# US 2014/0195640 A1 · Storage network data distribution > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195640 A1 - Document ID: US20140195640A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/137,664 - Filed: 2013-12-20 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08 - Assignees: Lyve Minds, Inc. - Applicants: Lyve Minds, Inc. - Inventors: Christian M. Kaiser; Peter D. Stout; Morgan Francois Stephan Dollard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195640A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0631: {by allocating resources to storage systems} - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/0608: {Saving storage space on storage systems} - G06F 3/0613: {in relation to throughput} - G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors} - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G06F 3/0649: {Lifecycle management} - G06F 3/065: {Replication mechanisms} - G06F 3/0653: {Monitoring storage devices or systems} - G06F 3/067: {Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]} - G06F 11/00: Error detection; Error correction; Monitoring (error detection, correction or monitoring in information storage based on relative movement between record carrier and transducer G11B20/18; monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing G11B27/36; in static stores G11C29/00) - G06F 12/023: {Free address space management} - G06F 16/178: Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems - G06F 16/275: {Synchronous replication} - H04L 67/1097: for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A method of distributing data through a storage network may include allocating data stored on a host storage block for storage on a target storage block. The host storage block and the target storage block may be included in a storage network that also includes one or more other storage blocks. The method may further include determining a plurality of characteristics of one or more of: the one or more other storage blocks and one or more devices associated with the one or more other storage blocks. Additionally, the method may include determining a distribution strategy for distributing the data from the host storage block to the target storage block based on the plurality of characteristics. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of distributing data through a storage network, the method comprising: allocating data stored on a host storage block for storage on a target storage block, the host storage block and the target storage block being included in a storage network that also includes one or more other storage blocks; determining a plurality of characteristics of one or more of: the one or more other storage blocks and one or more devices associated with the one or more other storage blocks; and determining a distribution strategy for distributing the data from the host storage block to the target storage block based on the plurality of characteristics. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of characteristics include one or more of: connectivity of the one or more devices with the storage network, a power status of the one or more devices, use of the devices, and locations of the one or more devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the connectivity of the one or more devices includes one or more of: cost of the connectivity, frequency of the connectivity, bandwidth of the connectivity, and type of connection. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the distribution strategy based on a rank of a target device associated with the target storage block with respect to the data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the distribution strategy based on one or more of: allocation of the data to other storage blocks and allocation of other data stored on the host storage block. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the distribution strategy based on one or more data characteristics of the data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6 further comprising determining the distribution strategy based on how the one or more data characteristics relate to one or more of the plurality of characteristics. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more data characteristics include one or more of: data type, a desired redundancy of the data, a desired availability of the data, size of the data, time of addition of the data to the storage network, and a user preference associated with the data. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating the data to the target storage block based on the plurality of characteristics, the plurality of characteristics including storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating the data to the target storage block based on a data characteristic of the data. ### Claim 11 A computer-readable storage medium including instructions that cause a system to perform operations to distribute data through a storage network, the operations comprising: allocating data stored on a host storage block for storage on a target storage block, the host storage block and the target storage block being included in a storage network that also includes one or more other storage blocks; determining a plurality of characteristics of one or more of: the one or more other storage blocks and one or more devices associated with the one or more other storage blocks; and determining a distribution strategy for distributing the data from the host storage block to the target storage block based on the plurality of characteristics. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of characteristics include one or more of: connectivity of the one or more devices with the storage network, a power status of the one or more devices, use of the devices, and locations of the one or more devices. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the connectivity of the one or more devices includes one or more of: cost of the connectivity, frequency of the connectivity, bandwidth of the connectivity, and type of connection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determining the distribution strategy based on a rank of a target device associated with the target storage block with respect to the data. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determining the distribution strategy based on one or more of: allocation of the data to other storage blocks and allocation of other data stored on the host storage block. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise determining the distribution strategy based on one or more data characteristics of the data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise determining the distribution strategy based on how the one or more data characteristics relate to one or more of the plurality of characteristics. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more data characteristics include one or more of: data type, a desired redundancy of the data, a desired availability of the data, size of the data, time of addition of the data to the storage network, and a user preference associated with the data. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise allocating the data to the target storage block based on the plurality of characteristics, the plurality of characteristics including storage capacity of the storage block, available storage space of the storage block, likelihood of loss of data stored on the storage block, availability of the storage block with respect to the storage network, and use of the storage block. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise allocating the data to the target storage block based on a data characteristic of the data.