Method and apparatus for accessing an array of data storage devices by selectively assigning users to groups of users
AssigneeDIVA Systems Corporation
InventorsJames B. Armstrong, Robert G. Dandrea
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of accessing an array of storage devices comprising the steps of analyzing a data request from a user to determine the optimal storage device from which data should be retrieved, assigning the user to a first group of users that will access the optimal storage device in a first time period, retrieving data to fulfill the data request from the optimal storage device, and buffering the data in a buffer. Thereafter, the method assigns the user to a second group of users that will be supplied data from the buffer in a second time period, and then retrieving the data from the buffer and transmitting the data to the user to fulfill the data request.
Claims36
A method of accessing an array of storage devices comprising the steps of:
- analyzing a data request from a user to determine the optimal storage device from which data should be retrieved;
- assigning the user to a first group of users that will access the optimal storage device in a first time period;
- retrieving data to fulfill said data request from the optimal storage device;
- buffering said data in a buffer;
- assigning the user to a second group of users that will be supplied data from the buffer in a second time period;
- and
- retrieving said data from said buffer and transmitting said data to the user to fulfill said data request.
In a video on demand server comprising a plurality of parallel processors that are each connected to a storage device, where each storage device contains a block of data that represents a portion of a video stream, a method of accessing the storage devices comprising the steps of:
- analyzing a data request from a user to determine the optimal storage device from which data should be retrieved;
- assigning the user to a first group of users that will access the optimal storage device in a first time period;
- retrieving data to fulfill said data request from the optimal storage device;
- buffering said data in a buffer coupled to each processor;
- assigning the user to a second group of users that will be supplied data from the buffer in a second time period;
- and
- retrieving said data from said buffer and transmitting said data to the user to fulfill said data request.
Apparatus for accessing an array of storage devices comprising:
- means for analyzing a data request from a user to determine the optimal storage device from which data should be retrieved;
- means for assigning the user to a first group of users that will access the optimal storage device in a first time period;
- means for retrieving data to fulfill said data request from the optimal storage device;
- means for buffering said data in a buffer;
- means for assigning the user to a second group of users that will be supplied data from the buffer in a second time period;
- and
- means for retrieving said data from said buffer and transmitting said data to the user to fulfill said data request.
A computer readable medium containing a computer program that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method of accessing an array of storage devices comprising the steps of:
- analyzing a data request from a user to determine the optimal storage device from which data should be retrieved;
- assigning the user to a first group of users that will access the optimal storage device in a first time period;
- retrieving data to fulfill said data request from the optimal storage device;
- buffering said data in a buffer;
- assigning the user to a second group of users that will be supplied data from the buffer in a second time period;
- and
- retrieving said data from said buffer and transmitting said data to the user to fulfill said data request.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.