Daniel F Ellard

US Patent:

7844774, Nov 30, 2010

Filed:

Nov 16, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/280502

Inventors:

Daniel J. Ellard - Belmont MA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711108, 382115, 382116, 711E1207

Abstract:

An extensible fingerprint comprised of an ordered list of fingerprints generated by applying each of a plurality of distinct fingerprinting functions to the content of a data item. The extensible fingerprint can be extended by using a new fingerprinting function to compute a new fingerprint and adding the new fingerprint to the list so that the old extensible fingerprint of a data item is used as a prefix of the new extensible fingerprint for that data item. Thus, the fingerprint can be incrementally extended over time. A content-addressed storage system uses extensible fingerprints as addresses and can also change over time.

US Patent:

7933921, Apr 26, 2011

Filed:

Nov 29, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/605674

Inventors:

Daniel Ellard - Belmont MA, US

Assignee:

NetApp, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

707770, 707782, 707796

Abstract:

When receiving a client data access request directed to a first data container serviced by a first federation member, data of the first requested data container may be used to resolve a context identifier and identify a volume location database (VLDB) associated with a second federation member servicing a second data container. A look up request may then be sent to the VLDB to identify one or more locations of the second data container. The client's original data access request illustratively may then be responded to with the identified one or more locations of the second data container.

US Patent:

7945724, May 17, 2011

Filed:

Feb 8, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/028717

Inventors:

Randall D. Smith - Arlington MA, US
Daniel J. Ellard - Belmont MA, US

Assignee:

NetApp, Inc. - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711103, 711100, 711102, 711154, 713 2, 36518533, 36523003

Abstract:

An initialization process in a storage server is made more efficient by at least partially avoiding serial and/or sequential access to the data blocks that are needed for such process. To accomplish this, the blocks needed for the initialization process are identified prior to performing the initialization process. The blocks or a list of references to the blocks are stored in a non-volatile solid-state memory, such as a flash-based memory, that is separate from the main drive subsystem and has a much shorter power-up and read-access time than the main drive subsystem. The list or stored set of blocks may be used to access the blocks more efficiently when needed, by accessing two or more of such blocks in parallel, as well as performing block accessing and volume mounting in parallel.

US Patent:

8489820, Jul 16, 2013

Filed:

Mar 18, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/050921

Inventors:

Daniel J. Ellard - Belmont MA, US

Assignee:

NetApp, Inc - Sunnyvale CA

International Classification:

G06F 12/00

US Classification:

711138, 711120, 711122, 711135, 711142, 711143

Abstract:

A network storage server includes a main buffer cache to buffer writes requested by clients before committing them to primary persistent storage. The server further uses a secondary cache, implemented as low-cost, solid-state memory, such as flash memory, to store data evicted from the main buffer cache or data read from the primary persistent storage. To prevent bursts of writes to the secondary cache, data is copied from the main buffer cache to the secondary cache speculatively, before there is a need to evict data from the main buffer cache. Data can be copied to the secondary cache as soon as the data is marked as clean in the main buffer cache. Data can be written to secondary cache at a substantially constant rate, which can be at or close to the maximum write rate of the secondary cache.

US Patent:

20070226758, Sep 27, 2007

Filed:

Mar 21, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/385164

Inventors:

James Waldo - Dracut MA, US
Timothy Blackman - Arlington MA, US
Daniel Ellard - Belmont MA, US
Robert Sproull - Newton MA, US
Jane Loizeaux - Lowell MA, US
Michael Warres - Cambridge MA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 9/46

US Classification:

719330000

Abstract:

Location-independent references include a live reference containing a location of a remote object and a universally unique identifier (UUID) which provides a unique global reference to that remote object. If a method call to the remote object using the live reference fails, the UUID is used to obtain a new reference to the remote object and the new reference is then used to make another method call. A new reference can be obtained from an identifier directory that contains a mapping between UUIDs and location-independent references. When a remote object is first created, or when a remote object is moved from one location to another, the remote object registers with any and all such directories that it can find in its environment. These registrations are leased; that is, if they are not occasionally refreshed by the remote object which registered them, they are dropped from the directory.

US Patent:

20070226809, Sep 27, 2007

Filed:

Mar 21, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/385341

Inventors:

Daniel Ellard - Belmont MA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06F 17/30

US Classification:

726030000

Abstract:

In a data storage system, content-containing objects to be stored are added to a storage hierarchy that is based on content relationships. The content of each stored object is encrypted and a stub is associated with that object. For each stored object other than a root object, the stub comprises a function of a decryption key for the content of that object and the stubs of all of the ancestors of that object. The stubs can be used to calculate a new stub for a data object to be inserted into the storage hierarchy and to generate a decryption key for an existing object. Since these latter calculations for an object involve the stubs of all ancestors of that object, deleting a stub for an object securely deletes that object and all its descendants. An object can be moved by recalculating its stub.

US Patent:

20150019635, Jan 15, 2015

Filed:

Sep 29, 2014

Appl. No.:

14/500973

Inventors:

- Sunnyvale CA, US
Daniel Joseph Ellard - Belmont MA, US

International Classification:

H04L 29/06

US Classification:

709203

Abstract:

In some embodiments, a first location server, in response to a request from a client to access an object, determines whether a first location information stored at the first location server indicates locations of instance(s) of the object. The first location server, in response to a determination that the first location information indicates the locations of the instances of the object, determines a first location of a first instance of the object at a first payload server and a second location of a second instance of the object at a second payload server from the first location information. The first location server determines priority values of the first and second locations. The first location server generates a reply to the request, the reply indicating the first and second locations of the first and second instances of the object, and the priority values of the first and second locations.

US Patent:

20140181374, Jun 26, 2014

Filed:

Jun 14, 2013

Appl. No.:

13/918804

Inventors:

- Sunnyvale CA, US
Daniel J. Ellard - Belmont MA, US

International Classification:

G06F 12/02
G06F 12/08

US Classification:

711103, 711135

Abstract:

A network storage server includes a main buffer cache to buffer writes requested by clients before committing them to primary persistent storage. The server further uses a secondary cache, implemented as low-cost, solid-state memory, such as flash memory, to store data evicted from the main buffer cache or data read from the primary persistent storage. To prevent bursts of writes to the secondary cache, data is copied from the main buffer cache to the secondary cache speculatively, before there is a need to evict data from the main buffer cache. Data can be copied to the secondary cache as soon as the data is marked as clean in the main buffer cache. Data can be written to secondary cache at a substantially constant rate, which can be at or close to the maximum write rate of the secondary cache.