IP Library Granted Patent US 9,032,163
Granted Patent B2
US 9,032,163 · App. 12/888,017 · Granted May 12, 2015

Data access management

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,032,163
App. No.
12/888,017
Granted
May 12, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to assert a first semi-exclusive write lock with respect to a storage medium area by storing lock information when assertion of another semi-exclusive write lock with respect to the area is not detected. Additional activities may include writing data to the area by a writing entity that has asserted the first semi-exclusive write lock after determining the lock information has not changed, while substantially simultaneously de-asserting the first semi-exclusive write lock. Reading from the area may be determined as successful by determining that the semi-exclusive write lock was not asserted prior to or during the reading by checking the status of the lock information. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.

Claims (45)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a reserved area of a block of a storage medium housed by a first physical node; and an access supervision processor:

to receive a write request to write to a block including a reserved area;

to assert a first semi-exclusive write lock by storing new lock information in the reserved area in response to determining that current lock information of the reserved area, retrieved by a first read of the block in response to the write request, does not indicate assertion of a second semi-exclusive write lock corresponding to another write request;

to determine that the new lock information in the reserved area has not changed via a second read of the block following the assertion of the first semi-exclusive write lock; and

to write, in response to the determination that the new lock information is unchanged, to the block both data and reset information at the same time, the reset information being written to the reserved area and indicating de-assertion of the first semi-exclusive write lock.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second node to house the access supervision processor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a display to display at least a portion of the data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

multiple processors, including the access supervision processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reserve area comprises non-volatile memory.

6. A processor-implemented method to execute on one or more processors that perform the method, comprising:

receiving a write request to write to a block including a reserved area;

asserting a first semi-exclusive write lock with respect to reserved area of a block of a storage medium by storing new lock information in the reserved area in response to determining that current lock information of the reserved area, retrieved by a first read of the block in response to the write request, does not indicate assertion of a second semi-exclusive write lock corresponding to another write request;

determining that the new lock information in the reserved area has not changed via a second read of the block following the assertion of the first semi-exclusive write lock; and

writing, in response to the determination that the new lock information is unchanged, to the block both data and reset information at the same time, the reset information being written to the reserved area and indicating de-assertion of the first semi-exclusive write lock.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the reset information comprises a series of bits having the same single value.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the new lock information comprises a writing entity identifier and/or a timestamp.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

detecting assertion of the second semi-exclusive write lock with respect to the reserved area; and

refraining from the asserting until the assertion of the second semi-exclusive write lock is no longer detected.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining further comprises:

determining, by the writing entity, that the new lock information has changed to include a valid writing entity identifier that is not associated with the writing entity, and a valid timestamp; and

waiting, for a selected write timeout period after a time associated with the timestamp, prior to repeating the asserting by the writing entity.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining further comprises:

determining, by the writing entity, that the new lock information has changed to include an invalid writing entity identifier or an invalid timestamp; and

repeating the asserting by the writing entity without waiting for a selected write timeout period after a time associated with the timestamp.

12. A non-transitory machine readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a write request to write to a block including a reserved area;

asserting a first semi-exclusive write lock with respect to reserved area of a block of a storage medium by storing new lock information in the reserved area in response to determining that current lock information of the reserved area, retrieved by a first read of the block in response to the write request, does not indicate assertion of a second semi-exclusive write lock corresponding to another write request;

determining that the new lock information in the reserved area has not changed via a second read of the block following the assertion of the first semi-exclusive write lock; and

to write, in response to the determination that the new lock information is unchanged, to the block both data and reset information at the same time, the reset information being written to the reserved area and indicating de-assertion of the first semi-exclusive write lock.

13. The machine readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the reset information comprises a series of bits having the same single value.

14. The machine readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the new lock information comprises a writing entity identifier and/or timestamp.

15. The machine readable medium of claim 12 , further comprising:

detecting assertion of the second semi-exclusive write lock with respect to the reserved area; and

refraining from the asserting until the assertion of the second semi-exclusive write lock is no longer detected.

16. The machine readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the determining further comprises:

determining, by the writing entity, that the new lock information has changed to include a valid writing entity identifier that is not associated with the writing entity, and a valid timestamp; and

waiting, for a selected write timeout period after a time associated with the timestamp, prior to repeating the asserting by the writing entity.

17. The machine readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the determining further comprises:

determining, by the writing entity, that the new lock information has changed to include an invalid writing entity identifier or an invalid timestamp; and

repeating the asserting by the writing entity without waiting for a selected write timeout period after a time associated with the timestamp.

Assignments (17)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST REEL/FRAME 035656/0251 Recorded Feb 2, 2023
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: BORLAND SOFTWARE CORPORATION; ATTACHMATE CORPORATION; NETIQ CORPORATION; MICRO FOCUS (US), INC.; MICRO FOCUS SOFTWARE INC. (F/K/A NOVELL, INC.)
Reel/Frame 062623/0009 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST REEL/FRAME 044183/0718 Recorded Feb 2, 2023
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: MICRO FOCUS LLC (F/K/A ENTIT SOFTWARE LLC); BORLAND SOFTWARE CORPORATION; MICRO FOCUS (US), INC.; SERENA SOFTWARE, INC; ATTACHMATE CORPORATION; MICRO FOCUS SOFTWARE INC. (F/K/A NOVELL, INC.); NETIQ CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062746/0399 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TO CORRECT TYPO IN APPLICATION NUMBER 10708121 WHICH SHOULD BE 10708021 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 042388 FRAME 0386. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY. Recorded Jul 26, 2018
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS PRIOR AGENT
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 048793/0832 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2017
From: ENTIT SOFTWARE LLC; ATTACHMATE CORPORATION; BORLAND SOFTWARE CORPORATION; NETIQ CORPORATION; MICRO FOCUS (US), INC.; MICRO FOCUS SOFTWARE, INC.; ARCSIGHT, LLC; SERENA SOFTWARE, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 044183/0718 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY Recorded May 2, 2017
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS PRIOR AGENT
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS SUCCESSOR AGENT
Reel/Frame 042388/0386 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 13, 2016
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: MICRO FOCUS SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 040020/0703 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2015
From: MICRO FOCUS (US), INC.; BORLAND SOFTWARE CORPORATION; ATTACHMATE CORPORATION; NETIQ CORPORATION; NOVELL, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 035656/0251 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 028252/0216 Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 034470/0680 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 028252/0316 Recorded Nov 24, 2014
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 034469/0057 →
GRANT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST FIRST LIEN Recorded May 23, 2012
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 028252/0216 →
GRANT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST SECOND LIEN Recorded May 23, 2012
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 028252/0316 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY IN PATENTS SECOND LIEN (RELEASES RF 026275/0018 AND 027290/0983) Recorded May 22, 2012
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 028252/0154 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS FIRST LIEN (RELEASES RF 026270/0001 AND 027289/0727) Recorded May 22, 2012
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 028252/0077 →
GRANT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST (SECOND LIEN) Recorded May 13, 2011
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 026275/0018 →
GRANT OF PATENT SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2011
From: NOVELL, INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 026270/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNEMNT TO CORRECT THE NAME OF THE ASSIGNOR PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 025049 FRAME 0679 Recorded Mar 23, 2011
From: SUDHAKAR, GOSUKONDA NAGA VENKATA SATYA
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 026012/0157 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2010
From: NAGA, GOSUKONDA; SUDHAKAR, VENKATA SATYA
To: NOVELL, INC.
Reel/Frame 025049/0679 →