Accessing stored files from multiple storage devices
First Claim
1. A method for accessing a designated file from a plurality of storage devices, each of said plurality of storage devices containing a substantially complete copy of said designated file, said method comprising:
- determining a number of storage devices containing at least one said substantially complete copy of said designated file;
defining a plurality of file segments, each of said file segments comprising a different portion of said designated file, said plurality of file segments corresponding in number to said plurality of storage devices; and
sending substantially parallel requests for said file segments to corresponding ones of said plurality of storage devices.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided in which a data file acquisition program is operable to determine the data transfer speed of a plurality of devices containing a predetermined data file. The methodology calculates a priority ordering of the devices based upon the data transfer speed, and divides the data file request into portions for parallel access and delivery of the requested data file such that all of the portions are delivered to the user at approximately the same time whereby faster devices will be requested to access and deliver larger file portions and relatively slower devices will be assigned to access and deliver relatively smaller portions of the requested data file. Upon receipt of the portions, the requested data file is assembled for further processing by the user.
91 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for accessing a designated file from a plurality of storage devices, each of said plurality of storage devices containing a substantially complete copy of said designated file, said method comprising:
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determining a number of storage devices containing at least one said substantially complete copy of said designated file; defining a plurality of file segments, each of said file segments comprising a different portion of said designated file, said plurality of file segments corresponding in number to said plurality of storage devices; and sending substantially parallel requests for said file segments to corresponding ones of said plurality of storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A storage medium including machine readable indicia, said storage medium being selectively coupled to a reading device, said reading device being selectively coupled to processing circuitry within a computer system, said reading device being selectively operable to read said machine readable indicia and provide program signals representative thereof, said program signals being selectively effective for accessing a designated file from a plurality of storage devices, each of said plurality of storage devices containing a substantially complete copy of said designated file by accomplishing the steps of:
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determining a number of storage devices containing at least one said substantially complete copy of said designated file; defining a plurality of file segments, each of said file segments comprising a different portion of said designated file, said plurality of file segments corresponding in number to said plurality of storage devices; and sending parallel requests for said file segments to corresponding ones of said plurality of storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An information processing system comprising:
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a processing device; a memory unit; and a bus connecting said processing device and said memory unit, said processing device being selectively operable for executing a program from said memory for selectively accessing a designated file from a plurality of storage devices, each of said plurality of storage devices containing said designated file, said accessing being accomplished by; determining a number of storage devices containing at least one substantially complete copy of said designated file; defining a plurality of file segments, each of said file segments comprising a different portion of said designated file, said plurality of file segments corresponding in number to said plurality of storage devices; and sending parallel requests for said file segments to corresponding ones of said plurality of storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification