DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
This Office action is in response to communications dated 3/28/2025.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1-20 are rejected.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/28/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over USPGPUB 2022/0057947 (“Sangle”) in view of USPGPUB 2002/0114341 (“Sutherland”).
As per claim 1, Sangle substantially teaches a method of composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node (Sangle, Figure 5), the method comprising:
receiving a node composition request; sending to a candidate CF (composable fabric) target a storage capacity inquiry according to the node composition request; receiving a storage capacity value in response to the storage capacity inquiry; determining whether the storage capacity value meets a storage capacity threshold; and upon determining that the storage capacity value meets the storage capacity threshold, composing the DSS mode by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, Abstract; Figure 5, reference numerals 502, 504, 506, and 512; and paragraphs 0077-0084, where the distributed storage system (DSS) of Sangle receives a request to create (i.e., compose) a storage volume in a storage node of the DSS. The Examiner notes that the request to create the storage volume in a storage node of the DSS may specify a size (i.e., a storage capacity threshold) to be used for the storage volume in a node of the DSS. In response to receipt of the request to create the storage volume in node of the DSS, the DSS of Slagle identifies a set of available storage nodes that may be used for the storage volume and compares a size value received from each of the set of available storage nodes (i.e., a storage capacity value received in response to a storage capacity inquiry) with the size included in the request (i.e., the storage capacity threshold) to create the storage volume to select available storage nodes from the set of available storage nodes that meet the size included in the request to create the storage volume. The system of Slagle then selects an available storage node from the set of available storage nodes to create the storage volume. Slagle therefore substantially teaches receiving a node composition request; sending to a candidate CF (composable fabric) target a storage capacity inquiry according to the node composition request; receiving a storage capacity value in response to the storage capacity inquiry; determining whether the storage capacity value meets a storage capacity threshold; and upon determining that the storage capacity value meets the storage capacity threshold, composing the DSS mode by including the candidate CF target).
Sangle does not appear to explicitly teach the other limitations of this claim beyond those taught above; however, in an analogous art, Sutherland teaches peer-to-peer enterprise storage.
As per claim 1, Sutherland particularly teaches:
a method of composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node by a resource manager: (Sutherland, Abstract; FIG. 1, reference numeral 12; and paragraphs 0014-0018 and 0034-0036, where the system of Sutherland includes storage coordinator 12 (i.e., a resource manager) that manages storage resources by creating storage lockers that are composed of nodes of storage to store data. Sutherland therefore particularly teaches a method of composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node by a resource manager).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Sutherland and Sangle before them before the instant application was effectively filed, to modify the system of Sangle to include the principles of Sutherland of using a storage coordinator to manage storage resources.
The modification would have been obvious because a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to increase system efficiency and useability by implementing techniques that take advantage of distributed storage resources available on computer networks and operate in a manner that enables system efficiency in terms of central administration and management (Sutherland, paragraphs 0013 and 0022).
As per claim 2, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches further comprising:
receiving a IOPs value of the candidate CF target; determining whether the IOPs value meets an IOPs threshold; and upon determining the IOPs value meets the IOPs threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, paragraphs 0134-0145, where storage nodes may be selected for storage volumes based on IOPs associated with storage of the storage node meeting a threshold value. Sangle therefore substantially teaches receiving a IOPs value of the candidate CF target; determining whether the IOPs value meets an IOPs threshold; and upon determining the IOPs value meets the IOPs threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
As per claim 3, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches further comprising:
receiving a write number of the candidate CF target; determining if the write number meets a write number threshold; and upon determining the write number meets the write number threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, Abstract; Figure 5, reference numeral 508; and paragraph0081, where a replication factor that identifies a number of times a given storage volume will have to be replicated (i.e., a number of times the storage volume will have to be written) to storage nodes is considered when determining which storage nodes meet requirements for creation of the storage volume. Sangle therefore substantially teaches receiving a write number of the candidate CF target; determining if the write number meets a write number threshold; and upon determining the write number meets the write number threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
As per claim 4, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches:
wherein the node composition request includes workload information: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches wherein the node composition request includes workload information).
As per claim 5, the rejection of claim 4 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein composing the DSS node with the CF target includes:
mapping the candidate CF target to a CF initiator; and mapping the CF initiator to the DSS node: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches mapping the candidate CF target to a CF initiator; and mapping the CF initiator to the DSS node).
As per claim 6, the rejection of claim 5 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches:
wherein the candidate CF target includes an NVMe disk, and the NVMe disk is mapped to a virtual disk of the CF initiator: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches wherein the candidate CF target includes an NVMe disk, and the NVMe disk is mapped to a virtual disk of the CF initiator).
As per claim 7, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated, and Sutherland further particularly teaches:
wherein the resource manager communicates with the DSS node, a CF initiator, and the candidate CF target: (Sutherland, Abstract; FIG. 2, reference numerals 12, 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 15, 15a, 16, 140, 142, and 144; and paragraphs 0034-0035, where storage coordinator 12 )i.e., the resource manager) communicates with laptop 14a (i.e., a CF initiator), storage media 144 of PC 14b (i.e., the candidate CF target), and central file server 15 (i.e., the DSS node). Sutherland therefore particularly teaches wherein the resource manager communicates with the DSS node, a CF initiator, and the candidate CF target).
As per claim 8, Sangle substantially teaches a computing apparatus, comprising a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform a method of composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node (Sangle, Figure 1 and Figure 5), the method comprising:
a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform a method of composing a DSS (distribute storage system) node; receiving a node composition request; sending to a candidate CF target in a storage capacity inquiry according to the node composition request; receiving a storage capacity value in response to the storage capacity inquiry; determining whether the storage capacity value meets a storage capacity threshold; and upon determining that the storage capacity value meets the storage capacity threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, Abstract; Figure 5, reference numerals 502, 504, 506, and 512; and paragraphs 0077-0084, where the distributed storage system (DSS) of Sangle receives a request to create (i.e., compose) a storage volume in a storage node of the DSS. The Examiner notes that the request to create the storage volume in a storage node of the DSS may specify a size (i.e., a storage capacity threshold) to be used for the storage volume in a node of the DSS. In response to receipt of the request to create the storage volume in node of the DSS, the DSS of Slagle identifies a set of available storage nodes that may be used for the storage volume and compares a size value received from each of the set of available storage nodes (i.e., a storage capacity value received in response to a storage capacity inquiry) with the size included in the request (i.e., the storage capacity threshold) to create the storage volume to select available storage nodes from the set of available storage nodes that meet the size included in the request to create the storage volume. The system of Slagle then selects an available storage node from the set of available storage nodes to create the storage volume. Slagle therefore substantially teaches a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform a method of composing a DSS (distribute storage system) node; receiving a node composition request; sending to a candidate CF target in a storage capacity inquiry according to the node composition request; receiving a storage capacity value in response to the storage capacity inquiry; determining whether the storage capacity value meets a storage capacity threshold; and upon determining that the storage capacity value meets the storage capacity threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
Sangle does not appear to explicitly teach the other limitations of this claim beyond those taught above; however, in an analogous art, Sutherland teaches peer-to-peer enterprise storage.
As per claim 8, Sutherland particularly teaches:
a method of composing a DSS (distribute storage system) node via a resource manager: (Sutherland, Abstract; FIG. 1, reference numeral 12; and paragraphs 0014-0018 and 0034-0036, where the system of Sutherland includes storage coordinator 12 (i.e., a resource manager) that manages storage resources by creating storage lockers that are composed of nodes of storage to store data. Sutherland therefore particularly teaches a method of composing a DSS (distribute storage system) node via a resource manager).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Sutherland and Sangle before them before the instant application was effectively filed, to modify the system of Sangle to include the principles of Sutherland of using a storage coordinator to manage storage resources.
The modification would have been obvious because a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to increase system efficiency and useability by implementing techniques that take advantage of distributed storage resources available on computer networks and operate in a manner that enables system efficiency in terms of central administration and management (Sutherland, paragraphs 0013 and 0022).
As per claim 9, the rejection of claim 8 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein the processor is further configured to perform:
receiving a IOPs value of the candidate CF target; determining whether the IOPs value meets an IOPs threshold; and upon determining the IOPs value meets the IOPs threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, paragraphs 0134-0145, where storage nodes may be selected for storage volumes based on IOPs associated with storage of the storage node meeting a threshold value. Sangle therefore substantially teaches receiving a IOPs value of the candidate CF target; determining whether the IOPs value meets an IOPs threshold; and upon determining the IOPs value meets the IOPs threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
As per claim 10, the rejection of claim 8 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein the processor is further configured to perform:
receiving a write number of the candidate CF target; determining if the write number meets a write number threshold; and upon determining the write number meets the write number threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, Abstract; Figure 5, reference numeral 508; and paragraph0081, where a replication factor that identifies a number of times a given storage volume will have to be replicated (i.e., a number of times the storage volume will have to be written) to storage nodes is considered when determining which storage nodes meet requirements for creation of the storage volume. Sangle therefore substantially teaches receiving a write number of the candidate CF target; determining if the write number meets a write number threshold; and upon determining the write number meets the write number threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
As per claim 11, the rejection of claim 8 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches:
wherein the node composition request includes workload information: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches wherein the node composition request includes workload information).
As per claim 12, the rejection of claim 11 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein composing the DSS node with the CF target includes:
mapping the candidate CF target to a CF initiator; and mapping the CF initiator to the DSS node: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches mapping the candidate CF target to a CF initiator; and mapping the CF initiator to the DSS node).
As per claim 13, the rejection of claim 12 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches:
wherein the candidate CF target includes an NVMe disk, and the NVMe disk is mapped to a virtual disk of the CF initiator: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches wherein the candidate CF target includes an NVMe disk, and the NVMe disk is mapped to a virtual disk of the CF initiator).
As per claim 14, the rejection of claim 8 is incorporated, and Sutherland further substantially teaches:
wherein the resource manager communicates with the DSS node, a CF initiator, and the candidate CF target: (Sutherland, Abstract; FIG. 2, reference numerals 12, 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d, 15, 15a, 16, 140, 142, and 144; and paragraphs 0034-0035, where storage coordinator 12 )i.e., the resource manager) communicates with laptop 14a (i.e., a CF initiator), storage media 144 of PC 14b (i.e., the candidate CF target), and central file server 15 (i.e., the DSS node). Sutherland therefore particularly teaches wherein the resource manager communicates with the DSS node, a CF initiator, and the candidate CF target).
As per claim 15, Sangle substantially teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program instructions executable by a processor to perform a method of composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node via a resource manager (Sangle, Figure 1 and Figure 5), the method comprising:
composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node; receiving a node composition request; sending to a candidate CF target in a storage capacity inquiry according to the node composition request; receiving a storage capacity value in response to the storage capacity inquiry; determining whether the storage capacity value meets a storage capacity threshold; and upon determining that the storage capacity value meets the storage capacity threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, Abstract; Figure 5, reference numerals 502, 504, 506, and 512; and paragraphs 0077-0084, where the distributed storage system (DSS) of Sangle receives a request to create (i.e., compose) a storage volume in a storage node of the DSS. The Examiner notes that the request to create the storage volume in a storage node of the DSS may specify a size (i.e., a storage capacity threshold) to be used for the storage volume in a node of the DSS. In response to receipt of the request to create the storage volume in node of the DSS, the DSS of Slagle identifies a set of available storage nodes that may be used for the storage volume and compares a size value received from each of the set of available storage nodes (i.e., a storage capacity value received in response to a storage capacity inquiry) with the size included in the request (i.e., the storage capacity threshold) to create the storage volume to select available storage nodes from the set of available storage nodes that meet the size included in the request to create the storage volume. The system of Slagle then selects an available storage node from the set of available storage nodes to create the storage volume. Slagle therefore substantially teaches composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node; receiving a node composition request; sending to a candidate CF target in a storage capacity inquiry according to the node composition request; receiving a storage capacity value in response to the storage capacity inquiry; determining whether the storage capacity value meets a storage capacity threshold; and upon determining that the storage capacity value meets the storage capacity threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
Sangle does not appear to explicitly teach the other limitations of this claim beyond those taught above; however, in an analogous art, Sutherland teaches peer-to-peer enterprise storage.
As per claim 15, Sutherland particularly teaches:
composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node via a resource manager: (Sutherland, Abstract; FIG. 1, reference numeral 12; and paragraphs 0014-0018 and 0034-0036, where the system of Sutherland includes storage coordinator 12 (i.e., a resource manager) that manages storage resources by creating storage lockers that are composed of nodes of storage to store data. Sutherland therefore particularly teaches composing a DSS (distributed storage system) node via a resource manager).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Sutherland and Sangle before them before the instant application was effectively filed, to modify the system of Sangle to include the principles of Sutherland of using a storage coordinator to manage storage resources.
The modification would have been obvious because a person having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to increase system efficiency and useability by implementing techniques that take advantage of distributed storage resources available on computer networks and operate in a manner that enables system efficiency in terms of central administration and management (Sutherland, paragraphs 0013 and 0022).
As per claim 16, the rejection of claim 15 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein the computer program instructions are further executable by the processor to perform:
receiving a IOPs value of the candidate CF target; determining whether the IOPs value meets an IOPs threshold; and upon determining the IOPs value meets the IOPs threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, paragraphs 0134-0145, where storage nodes may be selected for storage volumes based on IOPs associated with storage of the storage node meeting a threshold value. Sangle therefore substantially teaches receiving a IOPs value of the candidate CF target; determining whether the IOPs value meets an IOPs threshold; and upon determining the IOPs value meets the IOPs threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
As per claim 17, the rejection of claim 15 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein the computer program instructions are further executable by the processor to perform:
receiving a write number of the candidate CF target; determining if the write number meets a write number threshold; and upon determining the write number meets the write number threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target: (Sangle, Abstract; Figure 5, reference numeral 508; and paragraph0081, where a replication factor that identifies a number of times a given storage volume will have to be replicated (i.e., a number of times the storage volume will have to be written) to storage nodes is considered when determining which storage nodes meet requirements for creation of the storage volume. Sangle therefore substantially teaches receiving a write number of the candidate CF target; determining if the write number meets a write number threshold; and upon determining the write number meets the write number threshold, composing the DSS node by including the candidate CF target).
As per claim 18, the rejection of claim 15 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches:
wherein the node composition request includes workload information: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches wherein the node composition request includes workload information).
As per claim 19, the rejection of claim 18 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches wherein composing the DSS node with the CF target includes:
mapping the candidate CF target to a CF initiator; and mapping the CF initiator to the DSS node: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches mapping the candidate CF target to a CF initiator; and mapping the CF initiator to the DSS node).
As per claim 20, the rejection of claim 19 is incorporated, and Sangle further substantially teaches:
wherein the candidate CF target includes an NVMe disk, and the NVMe disk is mapped to a virtual disk of the CF initiator: (Sangle, Abstract; and paragraph 0040, where creation of storage volumes for a database may require fast storage; creation of a storage volume for the database would thus require information as to needing a fast storage (e.g., an NVMe SSD) to handle the database workload. Sangle therefore substantially teaches wherein the candidate CF target includes an NVMe disk, and the NVMe disk is mapped to a virtual disk of the CF initiator).
Conclusion
The following prior art is made of record and is not relied upon for any rejection but is considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure:
U.S. Patent No. 11,029,848: teaches management of a DSS with a central management node.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daniel C. Chappell whose telephone number is (571)272-5003. The examiner can normally be reached 1000-1800, Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jared I. Rutz can be reached at (571)272-5535. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Daniel C. Chappell
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2135
/Daniel C. Chappell/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2135
Prosecution Insights