Dell Assigned Fifteen Patents

Dynamic changes to virtual disk stripe element sizes on storage controller
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,830,110) developed by Patel, Dharmesh, Round Rock, TX, Hsieh, Jenwei, Austin, TX, Ali, Rizwan, Cedar Pakr, TX, and Ahmadian, Mahmoud, Austin, TX, for a “system and method to enable dynamic changes to virtual disk stripe element sizes on a storage controller.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A storage controller includes a storage controller memory to store virtual disk metadata including an original stripe size, (OSS) field and a logical stripe size, (LSS) field, and a cache memory having an OSS buffer and a LSS buffer. The storage controller stores a first block size in the OSS field, configures a RAID array to provide storage blocks of the first block size based on the OSS field, stores a second block size in the LSS field, receives a first data transaction that includes a first data block of the second block size based upon the LSS field, maps the first data block from the second block size to the first block size, and executes the first data transaction on the RAID array using the first block size.”

The patent application was filed on June 20, 2014 (14/310,203).

Protect storage systems from discontinuity due to device misconfiguration
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,826,043) developed by Golasky, Richard K., Round Rock, TX, and Nguyen, Nam V., Austin, TX, for a “method to protect storage systems from discontinuity due to device misconfiguration.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The invention provides for a method and corresponding Information Handling System, (IHS) to protect storage systems from device discontinuity caused by misconfigurations. An embodiment of the IHS comprises a network switch coupled for communication to a storage group where a member of the storage group is a group leader. The group leader has access to configuration information for each member of the group and the network switch. The IHS further comprises an agent monitor that communicates a proposed change affecting the switch and/or a member of the group to the group leader. The group leader in response to the proposed change determines the acceptability of the proposed change using the accessed configuration information and in turn, communicates the determined acceptability to the agent monitor at the network switch. The agent monitor or the group leader then provides output indicating the acceptability of the proposed change to a network administrator.”

The patent application was filed on June 6, 2013 (13/911,239).

Intelligent quality of service for replication
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,826,029) developed by Jacoby, Robert B., Merrimack, NH, Boyd, Kenneth Paul, Tyngsboro, MA, and Reyes, Carlos, Nashua, NH, for an “intelligent quality of service for replication.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “The present invention is directed to a method and information handling system, (IHS) for estimating bandwidth and providing one or more Quality of Service, (QoS) parameters between a first set of one or more storage devices and at least one other set of one or more storage devices. The method comprises the following, for a given set of the at least one other set of one or more storage devices. The method creates a given temporary volume associated with the given set. The method sends a given sequential workload of actual traffic between the first set and the given set. The method estimates, based upon the results of sending the given sequential workload of actual traffic, the one or more Quality of Service, (QoS) parameters for the given set.”

The patent application was filed on September 5, 2014 (14/478,107).

Rebuild of storage devices in redundant array of independent disks
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,811,282) developed by Vellimalai, Ashokan, Bangalore, India, Sreedhar M, Deepu Syam, Calicut, India, Agarwal, Sandeep, and Atluri, Anup, Bangalore, India, for an “efficient rebuild of storage devices in a redundant array of independent disks, (RAID).“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Methods and systems for efficient rebuild of storage devices in a RAID may include generating a data-modified map of a storage device. The data-modified map may be updated when a RAID virtual device associated with the storage device is degraded to indicate write operations. The data-modified map may be used to rebuild selective portions of the storage device, instead of performing a full rebuild. The data-modified map may also be used to perform a full rebuild of the storage device.”

The patent application was filed on March 6, 2015 (14/640,157).

Consistent binding of shared storage across clustered servers
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,807,052) developed by Michael, Tesfamariam, Raleigh, NC, and Ahmadian, Mahmoud B., Pflugerville, TX, for a “consistent binding of shared storage across clustered servers.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An information handling system includes first and second nodes and a storage enclosure. The nodes share access to the storage enclosure. The nodes bind a logical unit number, (LUN) in the storage enclosure consistently regardless of an order in which the two devices access the LUN. The system further preferably includes a switch between the nodes and the storage enclosure wherein multiple paths exist between a node and the storage enclosure. The storage enclosure preferably includes first and second storage processors and multiple ports per processor. The first node preferably includes first and second host bus adapters. The first host bus adapter preferably connects the node to a first of the switches and the second host bus adapter connects the node to a second of the switches. The system preferably includes multiple paths between the first node and a LUN in the storage enclosure.”

The patent application was filed on February 16, 2015 (14/623,250).

RAID-6 for storage system employing hot spare drive
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,804,923) developed by Karrotu, Vishnu Murty, Bangalore, India, Joshi, Neeraj, Puducherry, India, and Chakkravarthy, Kavi K., Vellore, India, for a “RAID-6 for storage system employing a hot spare drive.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A disclosed method for implementing a RAID-6 virtual disk includes performing data storing operations in response to receiving write data. The data storing operations include, in at least one embodiment: storing a block of the write data in D data stripes distributed across D of N storage devices, where D and N are integers greater than 0 and N is greater than D. The storage devices may correspond to disk drives, but may correspond to other types of storage devices as well.”

The patent application was filed on December 14, 2015 (14/968,037).

Performing system memory save in tiered/cached storage
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,798,662) developed by Sauber, William F., Georgetown, TX, and Khatri, Mukund P., Austin, TX, for a “system and method for performing system memory save in tiered/cached storage.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “In accordance with the present disclosure, a system and method for performing a system memory save in tiered or cached storage during transition to a decreased power state is disclosed. As disclosed herein, the system incorporating aspects of the present invention may include a solid-state drive, volatile memory, and at least one alternate storage media. Upon transition to a decreased power state, at least some of the data in the solid-state drive may be transferred to the at least one alternate storage media. After the SSD data is transferred, data stored in volatile system memory, such as a system context, may be transferred to the SSD memory. With the system context saved in SSD memory, power to the volatile system memory may be turned off.”

The patent application was filed on March 3, 2016 (15/060,219).

Providing RAID plus copy model for storage network
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,798,615) developed by Dawkins, William P., and Cherian, Jacob, Austin, TX, for a “system and method for providing a RAID plus copy model for a storage network.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A storage system includes a storage server adapted to receive data, determine parity data based upon the data, and store the data and the parity data in a storage array associated with the storage server. The data and the parity data may be sent to a second storage server.”

The patent application was filed on July 5, 2011 (13/089,710).

Data storage tiering
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,798,500) developed by Klemm, Michael J., Minnetonka, MN, and Floeder, Anthony, St. Anthony, MN, for a “systems and methods for data storage tiering.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, a method may include allocating to a higher-tier uniform distribution space an approximately equal capacity from each of a collection of physical disks of a common storage tier, wherein a tier of a physical disk indicates an importance of data to be stored on the physical disk and allocating to a lower-tier cold track space any portions of the physical disks not allocated to the higher-tier uniform distribution space.”

The patent application was filed on November 13, 2015 (14/940,890).

Normalizing read-write cache allocation pool for virtual desktop infrastructure workloads
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,792,217) developed by Khosrowpour, Farzad, Pflugerville, TX, and Hunt, Steven, Round Rock, TX, for a “methods and systems for normalizing a read-write cache allocation pool for virtual desktop infrastructure workloads.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “Methods and systems for normalizing a read-write cache allocation pool for virtual desktop infrastructure, (VDI) workloads are disclosed. The method includes determining a cache allocation policy, determining a range of expected input/output, (I/O) levels of a storage system, determining a current I/O level of the storage system, determining a target cache allocation based on the cache allocation policy, the range of expected I/O levels, and the current I/O level, the target cache allocation including a first memory region allocated to read cache operations and a second memory region allocated to write cache operations, and reallocating cache memory based on the target cache allocation.”

The patent application was filed on January 27, 2016 (15/007,992).

Cloud remediation of client with non-bootable storage medium
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,792,168) developed by Boyapalle, Anantha, Lo, Yuan-Chang, Swierk, Todd E., and Andrews, Carlton A., Austin, TX, for a “system and method for cloud remediation of a client with a non-bootable storage medium.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A remediation server receives a service request from a data processing device, the service request to diagnose a failure to load an operating system at the data processing device. A data storage device local to data processing device is identified, the data storage device storing the operating system. A diagnostic process is provided at the remediation server, the diagnostic process to mount the data storage device. A diagnostic service is performed based on information stored at the data storage device.”

The patent application was filed on April 15, 2015 (14/687,357).

Dynamically cleaning read/write head
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,779,768) developed by Eldin, Dina, Round Rock, TX, and Ortiz, Randy M, Austin, TX, for a “systems and methods for dynamically cleaning read/write head.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A sequential storage media system may include a head for reading or writing data to sequential storage media and a controller communicatively coupled to the head. The controller may be configured to control winding of a tape comprising cleaning media between reels of a cartridge comprising the tape in order to determine an occurrence of an event indicative of a need to clean a head of a sequential storage media system, issue to a user an indication of the occurrence of the event, determine an amount of cleaning for the head based on a bit error rate of input/output communication associated with the head, and responsive to receiving a cleaning cartridge in the sequential storage media system, clean the head of a sequential storage media system in accordance with the amount of cleaning by passing cleaning media of a cartridge over the head.”

The patent application was filed on February 18, 2016 (15/047,406).

Optimized copy of virtual machine storage files
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,778,946) developed by Naik, Dilip, Redmond, WA, for an “optimized copy of virtual machine storage files.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “A facility is described for optimizing the copying of virtual machine storage files. In various embodiments, the facility refrains from copying portions of the virtual machine storage file that do not contain any meaningful data for the purposes of the guest file system within the virtual machine storage file. In some embodiments, the facility refrains from copying portions of the file that are in use by the guest file system, but are of no practical value.”

The patent application was filed on August 7, 2009 (12/537,831).

Improving read performance of distributed parity RAID solution
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,766,977) developed by Bendigeri, Avinash, Dharwad, India, and Devarapalli, Kiran K., Bangalore, India, for a “system and method for improving read performance of a distributed parity RAID solution.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An information handling system includes a plurality of storage disks arranged as a redundant array of independent disks and a controller. The controller communicates with each of the storage disks. The controller determines a total amount of storage space utilized to store parity information within the storage disks based on a smallest disk size of the storage disks and a number of storage disks in the redundant array of independent disks, calculates an amount of storage space utilized to store parity information on each of the disks based on the total amount of storage space utilized to store parity information and the number of storage disks, and allocates a parity region of sectors within each of the storage disks to store the parity information. The parity region is an inner most region of a disk.”

The patent application was filed on November 10, 2014 (14/537,046).

Managing NAS within management subsystem
Dell Products, LP, Round Rock, TX, has been assigned a patent (9,762,682) developed by Lambert, Timothy M., Austin, TX, and Reuter, Brian L., Round Rock, TX for a “methods and systems for managing network attached storage, (NAS) within a management subsystem.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: “An information handling system, (IHS) comprising a chassis, a motherboard disposed within the chassis, a management controller, (MC) coupled to the motherboard and a network attached storage, (NAS) coupled to the MC wherein the MC provides access to the NAS. An IHS may further include and input/output, (I/O) module, (IOM) disposed within the chassis, at least one blade and a keyboard video mouse, (KVM) module, wherein the NAS is directly accessible to the IOM blade(s) and KVM module.”

The patent application was filed on December 9, 2015 (14/963,443).