A lightweight always-on monitoring, collecting, diagnosing, and correcting utility operates in an enhanced storage manager that manages a data storage managements system. The always-on utility provides a comprehensive and pro-active approach, which is intended to reduce, if not altogether eliminate, the need for after-the-fact diagnostics. The always-on utility also enforces so-called best practices and other heuristics, which include pro-actively activating certain database settings that are not enabled by default; manipulating certain aspects of the database to improve performance; and reporting aspects that are outside best-practice parameters to the trouble report system so that system administrators and/or developers may intervene before a catastrophic failure occurs. In some cases, the best-practice parameters represent heuristics designed by the present inventors to improve the performance and general health of the management database.

The present disclosure relates to a digital asset synchronization system that provides improved digital asset management and synchronization of a digital asset stored either within a component database or a packaged file. For example, the digital asset synchronization system enables a set of components that makes up a digital asset to appear as a singular packaged file, while also maintaining the benefits of having the digital asset made up of the components. In this manner, the digital asset synchronization system provides a bridge between a digital asset stored in a packaged file format and conventional file formats. In addition, the digital asset synchronization system also provides digital asset management and improved synchronization between a client device and a cloud storage system.

Systems and methods for replicating a device image to a storage such as the cloud. The cloud is seeded with a base image that corresponds to the device. Changes between the contents of the device and the base image are identified, uploaded to the cloud, and applied to the image. The changes are tracked continuously and the image in the cloud can thus be used to restore the device to any point in time. The cloud image can also be used in a cloud based virtual machine that provides a user of the device with access to the device's contents via the cloud based image.

Systems and methods for replicating a device image to a storage such as the cloud. The cloud is seeded with a base image that corresponds to the device. Changes between the contents of the device and the base image are identified, uploaded to the cloud, and applied to the image. The changes are tracked continuously and the image in the cloud can thus be used to restore the device to any point in time. The cloud image can also be used in a cloud based virtual machine that provides a user of the device with access to the device's contents via the cloud based image.

Reducing file write latency includes receiving incoming data, from a data source, for storage in a file and a target storage location for the incoming data, and determining whether the target storage location corresponds to a cache entry. Based on at least the target storage location not corresponding to a cache entry, the incoming data is written to a block pre-allocated for cache misses and the writing of the incoming data to the pre-allocated block is journaled. The writing of the incoming data is acknowledged to the data source. A process executing in parallel with the above commits the incoming data in the pre-allocated block with the file. Using this parallel process to commit the incoming data in the file removes high-latency operations (e.g., reading pointer blocks from the storage media) from a critical input/output path and results in more rapid write acknowledgement.

A bypass plunger combines a unitary or one-piece hollow body-and-valve cage, retains a dart valve within the valve cage portion of the hollow body using a threaded retaining nut secured by crimple detents. A series of helical grooves surround the central portion of the outer surface of the hollow body of the plunger to control spin during descent. A canted-coil-spring disposed within the retaining nut functions as a clutch. The valve cage includes ports that may be configured to control flow through the plunger during ascent. Other embodiments include clutch assemblies using canted-coil springs with split bobbins, and valve stems surfaced to achieve specific functions. Combinations of these features provide enhanced performance, durability and reliability at reduced manufacturing cost, due primarily to the simplicity of its design.

A bypass plunger combines a unitary or one-piece hollow body-and-valve cage, retains a dart valve within the valve cage portion of the hollow body using a threaded retaining nut secured by crimple detents. A series of helical grooves surround the central portion of the outer surface of the hollow body of the plunger to control spin during descent. A canted-coil-spring disposed within the retaining nut functions as a clutch. The valve cage includes ports that may be configured to control flow through the plunger during ascent. Other embodiments include clutch assemblies using canted-coil springs with split bobbins, and valve stems surfaced to achieve specific functions. Combinations of these features provide enhanced performance, durability and reliability at reduced manufacturing cost, due primarily to the simplicity of its design.

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for aggregation and management of cloud storage among a plurality of providers. According to one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes providing an aggregated folder at a client computer, the aggregated folder aggregating the contents of a plurality of folders, each of the plurality of folders used for synchronization with a respective one of a plurality of cloud storage providers; identifying a new file for synchronization; determining a first cloud storage provider from the plurality of cloud storage providers to which to store at least a portion of the new file; storing the at least a portion of the new file in a first folder from the plurality of folders, the first folder for synchronization with the first cloud storage provider from the plurality of cloud storage providers; and adding the new file to the aggregated folder.

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for aggregation and management of cloud storage among a plurality of providers. According to one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes providing an aggregated folder at a client computer, the aggregated folder aggregating the contents of a plurality of folders, each of the plurality of folders used for synchronization with a respective one of a plurality of cloud storage providers; identifying a new file for synchronization; determining a first cloud storage provider from the plurality of cloud storage providers to which to store at least a portion of the new file; storing the at least a portion of the new file in a first folder from the plurality of folders, the first folder for synchronization with the first cloud storage provider from the plurality of cloud storage providers; and adding the new file to the aggregated folder.

Aspects of the innovations herein are consistent with a storage system for storing variable sized objects. According to certain implementations, the storage system may be a transaction-based system that uses variable sized objects to store data, and/or may be implemented using data stores, such as arrays disks arranged in ranks. In some exemplary implementations, each rank may include multiple stripes, each stripe may be read and written as a convenient unit for maximum performance, and/or a rank manager may be provided to dynamically configure the ranks. In certain implementations, the storage system may include a stripe space table that contains entries describing the amount of space used in each stripe. Further, an object map may provide entries for each object in the storage system describing the location, the length and/or version of the object.