Computer system and process for transferring multiple high bandwidth streams of data between multiple storage units and multiple applications in a scalable and reliable manner
US6374336B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 3, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 3, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L67/1029
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Multiple applications request data from multiple storage units over a computer network. The data is divided into segments and each segment is distributed randomly on one of several storage units, independent of the storage units on which other segments of the media data are stored. Redundancy information corresponding to each segment also is distributed randomly over the storage units. The redundancy information for a segment may be a copy of the segment, such that each segment is stored on at least two storage units. The redundancy information also may be based on two or more segments. This random distribution of segments of data and corresponding redundancy information improves both scalability and reliability. When a storage unit fails, its load is distributed evenly over to remaining storage units and its lost data may be recovered because of the redundancy information. When an application requests a selected segment of data, the request may be processed by the storage unit with the shortest queue of requests. Random fluctuations in the load applied by multiple applications on multiple storage units are balanced nearly equally over all of the storage units. This combination of …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.