Systems and methods for data classification to facilitate and improve data management within an enterprise are described. The disclosed systems and methods evaluate and define data management operations based on data characteristics rather than data location, among other things. Also provided are methods for generating a data structure of metadata that describes system data and storage operations. This data structure may be consulted to determine changes in system data rather than scanning the data files themselves.

Systems and methods for classifying and transferring information in a storage network

Described in detail herein is a method of copying data of one or more virtual machines being hosted by one or more non-virtual machines. The method includes receiving an indication that specifies how to perform a copy of data of one or more virtual machines hosted by one or more virtual machine hosts. The method may include determining whether the one or more virtual machines are managed by a virtual machine manager that manages or facilitates management of the virtual machines. If so, the virtual machine manager is dynamically queried to automatically determine the virtual machines that it manages or that it facilitates management of. If not, a virtual machine host is dynamically queried to automatically determine the virtual machines that it hosts. The data of each virtual machine is then copied according to the specifications of the received indication.

Systems and methods for management of virtualization data

A storage router and method for providing virtual local storage on remote storage devices to devices are provided. Devices are connected to a first transport medium, and a plurality of storage devices are connected to a second transport medium. In one embodiment, the storage router maintains a map to allocate storage space on the remote storage devices to devices connected to the first transport medium by associating representations of the devices connected to the first transport medium with representations of storage space on the remote storage devices, wherein each representation of a device connected to the first transport medium is associated with one or more representations of storage space on the remote storage devices and controls access from the devices connected to the first transport medium to the storage space on the remote storage devices in accordance with the map and using native low level block protocol.

Storage router and method for providing virtual local storage

Data storage operations, including content-indexing, containerized deduplication, and policy-driven storage, are performed within a cloud environment. The systems support a variety of clients and cloud storage sites that may connect to the system in a cloud environment that requires data transfer over wide area networks, such as the Internet, which may have appreciable latency and/or packet loss, using various network protocols, including HTTP and FTP. Methods are disclosed for content indexing data stored within a cloud environment to facilitate later searching, including collaborative searching. Methods are also disclosed for performing containerized deduplication to reduce the strain on a system namespace, effectuate cost savings, etc. Methods are disclosed for identifying suitable storage locations, including suitable cloud storage sites, for data files subject to a storage policy. Further, systems and methods for providing a cloud gateway and a scalable data object store within a cloud environment are disclosed, along with other features.

Data object store and server for a cloud storage environment, including data deduplication and data management across multiple cloud storage sites

There is disclosed in a communications system having an origination storage device and a destination storage device, a data transfer pipeline apparatus for transferring data in a sequence of N stages, where N is a positive integer grater than 1, from the origination to the destination device. The data transfer apparatus comprises dedicated memory means having a predetermined number of buffers dedicated for carrying data associated with the transfer of data from the origination storage device to the destination device; and master control means for registering and controlling processes associated with the data transfer apparatus for participation in the N stage data transfer sequence. The processes include at least a first stage process for initiating the data transfer and a last Nth stage process for completing data transfer. The first stage process is operative to allocate a buffer from the predetermined number of buffers available within the dedicated memory means for collection, processing, and sending of the data from the origination device to a next stage process. The Nth stage process is operative to receive a buffer allocated to the first stage process from the (N−1)th stage process in the data transfer sequence and to free the buffer upon processing completion and storage in the destination device to permit reallocation of the buffer. The master control means further includes monitor means for monitoring the number of buffers from the pool of buffers allocated or assigned to particular processes in the pipeline, in order to prevent allocation of further buffers to a particular process when the number of buffers currently allocated exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Pipelined high speed data transfer mechanism

This data storage subsystem creates multiple virtual storage devices on demand, which are available to any and all of the system's host data processors. The subsystem utilizes a plurality of tape devices and automated tape libraries with the tape devices connected to a plurality of data processors via a high-speed network. A set of software components, the Network Storage Manager (NSM) controls all system operations. Depending upon the requested storage performance, one or more tape devices are assigned to a virtual device. Data stripping across multiple tape devices allows the storage bandwidth of a virtual device to be changed on demand. The overall capacity and performance of the subsystem is scalable by adding or removing storage devices. The NSM system controller contains a plurality of software elements including: Resource Allocation, Resource Configuration, Resource Management, and Security Management modules. The use of a networked storage manager enables the storage devices to be managed as a pool and yet be attached directly to the network as individual resources. The NSM also provides the mechanism for the enterprise management to control tape device allocation and configuration as well as other functions, such as tape cartridge movement, data migration and data security.

Network attached virtual tape data storage subsystem

The data storage subsystem is implemented using redundancy groups of data storage modules, at least one module of which comprises a plurality of data storage elements. In this manner, the one dimensional data storage module redundancy group is expanded in another dimension by the use of a plurality of storage elements to implement each of the data storage modules. Enhanced performance is obtained by having more actuators concurrently accessing data. The reconstruction of data due to an equipment failure is therefore localized to a data storage element rather than requiring the replacement of an entire data storage module.

Method and apparatus for hierarchical management of data storage elements in an array storage device

Closer spacing of elements for writing multiple tracks onto a magnetic media increases the areal density of stored information. A thin film multiple track recording head includes recording gaps in a plane parallel with the head substrate. This configuration allows for flexible placement of the elements within the head, improved control of recording gap geometry, and alternating azimuth gap angles.

High track density magnetic recording head

A method to control the inside environment of a cartridge is disclosed. The method includes providing a cartridge having a first chamber for the data storage media and a second chamber for material to control contaminants inside the cartridge. A selectively openable structure permits communication of the air within the first chamber to the material in the second chamber to decontaminate the first chamber.

Method of controlling the internal environment of a data storage cartridge

An environmentally controlled cartridge and method for protecting data storage media from disallowed humidity levels and contaminants. The cartridge has a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is operative to contain the data storage media and is openable to the ambient environment to provide drive access to the media. A charged desiccant is disposed in communication with the second chamber and may further include a pollutant getter. The second chamber is in selective communication with the first chamber.

Robert M. Raymond

Papers

Network attached virtual tape data storage subsystem

Method and apparatus for hierarchical management of data storage elements in an array storage device

High track density magnetic recording head

Method of controlling the internal environment of a data storage cartridge

Dual chambered environmentally controlled cartridge and method for protecting data storage media