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Author

Robert Rees

Bio: Robert Rees is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Metadata repository & Fat client. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 976 citations.

Papers
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Patent
10 Dec 2003
TL;DR: In this paper, a distributed data storage system for sharing data among client computers running different types of operating systems by separating metadata from data is presented. But the client computers communicate with the metadata servers using a Storage Tank protocol and over a control network.
Abstract: A distributed data storage system for sharing data among client computers running different types of operating systems by separating metadata from data. Data is stored in storage pools that are accessed by the client computers through a storage network. Metadata is stored in a metadata store and provided to the client computers by a cluster of metadata servers. The client computers communicate with the metadata servers using a Storage Tank protocol and over a control network. Each client computer runs an operating system-specific client program that provides the client side functions of the Storage Tank protocol. The client program preferably includes a file system interface for communicating with the file system in the storage system and user applications, a client state manager for providing data consistency, and a plurality of operating system services for communicating with the metadata servers.

976 citations


Cited by
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Patent
09 Oct 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, an improved system for accessing data within a distributed data storage network (DDSN) is disclosed, in which traffic is routed to individual slice servers within the DDSN in accordance with objective criteria as well as user-defined policies.
Abstract: An improved system for accessing data within a distributed data storage network (“DDSN”) is disclosed. In a system implementing the disclosed invention, traffic is routed to individual slice servers within the DDSN in accordance with objective criteria as well as user-defined policies. In accordance with one aspect of the disclosed invention, when a data segment is written to a DDSN, the segment is divided into multiple data slices, which are simultaneously transmitted to different slice servers. In accordance with another aspect of the disclosed invention, when a data segment is read from a DDSN, a list of slice servers, each containing a data slice that could be used to reconstruct the requested data segment, is assembled, and sorted in accordance with a preference rating assigned to each of the slice servers. Sufficient data slices to reconstruct the data segment are then read in accordance with the preference ranking of the slice servers.

941 citations

Patent
22 Mar 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the original data to be stored is separated into a number of data'slices' or shares (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32) and stored on separate digital data storage devices (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, and 44) as a way of increasing privacy and security.
Abstract: A billing process is disclosed for an information dispersal system or digital data storage system. The original data to be stored is separated into a number of data 'slices' or shares (22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 32). These data subsets are stored on separate digital data storage devices (34, 36, 38, 40, 42, and 44) as a way of increasing privacy and security. A set of metadata tables are created, separate from the dispersed file share storage, to maintain information about the original data size of each block, file or set of file shares dispersed on the grid.

936 citations

Patent
19 Nov 2010
TL;DR: In this paper, a block-based interface to a dispersed data storage network is disclosed, which accepts read and write commands from a file system resident on a user's computer and generates network commands that are forwarded to slice servers.
Abstract: A block-based interface to a dispersed data storage network is disclosed. The disclosed interface accepts read and write commands from a file system resident on a user's computer and generates network commands that are forwarded to slice servers that form the storage component of the dispersed data storage network. The slice servers then fulfill the read and write commands.

929 citations

Patent
26 Apr 2011
TL;DR: In this article, a system, method, and apparatus for implementing a plurality of dispersed data storage networks using a set of slice servers are disclosed, with each information record corresponding to a distributed data storage network.
Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus for implementing a plurality of dispersed data storage networks using a set of slice servers are disclosed. A plurality of information records are maintained, with each information record corresponding to a dispersed data storage network. The information record maintains what slice servers are used to implement the dispersed data storage network, as well as other information needed to administer a DDSN, such as the information dispersal algorithm used, how data is stored, and whether data is compressed or encrypted.

916 citations

Patent
27 Sep 2006
TL;DR: An efficient method for breaking source data into smaller subsets and storing those subsets along with coded information about some of the other data subsets on different storage nodes is described in this article.
Abstract: An efficient method for breaking source data into smaller data subsets and storing those subsets along with coded information about some of the other data subsets on different storage nodes such that the original data can be recreated from a portion of those data subsets in an efficient manner.

900 citations