Storage system for pervasive and mobile content

• US 20070112937A1
• Filed: 11/16/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Inventors: Rohani, Manu
• Granted Patent: US 8,856,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/312 In storage controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0069 Allocation based on distance or geographical location allocation based on terminal or device properties in general, H04W72/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• 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 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

A system and method for storage and retrieval of pervasive and mobile content is provided. System may be comprised of a controller and a plurality of storage devices. Plurality of storage devices may include a first storage device located in a first geographic location and a second storage device located in a second geographic location. The controller may be operably connected to each storage device. The controller may also be capable of locating a first storage device containing data and transferring the data between the first storage device and a second storage device. The second storage device may be capable of transferring data to a host, which may be operably connected to the second storage device.

Claims

1. A system for storing and retrieving pervasive and mobile content comprising:

a controller; and

a plurality of storage devices including a first storage device located in a first geographic area and a second storage device located in a second geographic area,

wherein said controller is operably connected to each of said plurality of storage devices, said controller being capable of locating said first storage device containing data and transferring said data between said first storage device and said second storage device when a host is located within said second geographical area, said second storage device being capable of transferring said data to said host.

8. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said controller creates redundancy in a scalable and flexible manner across said plurality of devices by the controller choosing which of said plurality of devices will participate in a redundancy RAID scheme.

9. The storage system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of storage devices is operably coupled to one or more other storage device in said plurality of storage devices.

10. The storage system of claim 1, wherein said host is a server on a network, a Web server on the Internet, a mainframe computer, a personal communications device, or a personal computing device.

2. The system of claim 2, wherein said storage device further comprises a storage device component housing, an interface, a network module, a hard disk drive identity module, a software module and encryption module, a hard drive I/O and a hard drive I/O controller.

3. The storage system of claim 2, wherein said network module is a wireless network or a wired network.

4. The storage system of claim 2, wherein said software module is a search index software module.

5. The storage system of claim 2, wherein said each of said plurality of storage devices is a hard disk drive.

6. The storage system of claim 2, wherein said encryption module is a plug-in encryption module.

7. The storage system of claim 2, wherein said interface is a hardware configuration interface.

11. A system for storing and retrieving pervasive and mobile content comprising:

a controller; and

a plurality of storage devices, including a first storage device located in a first geographic area and a second storage device located in a second geographic area,

each of said storage devices further comprising;

a storage device component housing;

an interface;

a network module;

a hard disk drive identity module;

a software module;

an encryption module;

a hard drive I/O controller,

wherein said controller is operably connected to said plurality of storage devices, said controller being capable of locating said first storage device containing data and transferring said data between said first storage device and said second storage device when a host is located within said second geographical area, said second storage device being capable of transferring said data to said host.

12. The storage system of claim 11, wherein said host is a server on a network, a Web server on the Internet, a mainframe computer, a personal communications device, or a personal computing device.

13. The storage system of claim 11, wherein said network module is a wireless network or a wired network.

14. The storage system of claim 11, wherein said software module is a search index software module.

15. The storage system of claim 11, wherein said encryption module is a plug-in encryption module.

16. The storage system of claim 11, wherein said interface is a hardware configuration interface.

17. The storage system of claim 11, wherein said controller creates redundancy in a scalable and flexible manner across said plurality of devices by the controller choosing which of said plurality of devices will participate in a redundancy RAID scheme.

18. A method for automatically storing and retrieving pervasive and mobile content, comprising:

receiving a request for data from a host;

transmitting data from said first storage device located in a first geographical area to said second storage device located in a second geographical area when a host is located within said second geographical area; and

transferring data to said host from said second storage device.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said controller is suitable for detecting presence of said host within said second geographical area.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said controller detects presence of said host within said second geographical area by receipt of login information to said second storage device.