Data access and management system as well as a method for data access and data management for a computer system

Abstract

The present invention permits improved data access and improved data management in a computer system. To this end, data are divided into individual partial data (F) and stored in cells (Z) of storage devices (C). In such a way that the partial data (F) being accessed and managed are present in the computer system in a redundant manner. Computer units (CL) are able to access the redundantly stored data. The fact that they are stored in the storage devices (C) ensures that the computer units (CL) accessing said data are supplied more rapidly. This is achieved in particular owing to the fact that the redundantly stored data are accessed in accordance with parameters of data transmissions between the computer units (CL) and the data storage devices (C) and that, in accordance with said data transmission parameters, the redundantly stored data are moved to and from the data storage devices (C) by corresponding copy and delete operations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for copying data over a network by receiving data from or sending data to at least one of a plurality of data storage devices in which data is stored redundantly as a function of measured data transmission performance between at least one computer unit that stores at least one complete file of data, each file including a plurality of individual pieces of data, the pieces containing pasts of the file, and the plurality of data storage devices, comprising:
 receiving, in the at least one data storage device, at least one piece of data stored by a computer unit in a redundant manner in at least two data storage devices as a function of a measured data transmission performance between the at least one data storage device and the at least one computer unit;   storing, in the at least one data storage device, the received piece of data;   measuring, by the at least one data storage device, a data transmission performance between the at least one data storage device and another one of the plurality of data storage devices; and   sending, from the at least one data storage device to the another data storage device, a copy of the received piece of data for redundant storage as a function of the measured data transmission performance between the data storage devices and independently of an access of the at least one computer unit.   
     
     
         2 . A method for distributing a complete data file among a plurality of devices connected by a computer network, the method comprising:
 transmitting a request from a first one of the plurality of devices for a requested individual data subset of the complete data file to a client connected to the computer network, wherein the client identities at least two of the plurality of devices where the requested individual date subset of the complete data file is stored;   receiving on the first one of the plurality of devices the requested individual data subset of the complete data file from a second one of the plurality of devices, wherein the second one of the plurality of devices is one of the one or more of the plurality of devices identified by the client and wherein the second one of the plurality of the devices is selected from the one or more of the plurality of devices identified by the client based on a function of measured data transmission performance; and   storing the requested individual data subset of the complete data file in the first one of the plurality of devices.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the client is an internet provider, a networked computer, or a server. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the client is one or more of the plurality of devices connected by the computer network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the plurality of devices may be removed from the computer network without interruption of the method. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the client updates the identities of the one or more of the plurality of devices where the requested individual data subset of the complete data file is stored after the one or more of the plurality of devices is removed. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more additional devices may be connected to the network and added to the plurality of devices without interruption of the method. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the client updates the identities of the one or more of the plurality of devices where fee requested individual data subset of the complete data file is stored after the one or more additional devices are added. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 determining whether the stored individual data subset of the complete data file is valid; and   if the stored individual data subset of the complete data file is invalid, sending the requested individual data subset of the complete data file from a third one of the plurality of devices to the first one of the plurality of devices, wherein the third one of the plurality of devices is one of the one or more of the plurality of devices identified by the client and wherein the third one of the plurality of the devices is selected from the one or more of the plurality of devices identified by the client based on a function of measured data transmission performance.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 transmitting a plurality of individual data subsets of the complete data file to one or more of the plurality of devices for storage therein.   
     
     
         11 . A device connected to a computer network for transmitting and receiving a complete data file to a plurality of devices connected to the network, wherein the complete data file is divided into a plurality of individual data subsets, wherein one or more of the individual data subsets is stored in the device, and wherein each of the individual data subsets of the complete data file is stored in at least two of the plurality of devices, the device comprising:
 a memory configured to store data received by the device; and   a processor coupled to the memory, configured to:   request from a client a requested data subset of the complete data file;   receive from one of the plurality of devices the requested date subset of the complete data file, wherein the client determines one or more of the plurality of devices where the requested data subset of the complete data file is stored and identifies the one of the plurality of devices from the determined one or more of the plurality of devices based on a function of measured data transmission performance;   store the received data subset of the complete data file in said memory; and   send to another one of the plurality of devices the received data subset of the complete data file.   
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the client is an internet provider, a networked computer, or a server. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the client is the device. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the function of measured data transmission performance is between the device and the one of the plurality of devices. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the function of measured data transmission performance is between one of the device and the one of the plurality of devices and the client. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions for causing the distribution and redundant storage of a complete data file across a plurality of data storage devices connected by a computer network the computer-readable instructions comprising: instructions for receiving, in a first date storage device from one of said plurality of data storage device, a data subset of the complete data file that is stored in at least two of said plurality of data storage devices; instructions for storing, in said first data storage device, said data subset of the complete data file; instructions for measuring, by said first data storage device, a data transmission performance between said first data storage device and at least one of said plurality of data storage devices; and instructions for sending, from said first data storage device to a second data storage device, a copy of said data subset of the complete data file for redundant storage as a function of the measured data transmission performance between said first data storage device and said second data storage device and independently of any request for a copy of said data subset of the complete data file from said second data storage device. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 16 , further comprising instructions for causing a plurality of data subsets of said complete data file to be received and stored in said first data storage device a complete copy of said complete data file. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 16 , further comprising instructions for detecting, by said first data storage device, a plurality of predetermined parameters for data transmissions between said first data storage device and at least a second data storage device. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of predetermined parameters includes at least one of a transmission duration, a fault rate, and a duration of data processing operation by said first data storage device prior to a data transmission. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 16 , further comprising instructions for detecting, by said first data storage device, a plurality of predetermined parameters for data transmissions between said first data storage device and at least one computer unit. 
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to  claim 20 , wherein the plurality of predetermined parameters includes at least one of a transmission duration and a fault rate.