公开(公告)号：CA2153444A1

公开(公告)日：1996-03-09

申请号：CA2153444

申请日：1995-07-07

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： BELKNAP WILLIAM RUSSELL ,  HENLEY MARTHA R ,  FALCON LORENZO JR ,  FRAYNE THOMAS E ,  LUO MEI-LAN ,  SAXENA ASHOK RAJ

IPC: G06F12/08 ,  G06F3/06 ,  G06F12/00 ,  G06F17/30 ,  H04N7/173

Abstract: A data storage system includes a mass storage unit storing a data entity, such as a digital representation of a video presentation, that is partitioned into a plurality N of temporally-ordered segments. A data buffer is bidirectionally coupled to the mass storage unit for storing up to M of the temporally-ordered segments, wherein M is less than N. The data buffer has an output for outputting stored ones of the temporally-ordered segments. The data storage system further includes a data buffer manager for scheduling transfers of individual ones of the temporally-ordered segments between the mass storage unit and the data buffer. The data buffer manager schedules the transfers in accordance with at least a predicted time that an individual one of the temporally-ordered segments will be required to be output from the data buffer. When employed with a media streamer distributed data buffer management techniques are employed for selecting blocks to be retained in a buffer memory, either in a storage node or in a communication node. These techniques rely on the predictable nature of the video data stream, and thus are enabled to predict the future requirements for a given one of the data blocks.

公开(公告)号：CA2154511A1

公开(公告)日：1996-03-09

申请号：CA2154511

申请日：1995-07-24

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FALCON LORENZO JR ,  SAXENA ASHOK RAJ

IPC: G06F12/00 ,  G06F3/06 ,  G11B20/12 ,  H04N5/76 ,  H04N5/92 ,  H04N7/16 ,  H04N7/173 ,  H04N21/2318 ,  H04N21/262

Abstract: A media streamer includes at least one storage node including mass storage for storing a digital representation of at least one video presentation. The mass storage is comprised of a plurality of mass storage units. The at least one video presentation requires a time T to present in its entirety, and is stored as a plurality of N data blocks. Each data block stores data corresponding to approximately a T/N period of the video presentation. The media streamer further includes a plurality of communication nodes each having at least one input port that is coupled to an output of the at least one storage node for receiving a digital representation of a video presentation therefrom. Each of the plurality of communication nodes further includes a plurality of output ports individual ones of which transmit a digitalrepresentation as a data stream to a consumer of the digital representation. The N data blocks of the digital representation are partitioned into X stripes, wherein data blocks 1, X+1, 2*X+1, . . . etc., are associated with a first one of the X stripes, data blocks 2, X+2, 2*X+2, ... etc., are associated with a second one of the X stripes, etc., and wherein individual ones of the X stripes are each stored on a different one of the plurality of mass storage units. The plurality of mass storage units preferably store a single copy of a digital representation of a video presentation. The X stripes are read out in such a manner as to enable a plurality of data streams to simultaneously convey a same one of the N data blocks, or are read out in such amanner as to enable a plurality of data streams to simultaneously convey a different one of the N data blocks.

公开(公告)号：SG32444A1

公开(公告)日：1996-08-13

申请号：SG1995001059

申请日：1995-08-04

Applicant: IBM

Inventor： FALCON LORENZO JR ,  SAXENA ASHOK RAJ

IPC: G06F15/00