Data storage and retrieval mediation system and methods for using same

Abstract

Through use of a mediator, one can translate and efficiently store data. The meditator may link one or more hosts to one or more storage devices. Optionally, the meditator may convert data and decode data. Through the use of meditator, one can realize certain economies because fewer units within recording media will be used. Additionally, in some embodiments, the mediator will also allow increased protection against unauthorized access and additionally or alternatively allow for efficient backing-up of data.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A computer-implemented method for storing electronic data on a random access memory, the method comprising:
 receiving a set of parameters, wherein the parameters comprise file system information, bootability information and partition information;   receiving metadata;   receiving one or more files, wherein each file has a file name and comprises a plurality of bits;   storing the parameters and metadata on a mediator; and   encoding each of the one or more files for storage in a random access memory, wherein, for each of the one or more files, wherein the encoding comprises:
 dividing the plurality of bits of the file into a plurality of subunits of N bits, 
 using a bit marker table, assigning each subunit a bit marker to form a plurality of bit markers corresponding to an encoded file, 
 wherein identical subunits are assigned the same bit marker, and 
 wherein the bit marker table comprises a set of X markers, wherein X equals the number of different combinations of N bits within a subunit, 
 storing, for each of the encoded files, the plurality of bit markers on the random access memory at a location; and 
 storing on the mediator a correlation of each file name with the location on the random access memory, wherein the correlation is storable on a single mediator. 
   
     
     
         21 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the encoding further comprises using a bit marker table to create a converted file. 
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the converted file does not contain any of file system information, bootability information or partition information. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the parameters are stored in a plurality of reserve tracks. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of reserve tracks are a first set of reserve tracks and the computer-implemented method further comprises copying the parameters into a second set of reserve tracks. 
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , further comprising using the second set of reserve tracks to check for errors in the first set of reserve tracks. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the metadata corresponds to instructions for thin-provisioning. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the file is received from a host that records the file as being stored at a virtual address and the virtual address is not the same as the location of the file. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein the encoding comprises using a frequency of occurrence of subunits in each respective file. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein at least 50% of the bit markers stored within the bit marker table are smaller in size than the subunits. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein at least 70% of the bit markers stored within the bit marker table are smaller in size than the subunits. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 20 , wherein at least 90% of the bit markers stored within the bit marker table are smaller in size than the subunits. 
     
     
         32 . A computer-implemented method of data storage and retrieval, the method comprising:
 storing data, by a manager, in a mediator, wherein the data comprises file system information, bootability information and partition information, wherein the mediator comprises a first set of tracks, a second set of tracks, a third set of tracks, and a fourth set of tracks, wherein the mediator is stored remotely from a non-cache data storage medium, wherein the non-cache storage medium comprises a random access memory, and wherein the data is stored in the first set of tracks;   storing metadata in the third set of tracks;   encoding one or more files for storage in the random access memory, wherein, for each of the one or more files, encoding comprises:
 dividing the file into a plurality of subunits of N bits, 
 using a bit marker table, assigning each subunit a bit marker to form a plurality of bit markers corresponding to an encoded file, 
 wherein identical subunits are assigned the same bit marker, and 
 wherein the bit marker table comprises a set of X markers, wherein X equals the number of different combinations of N bits within a subunit, 
   storing the plurality of bit markers for each the one or more encoded files on the random access memory, wherein the one or more files are stored on the random access memory without any of file system information, bootability information and partition information;   storing, in the fourth set of tracks, the location of each file in the random access memory; and   storing a correlation of the location of each file in the random access memory with a host name for a file, wherein the correlation of the location of each file is storable on a single mediator.   
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , further comprising copying the information in the first set of tracks into the second set of tracks. 
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the location of each file in the random access memory is not the same as the location at which the host believes that the file is located. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more files are converted to form converted files, wherein the converted files take up less space than the files from which they were converted. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 32 , wherein the mediator is a first mediator and the computer-implemented method further comprises copying the information within the first mediator into a second mediator. 
     
     
         37 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein the first mediator and the second mediator correlate the same file name with different locations within the non-cache data storage medium. 
     
     
         38 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 36 , wherein the non-cache data storage medium is a first non-cache data storage medium, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises correlating, by the first mediator, a file name with a location within the first non-cache data storage medium and the second mediator correlates the file name with a location within a second non-cache data storage medium.