Flexible data storage system
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a plurality of storage devices comprising stored data files, the stored data files stored in accordance with a plurality of data storage schemes;
a mapping table associated with each of the plurality of storage devices, the mapping table storing data representing available locations and amounts of available space in the plurality of storage devices,wherein, the system is configured to change at least one data storage scheme of a corresponding stored data file when additional storage space is needed for a new data file, and the at least one data storage scheme to change is automatically selected by the system based on a user having identified the corresponding stored data file as non-critical.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for managing and locating available storage space in a system comprising data files stored in a plurality of storage devices and configured in accordance with various data storage schemes (mirroring, striping and parity-striping). A mapping table associated with each of the plurality of storage devices is used to determine the available locations and amount of available space in the storage devices. The data storage schemes for one or more of the stored data files are changed to a basic storage mode when the size of a new data file configured in accordance with an assigned data storage scheme exceeds the amount of available space. The configured new data file is stored in accordance with the assigned data storage scheme in one or more of the available locations and the locations of the new data file are recorded.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a plurality of storage devices comprising stored data files, the stored data files stored in accordance with a plurality of data storage schemes; a mapping table associated with each of the plurality of storage devices, the mapping table storing data representing available locations and amounts of available space in the plurality of storage devices, wherein, the system is configured to change at least one data storage scheme of a corresponding stored data file when additional storage space is needed for a new data file, and the at least one data storage scheme to change is automatically selected by the system based on a user having identified the corresponding stored data file as non-critical. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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storing data files in a plurality of storage devices, the data files stored in accordance with a plurality of data storage schemes, wherein a portion of one of the data files is stored according to a first one of the plurality of data schemes on a first storage device, and a remaining portion of the one of the data files is stored according to a second one of the plurality of data schemes on a second storage device; and storing, in a mapping table associated with at least one of the plurality of storage devices, data representing the locations and storage schemes of the data files, wherein the portion of the one of the data files is stored in first disk sectors on the first storage device, and the remaining portion is stored in second disk sectors on the second storage device; and wherein a physical location of the first disk sectors on the first storage device does not correspond to a physical location of the second disk sectors on the second storage device. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A system comprising:
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a plurality of storage devices comprising stored data files, the stored data files stored in accordance with a plurality of data storage schemes, wherein a portion of one of the stored data files is stored in first disk sectors on a first storage device according to a first one of the plurality of data schemes, and a remaining portion of the one of the stored data files is stored in second disk sectors on a second storage device according to a second one of the plurality of data schemes; a mapping table associated with each of the plurality of storage devices, the mapping table storing data representing available locations and amounts of available space in the plurality of storage devices; and wherein a storage sequence of the first disk sectors on the first storage device does not correspond to a storage sequence of the second disk sectors on the second storage device. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method comprising:
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reading the speed of a network and a respective drive speed of each of a plurality of networked storage devices and local storage devices; determining whether to store a plurality of data files on one or more of the networked storage devices and/or one or more of the local storage devices based at least in part on the respective drive speed; and storing the data files on one or more of the plurality of the networked storage devices and/or one or more of the local storage devices in accordance with a plurality of storage schemes. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification