Storage device and method thereof for integrating network attached storage with cloud storage services
AssigneeCTERA Networks, Ltd.
InventorAron Brand
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network attached storage device for performing network attached storage operations with cloud storage services. The device comprises at least one network controller for communicating with a plurality of clients over a local area network (LAN) and with a cloud storage service (CSS) over a wide area network (WAN); a plurality of storage devices for locally storing data in the device; a CSS module for at least synchronizing between data locally stored in the plurality of storage devices and data stored in the CSS; and a processor for enabling the plurality of clients to perform file-based operations on the device using a file sharing protocol.
Claims17
A network attached storage device for performing network attached storage operations with cloud storage services, comprising:
- at least one network controller for communicating with a plurality of clients over a local area network (LAN) and with a cloud storage service (CSS) over a wide area network (WAN);
- a plurality of storage devices for locally storing data in the device;
- a CSS module for at least synchronizing between data locally stored in the plurality of storage devices and data stored in the CSS;
- and
- a processor for enabling the plurality of clients to perform file-based operations on the device using a file sharing protocol.
A method for synchronizing data files between a network attached storage device and a cloud storage service (CSS), wherein the CSS is geographically distributed from the storage device, comprising:
- marking all data files that have been changed since the last synchronization;
- dividing all marked files into variable size blocks;
- assigning each block with a unique code;
- determining which blocks have been modified using the unique codes of the blocks;
- and
- synchronizing the modified blocks such that both the CSS and the storage device include a consistent version of each file that has been changed.
A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable code, when executed causing a processor to perform the process of synchronizing data files between a network attached storage device and a cloud storage service (CSS), wherein the CSS is geographically distributed from the storage device, comprising:
- marking all data files that have been changed since the last synchronization;
- dividing all marked files into variable size blocks;
- assigning each block with a unique code;
- determining which blocks have been modified using the unique codes of the blocks;
- and
- synchronizing the modified blocks such that both the CSS and the storage device include a consistent version of each file that has been changed.
A cloud storage service (CSS) comprising:
- a plurality of cloud connectors for interfacing with a network attached storage device and a plurality of cloud storage providers and a plurality storage devices;
- and
- a web portal allows for at least accessing files maintained by the CSS using a web interface.
A cloud connector, comprising:
- a unified cloud protocol module for communicating with a network attached storage (NAS) device using a cloud transport protocol;
- a permissions-and-quotas enforcement module for enforcing access control to data blocks;
- a service entitlement database for including a service level agreement (SLA) of each customer subscribed to a third party cloud storage service;
- a cloud cache module (CCM) for caching at least frequently accessed data blocks;
- a storage balancing module for performing load balancing at least among multiple cloud storage providers;
- and
- a plurality cloud protocol drivers for interfacing with at least one of a plurality storage devices installed in a cloud storage service (CSS) and cloud storage providers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.