Selective data forwarding storage

• US 7,636,760 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Distributed Media Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Edward Merritt, Gene Fein
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Dennison; J Bret
• Application Number:
  US12/240,967
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 709/251, 709/212, 710/100
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0635 by changing the path, e.g. traffic rerouting, path reconfiguration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for selective data forwarding storage. A method includes, in a network of interconnected computer system nodes, receiving a request from a source system to store data, the request comprising an ownership and a data type, if the ownership and the data type match a corresponding entry in a store, directing the data to a computer memory, and continuously forwarding the data from one computer memory to another computer memory in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing on any physical storage device in the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a network of interconnected computer system nodes configured to forward data items from point to point based upon one of data types, relatively high levels of encryption protocol, other factors, or a combination thereof, receiving from a source system a request to store at least one data item;

in response to the request from the source system, continuously forwarding the at least one data item among the nodes in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing the forwarded at least one data item on any fixed storage medium in the network, the forwarded at least one data item being constantly routed within the network from node to node, the forwarded at least one data item being available for retrieval if a request to retrieve the at least one data item is received, the continuously forwarding comprising;

determining an address of a node available to receive the at least one data item to be forwarded from point to point;

sending a message to the source system with the address of a specific node;

detecting a presence of the at least one data item at the specific node; and

forwarding the at least one data item to another node in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing the forwarded at least one data item on any fixed storage medium.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the nodes are designed to handle specific data types, including an office productivity suite file data type, an audio file data type, a visual file data type, a video file data type, an object oriented file data type or a database file data type.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the factors include network traffic analysis and available memory.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from the source system to retrieve the at least one data item being continuously forwarded in the network of interconnected computer system nodes; and

retrieving the at least one data item from a node in response to the request to retrieve the at least one data item.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein retrieving comprises:

matching the data item request at a central server using a hash mark representing the at least one data item entering a node;

sending a message to a node that is predicted to have the at least one data item, the message instructing the node to forward the at least one data item to the source system; and

sending a confirmation message to the central server that the at least one data item has been forwarded to the source system.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising segmenting node types by file type.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining node type by file size.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining node type by one of file use frequency, user history, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining node type based on one of user preferences, premiums paid by user, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising shifting a file to a slower or faster node state based upon one of user preferences, file usage, premiums paid by user, or a combination thereof.

11. A tangible computer readable medium embodying instructions for causing a data processing apparatus to perform a method for storing data items in a network of interconnected computer system nodes configured to forward data items from point to point, the method comprising:

receiving, from a source system in communication with the network of interconnected computer system nodes, a request to store at least one data item;

in response to the request from the source system, continuously forwarding the at least one data item among the nodes in the network of interconnected computer system nodes, based upon one of data types, relatively high levels of encryption protocol, other factors, or a combination thereof, without storing the forwarded at least one data item on any fixed storage medium in the network, the forwarded at least one data item being constantly routed within the network from node to node, and including;

determining an address of a node available to receive the at least one data item to be forwarded from point to point;

sending a message to the source system with the address of a specific node;

detecting a presence of the at least one data item at the specific node; and

forwarding the at least one data item to another node in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing the forwarded at least one data item on any fixed storage medium, the forwarded at least one data item being available for retrieval if a request to retrieve the at least one data item is received.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the nodes are designed to handle specific data types, including an office productivity file data type, an audio data file type, a visual data file type, a video data file type, an object oriented file type or a database data file type.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the one or more factors comprise network traffic analysis and available memory.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a request from the source system to retrieve the at least one data item being continuously forwarded in the network of interconnected computer system nodes; and

retrieving the at least one data item from a node in response to the request to retrieve the at least one data item.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14 wherein retrieving comprises:

matching the data item request at a central server using a hash mark representing the at least one data item entering a node;

sending a message to a node that is predicted to have the at least one data item, the message instructing the node to forward the at least one data item to the source system; and

sending a confirmation message to the central server that the at least one data item has been forwarded to the source system.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising segmenting node types by file type.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising determining node type by file size.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising determining node type by one of file use frequency, user history, or a combination thereof.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising determining node type based on one of user preferences, premiums paid by user, or a combination thereof.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising shifting a file to a slower or faster node state based upon a change in one of user preferences, file usage, premiums paid by user, or a combination thereof.