US5758347A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Layered storage structure for computer data storage manager
Assignee: Apple Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-06
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Granted: 1998-05-26
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Expires: 2015-06-06
Abstract
Abstract A data structure and associated data management methods for highly flexible storage of data for a wide variety of application programs. Data is stored as a plurality of Blops, each of which has a list of Properties associated with it. Each Property contains zero or more elements. Elements can be Values, each of which has a Basic Type and consists of a variable length sequence of bytes. The Basic Type can define the format of the Value, as well as meta-information such as compression and encryption. Elements can also be Compound Types, which nestably refer to another list of Properties. Blops are stored in Containers, which map to the physical medium on which the data is stored. Containers can associate respective Container Handlers which are specific to the Container's physical medium. Related Blops in a Container can be organized into Pools of Blops. Each Container may contain one or more Pools, each Pool having a unique name within the Container. A Pool may contain multiple versions of a Blop. Versions of different Blops may be grouped together in Layers in a Pool and each Layer can contain at most one version of a Blop. Layers are related to each other as an acyclic digraph where each Layer is above one or more Base Layers and has zero or more Layers above it. Each Layer presents a "view" to a user of the Blops in a pool, and thereby provide a mechanism to manipulate which versions of which Blops are to be used at any given time.
Inventors
- 👤 Shui Wing Lo
- 👤 David J. Austin
- 👤 Tantek I. Celik
- 👤 Steven J. Szymanski
- 👤 Jed Harris
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 07:59
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99951; Y10S707/99952; Y10S707/99954
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim
282 words
Data storage apparatus having stored therein data in a data structure, said data structure including: a plurality of blops, each blop containing a portion of said data and having associated therewith a blop identifier; and a plurality of layers, each of said layers having associated therewith a view of at least one of said blops, the blop identifiers of all of the blops in the view of each given one of said layers being mutually unique, and the views associated with at least two of said layers including blops with identical blop identifiers but having different portions of said data, wherein said plurality of layers includes a bottom layer and at least one top layer different from said bottom layer, each of said layers except said bottom layer being immediately above at least one other of said layers in said plurality and each of said layers in said plurality except said top layer being immediately below at least one other of said layers in said plurality, all of the blops in the view associated with each of said given layers except said bottom layer being in the group consisting of (a) a blop having a blop identifier which is different from the blop identifiers in all the blops in the views of all the layers below said given layer, and (b) a blop having a blop identifier which is the same as that of one of the blops in the view of one of the layers immediately below said given layer but having a different portion of said data from the portion included in said one of the blops in the view of one of the layers immediately below said given layer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
282 words
Data storage apparatus having stored therein data in a data structure, said data structure including: a plurality of blops, each blop containing a portion of said data and having associated therewith a blop identifier; and a plurality of layers, each of said layers having associated therewith a view of at least one of said blops, the blop identifiers of all of the blops in the view of each given one of said layers being mutually unique, and the views associated with at least two of said layers including blops with identical blop identifiers but having different portions of said data, wherein said plurality of layers includes a bottom layer and at least one top layer different from said bottom layer, each of said layers except said bottom layer being immediately above at least one other of said layers in said plurality and each of said layers in said plurality except said top layer being immediately below at least one other of said layers in said plurality, all of the blops in the view associated with each of said given layers except said bottom layer being in the group consisting of (a) a blop having a blop identifier which is different from the blop identifiers in all the blops in the views of all the layers below said given layer, and (b) a blop having a blop identifier which is the same as that of one of the blops in the view of one of the layers immediately below said given layer but having a different portion of said data from the portion included in said one of the blops in the view of one of the layers immediately below said given layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a branching one of said layers is immediately below two others of said layers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
128 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the view of a first one of said two other layers includes a first blop which is also within the view of said branching layer and a second blop which has a blop identifier which is the same as that of a third one of the blops in the view of said branching layer but has a different portion of said data than that of said third blop, and wherein the view of a second one of said two other layers includes said first blop and a fourth blop, said fourth blop having a blop identifier which is the same as that of said second and third blops but having a different portion of said data than that of said third blop.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a reconciliation one of said layers is immediately above two others of said layers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein all of the blops in the view of said reconciliation layer are also in the view of at least one of the layers immediately below said reconciliation layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
94 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a first one of the blops which is in the view of said reconciliation layer is also in the view of a first one of said layers immediately below said reconciliation layer, wherein the blop identifier of said first blop is the same as that of a second blop which is in the view of a second one of said layers immediately below said reconciliation layer, but wherein the portion of said data which is included in said first blop is different from that of said second blop.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said portion of data contained by each blop in said plurality of blops is divided into at least one value, each of said values in each blop in said plurality of blops having a value type associated therewith in the blop, said value type indicating the format of the value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a single one of said value types in a given one of said blops is associated with a plurality of the values in said given blop.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
62 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein each of said values in a given one of said blops also has a blop property associated therewith in the blop, all of said properties in said given blop being named uniquely within said given blop, and all of said values in said given blop being named uniquely within a given property in said given blop.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
80 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a given one of said values in a given one of said blops is further divided into a plurality of sub-values, each of said sub-values having a sub-type associated therewith in the blop, the sub-type indicating the format of the sub-value, the division of said given value into sub-values and the identification of the value sub-type associated with each of said sub-values both being defined by the value type associated with said given value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the value type associated with a given one of said values includes a reference to a decryption procedure for reading the portion of said data stored in said given value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the value type associated with a given one of said values includes reference to a plurality of handlers and a sequence of said handlers for reading the portion of said data stored in said given value.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
228 words
Data storage apparatus having stored therein data in a data structure, said data structure including: a plurality of blops, each blop containing a portion of said data and having associated therewith a blop identifier; a plurality of layers, each of said layers having associated therewith a view of at least one of said blops, the blop identifiers of all of the blops in the view of each given one of said layers being mutually unique, and the views associated with at least two of said layers including blops with identical blop identifiers but having different portions of said data; and a plurality of pools including a first pool and a second pool, wherein said plurality of layers includes a first bottom layer in said first pool and a second bottom layer in said second pool, any further layers in said first pool being above said first bottom layer and any further layers in said second pool being above said second bottom layer, all of the blops in the view associated with each given layer in said first and second pools, which layer is immediately above another layer, being in the group consisting of (a) a blop which is not in the view of any layer below said given layer, and (b) a blop which is in the view of at least one layer immediately below said given layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
228 words
Data storage apparatus having stored therein data in a data structure, said data structure including: a plurality of blops, each blop containing a portion of said data and having associated therewith a blop identifier; a plurality of layers, each of said layers having associated therewith a view of at least one of said blops, the blop identifiers of all of the blops in the view of each given one of said layers being mutually unique, and the views associated with at least two of said layers including blops with identical blop identifiers but having different portions of said data; and a plurality of pools including a first pool and a second pool, wherein said plurality of layers includes a first bottom layer in said first pool and a second bottom layer in said second pool, any further layers in said first pool being above said first bottom layer and any further layers in said second pool being above said second bottom layer, all of the blops in the view associated with each given layer in said first and second pools, which layer is immediately above another layer, being in the group consisting of (a) a blop which is not in the view of any layer below said given layer, and (b) a blop which is in the view of at least one layer immediately below said given layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein no two of the blops which are within the views of any of the layers in any given one of said pools has both the same blop identifier and the same portion of said data.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
18 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second bottom layer is above a layer in said first pool.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
82 words
Apparatus according to claim 15, wherein one of the blops which are in the view of one of the layers in said first pool is stored in a first data storage medium, and wherein one of the blops which are in the view of one of the layers in said second pool is (a) not in the view of any layer in said first pool and is (b) stored in a second data storage medium different from said first data storage medium.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said second data storage medium is removable relative to said first data storage medium.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein all of the blops in the view of said second bottom layer are copies of respective blops in the view of a base one of said layers in said first pool.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein one of the blops in the view of said base layer in said first pool is stored in a first data storage medium, and wherein all of the blops in the view of said second bottom layer are stored in a second data storage medium different from said first data storage medium.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
59 words
Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein one of the blops in the view of said base layer in said first pool is stored in a first data storage medium, and wherein all of the blops in the view of said second bottom layer are stored in data storage media which are removable relative to said first data storage medium.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein a reconciliation one of said layers in said first pool is immediately above both another layer in said first pool and a layer in said second pool.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
159 words
Data storage apparatus having stored therein data in a data structure, said data structure including: a plurality of blops each blop containing a portion of said data and having associated therewith a blop identifier a plurality of layers, each of said layers having associated therewith a view of at least one of said blops, the blop identifiers of all of the blops in the view of each given one of said layers being mutually unique, and the views associated with at least two of said layers including blops with identical blop identifiers but having different portions of said data: and first and second containers, each containing at least one of said blops and at least one of said layers, all of the blops in said first container being stored in a first data storage medium and all of the blops in said second container being stored in a second data storage medium different from said first data storage medium.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
159 words
Data storage apparatus having stored therein data in a data structure, said data structure including: a plurality of blops each blop containing a portion of said data and having associated therewith a blop identifier a plurality of layers, each of said layers having associated therewith a view of at least one of said blops, the blop identifiers of all of the blops in the view of each given one of said layers being mutually unique, and the views associated with at least two of said layers including blops with identical blop identifiers but having different portions of said data: and first and second containers, each containing at least one of said blops and at least one of said layers, all of the blops in said first container being stored in a first data storage medium and all of the blops in said second container being stored in a second data storage medium different from said first data storage medium.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said first container has associated therewith a first handler to handle data accesses to said first medium, and wherein said second container has associated therewith a second handler to handle data accesses to said second medium, said second handler being different from said first handler.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-05-25 | 2001-11-24 | 2002-05-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-05-25 | 2005-11-24 | 2006-05-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-05-25 | 2009-11-24 | 2010-05-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |