

2. A data server as defined in claim 1, wherein said storage devices include a number of hierarchical storage devices for storing said data.

3. A data server as defined in claim 2, wherein said hierarchical storage devices comprise single-stream storage devices and multi-stream storage devices, said single and multiple-stream storage devices being connected on said inter-processing element busses such that data information can be transferred from one of said single-stream storage device to any one of said multi-stream storage devices via an inter-processing element bus, said hierarchical storage devices being configured to move data between said single and multiple stream storage devices concurrently with the delivery of data to said interface data port.

4. A data server as defined in claim 2, wherein each said inter-processing element bus is provided with a bus expander to enable the connection of multiple storage devices and interface data ports thereto.

5. A data server as defined in claim 1, wherein a network of processing elements connected via independent processing element busses form a server plane.

6. A data server as defined in claim 5, wherein a first server plane can share storage devices and interface data ports with a second server plane via independent inter-processing element busses extended to connect said first server plane to said second server plane such that all server planes have full access to all the storage devices and interface data ports, and access to each processing element and inter-processing element bus of one server plane is independent of activity on processing elements and the inter-processing element busses of any other server plane.

7. A data server as defined in claim 6, wherein said data comprises video information.

8. In a distributed scalable data server having digital data stored in storage devices and interface data ports interfacing said data server with external data distribution or processing media capable of processing data received form said data server, a method of enabling delivery of said digital data from any storage device via any interface data port, comprising the steps of:

connecting each processing element in a network of processing elements to each other via independent inter-processing element busses, an independent inter-processing element bus being disposed between each pair of said processing elements in said network, each network of said processing elements forming a first server plane;

operating said independent inter-processing element busses asynchronously of said processing elements; and

connecting said storage devices and said interface data ports to said independent inter-processing element busses such that each said processing element can access any one of said storage devices or said interface data ports, independently of any other said processing element.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further comprising the step of sharing said storage devices and interface data ports with a second server plane via independent inter-processing element busses extended between said first server plane and said second server plane, such that all server planes have full access to all storage devices and interface data ports;

and access of each processing element to inter-processing element busses of one server plane is independent of activity of each processing element to the independent inter-processing element busses of any other server planes.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein digital data from said data server can be retrieved and delivered via said interface data ports to an external data distribution or processing medium by:

receiving, at said data server, a data selection requested by said medium;

determining the availability of a port for delivering said requested data selection to said medium;

reserving a port determined to be available;

determining the location of said requested data selection from said storage devices;

reserving the storage device containing said requested data selection; and

reading said requested data selection from said reserved storage device for transmission to said medium via said reserved port.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein said reserved port is released if said requested data selection cannot be located.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein said storage devices comprise tape and disk storage devices and wherein said step of selecting a storage device containing said requested data selection further comprises:

determining the location of said requested data selection from said disk;

determining the location of said requested data selection from said tape if said selection is unavailable on said disk;

determining the availability of space on a disk if said selection is determined to be on said tape; and

transferring the requested data from said tape to said disk.