Interactive gaming utilizing a dispersed storage network

• US 8,882,599 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2012
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Grube, Gary W., Markison, Timothy W., Resch, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/711,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20130102395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/21 Design, administration or maintenance of databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2379 Updates performed during online database operations; commit processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/064 Management of blocks
• 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 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

Game data is received at a dispersed storage processing unit, the game data associated with at least one of a plurality of user devices. The game data is stored in a cache memory associated with the dispersed storage processing unit. Dispersed storage metadata associated with the cached game data is generated. A data block is generated based on the cached game data and further based on the dispersed storage metadata. The data block is stored in a dispersed storage network.

Claims

1. A method for use in conjunction with a dispersed storage processing unit coupled to a data network, the method comprising:

receiving game data at the dispersed storage processing unit, the game data associated with a game being played in association with at least one of a plurality of user devices;

storing the game data in a cache memory associated with the dispersed storage processing unit;

generating dispersed storage metadata associated with the cached game data;

generating a data block based on the cached game data and further based on the dispersed storage metadata;

storing the data block as a write threshold number of slices in a plurality of storage devices at a corresponding plurality of different locations of a dispersed storage network, wherein the data block is assessable for the game being played via the at least one of the plurality of user devices by retrieval of a read threshold number of the slices, wherein the read threshold is less than the write threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining when to generate the data block.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

updating a remaining cache capacity associated with the cache;

wherein the determination of when to generate the data block is based on the remaining cache capacity.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the determination of when to generate the data block is based on expiration of a time out period.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

analyzing the game data to identify a game event;

wherein the determination of when to generate the data block is triggered by the game event.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a plurality of dispersed storage units for use in storing the data block;

wherein storing the data block in the dispersed storage network includes storing slices formed from the data block in the plurality of dispersed storage units.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

determining a location associated with the at least one of the plurality of user devices; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on proximity to the at least one of the plurality of user devices.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

associating at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units to the user of the at least one of the plurality of user devices; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on its association to the user.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

identifying a game associated with the game data;

associating at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units to the game; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on its association to the game.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes a memory associated with the at least one of the plurality of user devices.

11. A method for use in conjunction with a dispersed storage processing unit coupled to a data network, the method comprising:

receiving game data at the dispersed storage processing unit, the game data associated with at least one of a plurality of user devices;

storing the game data in a cache memory associated with the dispersed storage processing unit;

generating dispersed storage metadata associated with the cached game data;

generating a data block based on the cached game data and further based on the dispersed storage metadata;

storing the data block as a write threshold number of slices in a plurality of storage devices at a corresponding plurality of different locations of a dispersed storage network, wherein the data block is assessable for the game being played via the at least one of the plurality of user devices by retrieval of a read threshold number of the slices, wherein the read threshold is less than the write threshold.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining when to generate the data block.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

updating a remaining cache capacity associated with the cache;

wherein the determination of when to generate the data block is based on the remaining cache capacity.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the determination of when to generate the data block is based on expiration of a time out period.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

analyzing the game data to identify a game event;

wherein the determination of when to generate the data block is triggered by the game event.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

determining a plurality of dispersed storage units for use in storing the data block;

wherein storing the data block in the dispersed storage network includes storing slices formed from the data block in the plurality of dispersed storage units.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

determining a location associated with the at least one of the plurality of user devices; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on proximity to the at least one of the plurality of user devices.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

associating at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units to the user of the at least one of the plurality of user devices; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on its association to the user.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the determination of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes:

identifying the game being played;

associating at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units to the game; and

identifying at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units based on its association to the game.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein at least one of the plurality of dispersed storage units includes a memory associated with the at least one of the plurality of user devices.