Computer storage device having separate read-only space and read-write space, removable media component, system management interface, and network interface

• US 8,769,185 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keicy Chung
• Original Assignee: Keicy Chung
• Inventors: Chung, Keicy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chery, Mardochee
• Application Number:
  US12/113,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 711/100, 709/222
• US Class Current: 711/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0866 for peripheral storage systems, e.g. disk cache
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/154 Networked environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/174 Telecommunications system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/2146 being detachable, e.g.. USB memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/264 Remote server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/3042 being part of a memory device, e.g. cache DRAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/305 being part of a memory device, e.g. cache DRAM
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/463 File
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/061 Improving I/O performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0637 Permissions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0655 Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0667 at data level, e.g. file, record or object virtualisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/211 Discs having both read-only and rewritable or recordable areas containing application data; Partial ROM media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/82 Miscellaneous aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 : Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable

Abstract

A storage device for use with a computer is disclosed. The storage device includes a processor communicably connected to a computer through a computer interface and a system interface. The computer interface enables communications exclusively between the processor and the computer, while the system interface enables to processor to manage one or more hardware components of the computer. A network interface is also included to enable the processor to communicate over a network with select file servers to the exclusion of other file servers. A storage means is communicably connected to the processor and includes first and second designated storage sections. The processor has read-write access to both storage sections, while the computer has read-only access to the first storage section and read-write access to the second storage section. A removable media storage component is also communicably connected to the processor.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a device processor;

a computer interface communicably connected to the device processor, wherein the computer interface is configured to communicably couple the device processor to an interface bus of a computer and to enable communications exclusively between a computer processor of the computer and the device processor,

a system management interface communicably connected to the device processor, wherein the system management interface is configured to communicably couple the device processor to the interface bus of the computer, the system management interface being connected to the interface bus of the computer separately from the computer interface, and wherein the system management interface is configured to provide the device processor with management functionality over one or more hardware components of the computer, and the device processor is configured to control the one or more hardware components using the management functionality, said control being independent of the operating system running on the computer processor;

a network interface communicably connected to the device processor, wherein the network interface is adapted to enable the device processor to communicate over a network, and the device processor is adapted to employ the network interface for communications with select file servers to the exclusion of other file servers;

a storage means communicably connected to the device processor, the storage means including a storage area divided into a first designated storage section and a second designated storage section, wherein the device processor has read and write access to both the first and second designated storage sections, the device processor being configured to give the computer;

read-only access to the first designated storage section, and

read-write access to the second designated storage section; and

a removable media storage component communicably connected to the device processor.

2. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising an encryption module, wherein the device processor is adapted to utilize the encryption module for at least one of:

encrypted communication with the select file servers;

encrypted storage of files on the storage means; and

encrypted storage of files using the removable media storage component.

3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein the device processor is adapted to encrypt and decrypt files stored on the storage means using the encryption module and one or more encryption keys obtained from one of the select file servers.

4. The storage device of claim 1, wherein upon receipt of a request from the computer for a non-user file, the device processor is adapted to sequentially (1) determine whether the file is cached within the first designated storage section and provide the file to the computer on a read-only basis if the file is cached within the first designated storage section, (2) request the file from one or more of the select file servers if the file is not cached within the first designated storage section, and if the file is obtainable from one of the select file servers, cache the obtained file within the first designated storage section and provide the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis, and (3) return a file unavailable notice to the computer if the file is not cached within the first designated storage section and not otherwise obtainable.

5. The storage device of claim 4, wherein after step (2) and before step (3), the device processor is adapted to determine whether the file is available from the removable media storage component, and if the file is available from the removable media storage component, obtain the file from the removable media storage component, cache the file within the first designated storage section, and provide the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis.

6. The storage device of claim 1, wherein upon receipt of a request from the computer for a user file, the device processor is adapted to provide the computer with read-write access to the second designated storage section.

7. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is adapted to perform one or more of monitor, control, and process for all user files written to or read from the second designated storage section.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the computer is communicably connected to a network server through the network interface and the device processor is adapted to perform one or more of monitor, control, and process of network traffic passing through the network interface to and from the computer.

9. The storage device of claim 8, wherein process includes encryption or decryption of network traffic.

10. The storage device of claim 8, wherein control includes allowing or disallowing network traffic according to preestablished rules.

11. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage means comprises random access media.

12. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the first designated storage section comprises contiguous address space within the random access media.

13. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the second designated storage section is not directly accessible by software running on the computer.

14. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is adapted to delete a cached file from the storage means upon receiving a delete command for the cached file from one of the select file servers.

15. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is adapted to delete a cached file from the storage means following a period determined by a file expiration tag associated with the cached file.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein the period is defined by a time and date stamp included as part of the file expiration tag.

17. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is adapted to copy user files stored within the second designated storage area to one or more of the select file servers.

18. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the device processor is adapted to archive user files within the second designated storage area to the removable media storage component.

19. A computer network comprising:

at least one select file server;

a network server;

a computer communicably connected to the network server, the computer being remotely disposed from the at least one select file server and the network server; and

a storage device communicably connected to the computer and the at least one select file server, the storage device being in communication with the computer and comprising a device processor, a computer interface, a system management interface, a network interface, a storage means, and a removable media storage component, wherein;

the computer interface is configured to communicably couple the device processor to an interface bus of the computer and to enable communications exclusively between a computer processor of the computer and the device processor,

the system management interface is configured to communicably couple the device processor to the interface bus of the computer, the system management interface being connected to the interface bus of the computer separately from the computer interface, and to provide the device processor with management functionality over one or more hardware components of the computer, and the device processor is configured to control the one or more hardware components using the management functionality, said control being independent of the operating system running on the computer,

the device processor is adapted to employ the network interface for communications with select file servers to the exclusion of other file servers,

the removable media storage component is communicably connected to the device processor, and

the storage means including a storage area divided into a first designated storage section and a second designated storage section, wherein the device processor has read and write access to both the first and second designated storage sections, the device processor being configured to give the computer;

to the first designated storage section, and

read-write access to the second designated storage section.

20. The computer network of claim 19, the storage device further comprising an encryption module, wherein the device processor is adapted to utilize the encryption module for at least one of:

encrypted communication with the select file servers;

encrypted storage of files on the storage means; and

encrypted storage of files using the removable media storage component.

21. The computer network of claim 20, wherein the device processor is adapted to encrypt and decrypt files stored on the storage means using the encryption module and one or more encryption keys obtained from one of the select file servers.

22. The computer network of claim 19, wherein upon receipt of a request from the computer for a non-user file, the device processor is adapted to sequentially (1) determine whether the file is cached within the first designated storage section and provide the file to the computer on a read-only basis if the file is cached within the first designated storage section, (2) request the file from one or more of the select file servers if the file is not cached within the first designated storage section, and if the file is obtainable from one of the select file servers, cache the obtained file within the first designated storage section and provide the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis, and (3) return a file unavailable notice to the computer if the file is not cached within the first designated storage section and not otherwise obtainable.

23. The computer network of claim 22, wherein after step (2) and before step (3), the device processor is adapted to determine whether the file is available from the removable media storage component, and if the file is available from the removable media storage component, obtain the file from the removable media storage component, cache the file within the first designated storage section, and provide the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis.

24. The computer network of claim 19, wherein the computer is communicably connected to a network server through the network interface and the device processor is adapted to perform one or more of monitor, control, and process of network traffic passing through the network interface to and from the computer.

25. The computer network of claim 24, wherein process includes encryption or decryption of network traffic.

26. The computer network of claim 24, wherein control includes allowing or disallowing network traffic according to preestablished rules.

27. The computer network of claim 19, wherein the storage means comprises random access media.

28. The computer network of claim 27, wherein the first designated storage section comprises contiguous address space within the random access media.

29. The computer network of claim 19, wherein the device processor is adapted to delete a cached file from the storage means upon receiving a delete command for the cached file from one of the select file servers.

30. The computer network of claim 19, wherein the device processor is adapted to delete a cached file from the storage means following a period determined by a file expiration tag associated with the cached file.

31. The computer network of claim 30, wherein the period is defined by a time and date stamp included as part of the file expiration tag.

32. The computer network of claim 19, wherein the device processor is adapted to copy user files stored within the second designated storage area to one or more of the select file servers.