IBM/CleverSafe Assigned Fourteen Patents

Storing data stream in set of storage devices
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,258,177) developed by Gladwin, S. Christopher, Chicago, IL, Markison, Timothy W., Mesa, AZ, Dhuse, Greg, Chicago, IL, Shirley, Jr., Thomas Franklin, Wauwatosa, WI, Leggette, Wesley, Resch, Jason K., Chicago, IL, and Grube, Gary W., Barrington Hills, IL, for a “storing a data stream in a set of storage devices.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A set of storage devices coordinates selection of dispersed storage error encoding parameters for storing a stream of data and coordinates selection of encoded data storage devices and redundancy encoded data storage devices of the set of storage devices. The encoded data storage devices coordinates storage of a decode threshold amount of encoded data of the stream of data in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding parameters. The encoded data storage devices send information regarding the decode threshold amount of encoded data to the redundancy encoded data storage devices. The redundancy encoded data storage devices generates redundancy encoded data based on the information regarding the decode threshold amount of encoded data and in accordance with the dispersed storage error encoding parameters. The redundancy encoded data storage devices store the redundancy encoded data to provide error encoded reliable storage of the stream of data.“

The patent application was filed on June 17, 2013 (13/919,673).

Write operation dispersed storage network frame
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,256,571) developed by Baptist, Andrew, Mt. Pleasant, WI, Leggette, Wesley, Resch, Jason K., and Motwani, Manish, Chicago, IL, for a “write operation dispersed storage network frame.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by generating a set of write request frames regarding a write request operation for a set of encoded data. Each of the write request frames includes a payload section and a protocol header. The payload section includes a transaction number field and a data payload section, which includes a name field, a revision number field, a length field, and a payload field. The protocol header includes a payload length field and an operation code field to indicate the write request operation. The method continues by outputting the set of write request frames to storage units of a dispersed storage network.“

The patent application was filed on March 24, 2014 (14/223,020).

Intermediate write operation dispersed storage network frame
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,244,879) developed by Baptist, Andrew, Mt. Pleasant, WI, Leggette, Wesley, Resch, Jason K., and Motwani, Manish, Chicago, IL, for a “intermediate write operation dispersed storage network frame.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by generating write requests, wherein a write request includes a payload and a protocol header. The payload includes one or more slice payload sections and a transaction number field. The protocol header includes an operation code field that indicates a write operation. The method continues, when responses to the write requests are favorable, by generating write commit requests, wherein a write commit request includes a commit payload and a commit protocol header. The commit payload includes the transaction number and the commit protocol header includes the operation code field that indicates write commit operation. The method continues, when responses to the write requests are unfavorable, by generating write rollback requests, wherein a rollback request includes a rollback payload and a rollback protocol header. The rollback payload includes the transaction number and the rollback protocol header includes the operation code field that indicates write rollback operation.“

The patent application was filed on February 18, 2014 (14/182,528).

List range operation dispersed storage network frame
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,235,549) developed by Baptist, Andrew, Mt. Pleasant, WI, Leggette, Wesley, Resch, Jason K., Mark, Zachary J., Volvovski, Ilya, Dhuse, Greg, and Motwani, Manish, Chicago, IL, for a “list range operation dispersed storage network frame.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by generating list range requests. A list range request includes a payload section and a protocol header section. The payload section includes a start slice name field regarding a start slice name of a slice name range, an end slice name field regarding an end slice name of the slice name range, and a maximum response count field regarding a maximum slice name response count. The protocol header includes a payload length field that represents a length of the payload section and an operation code field to indicate the list range request operation. The list range request includes a request to provide a list of slices names corresponding to stored encoded data slices associated with slice names within the slice name range. The method continues by sending the range requests to storage units of the DSN.“

The patent application was filed on June 23, 2014 (14/312,163).

Caching rebuilt encoded data slices in dispersed storage network
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,229,824) developed by Resch, Jason K., Chicago, IL, for a “caching rebuilt encoded data slices in a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins with a processing module of a computing device of a dispersed storage network, (DSN) executing a rebuild function to produce a rebuilt encoded data slice for storage in a targeted storage unit of the DSN. When the targeted storage unit is currently unavailable, the method continues with the processing module storing the rebuilt encoded data slice in local memory of the computing device, recording storage of the rebuilt encoded data slice in the local memory, and recording that the targeted storage unit is currently unavailable. When the targeted storage unit is currently available, the method continues with the processing module sending the rebuilt encoded data slice to the targeted storage unit and recording storage of the rebuilt encoded data slice by the targeted storage unit.“

The patent application was filed on August 6, 2014 (14/453,176).

Verifying data of dispersed storage network
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,223,723) developed by Peake, Andrew George, Resch, Jason K., and Volvovski, Ilya, Chicago, IL, for a “verifying data of a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by a dispersed storage, (DS) processing module of a storage unit receiving, over time, access requests regarding reading or writing of various data blocks. The method continues with the DS processing module establishing an internal verification access rate for verifying data blocks stored in a memory device of the storage unit based on a rate of the access requests and a maximum access rate of the memory device. The method continues with the DS processing module generating internal verification requests in accordance with the internal verification access rate, coordinating the internal verification requests and the access requests for accessing the memory device, and accessing the memory device based on the internal verification requests to verify the data block.“

The patent application was filed on September 16, 2013 (14/027,694).

Modifying dispersed storage network memory data access response plan
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, with applicant CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, has been assigned a patent (9,223,653) developed by Storm, Michael Colin, Palo Alto, CA, and Resch, Jason K., Chicago, IL, for a “modifying a dispersed storage network memory data access response plan.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method includes storing tasks in a task queue. The method continues with computing devices retrieving at least some of the plurality of tasks for execution. The method includes a computing device issuing read requests and initiate delete requests to storage units regarding an unassigned task, wherein the initiate delete requests instruct the storage units to flag for deletion, but not execute deletion, of a set of encoded task slices corresponding to the unassigned task. The method continues with the computing device receiving responses. When the responses include encoded task slices, the method continues with the computing device decoding them to recover the unassigned task. The method continues with the computing device executing the recovered task and, when execution is successful, issuing commit delete requests to the storage units that instruct the storage units to delete the set of encoded task slices for the unassigned task.“

The patent application was filed on May 5, 2015 (14/704,069).

Media distribution to plurality of devices utilizing buffered dispersed storage
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,215,476) developed by Gladwin, S. Christopher, Chicago, IL, Holmes, Alan E., Carol Stream, IL, Leggette, Wesley, and, Resch, Jason K., Chicago, IL, for a “media distribution to a plurality of devices utilizing buffered dispersed storage.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by a processing module receiving a plurality of playback requests for a stored program, wherein the stored program is stored in a dispersed storage network, (DSN) memory as sets of encoded data slices. In response to the playback requests, the method continues with the processing module entering a loop that begins with retrieving a group of sets of encoded data slices, generating copies therefrom, and storing the copies. The loop continues with the processing module sending a unique copy of the copies to a requesting device. The method continues with the processing module existing the loop when the last group of the request has been retrieved and repeating the loop when it has not.“

The patent application was filed on June 17, 2013 (13/919,746).

Efficient storage of encrypted data in dispersed storage network
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,208,331) developed by Grube, Gary W., Barrington Hills, IL, Markison, Timothy W., Mesa, AZ, Gladwin, S. Christopher, Abhijeet, Kumar, Dhuse, Greg, and Resch, Jason K., Chicago, IL, for a “efficient storage of encrypted data in a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins with a processing module receiving a request to store a data object from a first requesting device. The method continues with the processing module determining that a substantially similar version of the data object is currently stored in a DSN. The method continues with the processing module determining that a number of unique combinations of retrieving the plurality of sets of encoded data slices has exceeded a threshold and, when so, encoding, with a same decode threshold number and an increased pillar width number, the data object to create and store a plurality of sub-set of redundancy encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module creating a unique combination of retrieving the data object for the first requesting device based on the plurality of sets of encoded data slices and the plurality of sub-set of redundancy encoded data slices.“

The patent application was filed on April 7, 2015 (14/680,298).

Utilizing LAN memory and dispersed storage network memory to access data
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,208,026) developed by Resch, Jason K., Chicago, IL, Grube, Gary W., Barrington Hills, IL, and Markison, Timothy W., Mesa, AZ, for a “utilizing a local area network memory and a dispersed storage network memory to access data.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by a processing module encoding data based on a decode threshold parameter and a pillar width parameter to produce a set of encoded data slices and selecting a local area network, (LAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encoded data slices for storage in LAN available memories, wherein the LAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter, the pillar width parameter, and quantities of the LAN available memories. The method continues with the processing module selecting a wide area network, (WAN) pillar width value of encoded data slices of the set of encode data slices for storage in a dispersed storage network, (DSN) memory of a wide area network, wherein the WAN pillar width value is based on the decode threshold parameter and the pillar width parameter.“

The patent application was filed on October 3, 2014 (14/505,835).

Virtual memory mapping in dispersed storage network
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,208,025) developed by Dhuse, Greg, Chicago, IL, and Baptist, Andrew, Mt. Pleasant, WI, for a “virtual memory mapping in a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method for evolving dispersed storage network, (DSN) memory in a DSN begins by a processing module generating tracking information by tracking evolutionary change of storage units of the DSN memory, performance and reliability requirements of the DSN memory, and memory utilization of the DSN memory. The method continues with the processing module, for a given state of evolution of the DSN memory, interpreting the tracking information to produce given state DSN memory data and establishing virtual DSN address boundaries for a set of the storage units for storing data objects in a virtual memory vault of the DSN, where the virtual memory vault is mapped to the set of the storage units, where the data objects are dispersed storage error encoded into pluralities of sets of encoded data slices that are stored in the set of the storage units in accordance with the virtual DSN address boundaries.“

The patent application was filed on June 13, 2014 (14/304,054).

Accessing large data object in dispersed storage network
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,208,009) developed by Resch, Jason K., and Leggette, Wesley, Chicago, IL, for a “accessing a large data object in a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by a dispersed storage, (DS) processing module generating a data object identifier for data to be stored in a dispersed storage network, (DSN) and partitioning the data into a plurality of data partitions based on a set of retrieval preferences and data boundary information. For a data partition, the method continues with the DS processing module dispersed storage error encoding the data partition to produce a plurality of sets of encoded data slices and generating a plurality of sets of DSN addresses for the plurality of sets of encoded data slices, wherein a DSN address of the plurality of sets of DSN addresses includes a representation of the data object identifier, a representation of one or more retrieval preferences of the set of retrieval preferences, a representation of a corresponding portion of the data boundary information, and dispersed storage addressing information.“

The patent application was filed on December 9, 2013 (14/100,368).

Allocating storage units in dispersed storage network
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,207,870) developed by Baptist, Andrew, Mt. Pleasant, WI, and Dhuse, Greg, Chicago, IL, for a “allocating storage units in a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by a processing module detecting a new storage unit within a dispersed storage network DSN. The method continues with the processing module determining to affiliate the new storage unit with a virtual memory vault, where the virtual memory vault is mapped to a set of storage units of the DSN, where data objects are dispersed storage error encoded into pluralities of sets of encoded data slices that are stored in the set of storage units. The method continues with the processing module determining virtual DSN addresses of the virtual memory vault to allocate the new storage unit. The method continues with the processing module updating vault information regarding the virtual memory vault to include the allocation of the virtual DSN addresses to the new storage unit.“

The patent application was filed on June 13, 2014 (14/303,956).

Securely and reliably storing data in dispersed storage network
CleverSafe, Inc., Chicago, IL, an IBM company, has been assigned a patent (9,203,902) developed by Grube, Gary W., Barrington Hills, IL, and Markison, Timothy W., Mesa, AZ, for a “securely and reliably storing data in a dispersed storage network.”

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A method begins by ingesting distributed storage, (DS) units of a set of DS units storing respective portions of data. The method continues with each of the ingesting DS units generating first respective partial redundancy data and second respective partial redundancy data, sending the first respective partial redundancy data to a first redundancy DS unit of the set of DS units, and sending the second respective partial redundancy data to a second redundancy DS unit. The method continues with the first redundancy DS unit generating first respective redundancy data based on the first respective partial redundancy data of each of the ingesting DS units and storing the first respective redundancy data. The method continues with the second redundancy DS unit generating second respective redundancy data based on the second respective partial redundancy data of each of the ingesting DS units and storing the second respective redundancy data.“

The patent application was filed on December 6, 2012 (13/707,153).