Modular computer system and method

• US 9,473,421 B1
• Filed: 08/06/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fourth Cloud, Co.
• Original Assignee: Fourth Cloud, Co.
• Inventors: Basil, Keith McKinley, Oxenham, Rhys David, Imbriaco, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Coulter, Kenneth R
• Application Number:
  US14/819,894
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 709/215, 709/223, 709227-229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/14 Error detection or correction of the data by redundancy in operation G06F11/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/14 Handling requests for interconnection or transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7807 System on chip, i.e. computer system on a single chip; System in package, i.e. computer system on one or more chips in a single package
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

The invention is a modular computing system and method of use. The invention includes a chassis used for structurally supporting a plurality of computer resource modules. The chassis provides a power source and connection point for the computer resource modules. The computer resource modules segment and replicate user information to provide redundancy of information in the case of failure. The computer resource modules elect a lead computer resource module to handle the organization of the computer resource modules during use. The computer resource modules provide a hierarchy of leadership in case the lead resource module fails. The operating software provides floating application storage which can persist across the multiple computer resource modules after the application is closed. The application can access the floating application storage when it is reopened.

Claims

1. A method for organizing and storing data for a software application comprising

a. on a first computer resource module communicatively coupled to one or more second computer resource modules, said first computer resource module executing a software application

i. wherein said first computer resource module and each of said one or more second computer resource modules comprise an external housing having a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a back side, a left side, and a right side, one or more microprocessor units, one or more nonvolatile memory storage units, one or more transceivers, one or more Ethernet portswherein said first computer resource module and each of said one or more second computer resource modules are coupled to a chassis, wherein said chassis comprises a body and one or more Ethernet ports disposed in said body;

2. wherein each of said one or more Ethernet ports disposed in said first computer resource module and each of said second computer resource modules are communicatively coupled to one or more Ethernet ports in said chassis;

3. wherein said first computer resource module and said one or more second computer resource modules are communicatively coupled to form a cluster;

ii. said method comprising

1. receiving a request from an application for the creation of an application specific data storage volume;

2. creating an application specific data storage volume stored on one or more memory units of said first computer resource module and respectively on one or more memory units of one or more said second computer resource modules;

storing a portion of said application specific data storage volume on one or more memory units of said first computer resource module;

3. storing a portion of said application specific data storage volume respectively on one or more memory units of said one or more second computer resource modules;

4. maintaining said application specific data storage volume after said first computer resource module has terminated the execution of said application;

5. wherein, in the event said first computer resource module is removed from said cluster or disabled, a complete set of application stored data is available for download from a remaining number of computer resource modules in said cluster;

6. wherein, in the event one of said one or more second computer resource modules is removed from said cluster or disabled, a complete set of application stored data is available for download from a remaining number of computer resource modules in said cluster.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising

a. receiving a replica count request for data stored in the application specific data storage volume from said application;

b. receiving a requested storage volume size for said application specific data storage volume from said application;

c. receiving a persistence request for said application specific data storage volume from said application;

d. receiving an encryption method from said application;

e. receiving an encryption key from said application;

f. encrypting each copy of said two or more data file segments in accordance with said encryption method and encryption key.

3. The method as in claim 2 further comprising

a. receiving a request from said application to store an application data file in the application specific data storage volume;

b. segmenting said application data file into two or more data file segments;

c. copying each of said two or more data file segments in accordance with said received replica count;

d. transmitting at least one copy of said two or more data file segments to a second computer resource module communicatively coupled to said first computer resource module;

e. recording the storage location for each copy of said two more data file segments in a data file log.

4. The method as in claim 3 further comprising

a. receiving a request from a software application for a data file;

b. retrieving said data file log;

c. determining the location of a copy of each of said two or more data file segments from said data file log.

5. The method as in claim 4 further comprising transmitting a copy of each of said two or more data file segments to a client computer.

6. The method as in claim 4 further comprising

a. retrieving a copy of each of two or more data file segments from said one or more memory units of said two or more computer resource modules;

b. combining each retrieved copy of said two or more data file segments into a complete data file.

7. The method as in claim 6 further comprising transmitting said data file to a client computer.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising

a. receiving a request from said application to store an application data file in the application specific data storage volume;

b. segmenting said application data file into two or more data file segments;

c. copying each of said two or more data file segments in accordance with a default replica count established in said first computer resource module;

d. encrypting each copy of said two or more data file segments in accordance with a default encryption method and encryption key established in said first computer resource module;

e. transmitting at least one copy of said two or more data file segments to a second computer resource module communicatively coupled to said first computer resource module;

f. recording the storage location for each copy of said two more data file segments in a data file log.

9. The method as in claim 8 further comprising

a. receiving a request from a software application for a data file;

b. retrieving said data file log;

c. determining the location of a copy of each of said two or more data file segments from said data file log.

10. The method as in claim 9 further comprising transmitting a copy of each of said two or more data file segments to a client computer.

11. The method as in claim 9 further comprising

a. retrieving a copy of each of two or more data file segments from said one or more memory units of said two or more computer resource modules;

b. combining each retrieved copy of said two or more data file segments into a complete data file.

12. The method as in claim 10 further comprising transmitting said data file to a client computer.

13. A method for organizing and storing data for a software application comprising

a. on a first computer resource module communicatively coupled to one or more second computer resource modules, said first computer resource module executing a software application

i. wherein said first computer resource module and each of said one or more second computer resource modules comprise an external housing having a top side, a bottom side, a front side, a back side, a left side, and a right side, one or more microprocessor units, one or more nonvolatile memory storage units, one or more transceivers, one or more Ethernet portswherein said first computer resource module and each of said one or more second computer resource modules are coupled to a chassis, wherein said chassis comprises a body and one or more Ethernet ports disposed in said body;

2. wherein each of said one or more Ethernet ports disposed in said first computer resource module and each of said second computer resource modules are communicatively coupled to one or more Ethernet ports in said chassis;

3. wherein said first computer resource module and said one or more second computer resource modules are communicatively coupled to form a cluster;

4. wherein a number of computer resource modules within said cluster may be expanded by communicatively coupling additional one or more second computer resource modules to said cluster;

5. wherein a number of computer resource modules within said cluster may be contracted by disengaging one or more second computer resource modules from communicative coupling with said cluster;

ii. said method comprising

1. receiving a request from an application for the creation of an application specific data storage volume;

2. creating an application specific data storage volume stored on one or more memory units of said first computer resource module and respectively on one or more memory units of each of said one or more second computer resource modules;

3. maintaining said application specific data storage volume after said first computer resource module has terminated the execution of said application;

4. wherein, in the event said first computer resource module is removed from said cluster or disabled, a complete set of application stored data is available for download from a remaining number of computer resource modules in said cluster;

5. wherein, in the event one of said one or more second computer resource modules is removed from said cluster or disabled, a complete set of application stored data is available for download from a remaining number of computer resource modules in said cluster;

6. receiving a request from said application to store an application data file in the application specific data storage volume;

7. segmenting said application data file into two or more data file segments;

8. copying, by said first computer resource module, each of said two or more data file segments in accordance with a default replica count established in said first computer resource module, wherein said replica count is a predetermined number;

9. transmitting, by said first computer resource module, one or more data file segments to one or more of said second computer resource modules;

10. storing said predetermined number of each of said two or more data file segments on said cluster of resource modules;

11. preserving said predetermined number of data file segments across all computer resource modules within a cluster when expanding or contracting said cluster;

12. recording the storage location for each copy of said two more data file segments in a data file log.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein preserving said predetermined number of data file segments comprises

a. automatically transmitting one or more data file segments from said first computer resource module to a newly added computer resource module;

b. automatically transmitting one or more data file segments from said second computer resource module to a newly added computer resource module;

c. storing said one or more data file segments from said first computer resource module on said newly added computer resource module;

d. storing said one or more data file segments from said second computer resource module on said newly added computer resource module.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein preserving said predetermined number of data file segments comprises

a. determining a second computer resource module has been removed from said cluster;

b. determining one or more data file segments stored across said cluster with a number of copies less than said predetermined number;

c. copying one or more determined data file segments until a number of copies of said one or more determined data file segments is equal to said predetermined number.

16. The method as in claim 15 further comprising

a. receiving a replica count request for data stored in the application specific data storage volume from said application;

b. receiving a requested storage volume size for said application specific data storage volume from said application;

c. receiving a persistence request for said application specific data storage volume from said application;

d. receiving an encryption method from said application;

e. receiving an encryption key from said application;

f. encrypting each copy of said two or more data file segments in accordance with said encryption method and encryption key.

17. The method as in claim 16 further comprising

a. receiving a request from a software application for a data file;

b. retrieving said data file log;

c. determining the location of a copy of each of said two or more data file segments from said data file log.

18. The method as in claim 17 further comprising transmitting a copy of each of said two or more data file segments to a client computer.

19. The method as in claim 17 further comprising

a. retrieving a copy of each of two or more data file segments from said one or more memory units of said two or more computer resource modules;

b. combining each retrieved copy of said two or more data file segments into a complete data file.

20. The method as in claim 19 further comprising transmitting said data file to a client computer.