NetApp Assigned Three Patents

Circuits, systems, and methods
to integrate storage virtualization
in storage controller

NetApp, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,307,044) developed by Bret S. Weber, Wichita, KS, for "circuits, systems, and methods to integrate storage virtualization in a storage controller."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "Methods and systems for improved performance in virtualized storage systems. Features and aspects hereof provide for a virtualization circuit integrated in each storage controller of a storage system. The virtualization circuit is operable to determine whether a request received from an attached host system will be processed locally by the receiving storage controller or will be processed by another storage controller of the storage system. If another storage controller is to process the request, the virtualization circuit is operable to transfer the request to the appropriate other storage controller. The virtualization circuit then receives result information from the other storage controller and returns such result information to the requesting host system. Integration of the virtualization circuit at below level of request processing of storage controllers improves performance of virtualization as compared to prior techniques."

The patent application was filed on Aug. 28, 2008 (12/200,643).

Network-accessible memory

Network Appliance, Sunnyvale, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,316,074) developed by Charles E. McManis, Sunnyvale, CA, for a "a network-accessible memory."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A network-accessible memory (NAM) element comprises a substrate, a memory mounted to the substrate, network interface circuitry and logic circuitry. The network interface circuitry implements a network physical layer and is mounted to the substrate. The logic circuitry is mounted to the substrate and is coupled to the network interface circuitry and the memory, and is configured to operate as a memory controller to control access to the memory by a host processor which is external to the NAM element through the network interface circuitry. The NAM element can be interconnected with other NAM elements to form a larger NAM storage device."

The patent application was filed on March 11, 2005 (11/078,279).

Configuration verification, recommendation,
and animation method for disk array in SAN

NetApp, Sunnyvale, CA, has been assigned a patent (8,312,130) developed by Mahmoud K. Jibbe, Wichita, KS, for a "configuration verification, recommendation, and animation method for a disk array in a storage area network."

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: "A system and method for establishing a storage area network is described. The method includes providing a predefined template for inputting data associated with a SAN. A first tool may utilize the template to validate an entered SAN configuration based on accessing data in a database. A second tool may utilize the template to generate a valid SAN configuration, based on accessing SAN data in a database, if component data is entered. An animated configuration of a valid SAN is generated based on at least one of the input SAN configuration or the input component data."

The patent application was filed on Sept. 19, 2011 (13/235,985).