Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Detailed Action
In preliminary amendments dated 12/2/25, Applicant amended no claims, canceled claims 1-20, and added new claims 21-40. Clams 21-40 are presented for examination.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to mental processes without significantly more. Independent claims 21, 29, and 37 each recites parsing out a logical chunk group identifier and an offset from the page identifier of the target page, wherein the offset indicates a location of the target page in a logical chunk group identified by the logical chunk group identifier. Parsing a logical chunk group identifier and an offset from the page identifier is recited broadly and is a menta process accomplishable in the human mind or on paper. Each claim recites additional elements of wherein a hard disk in the storage node provides page-level storage space for the computing node, and a minimum allocation unit in the page-level storage space is a logical chunk group, and providing storage space is insignificant extra-solution activity; wherein the computing node is configured to send an access instruction to the storage node, wherein the access instruction carries a page identifier of a target page, which is transmitting data and insignificant extra-solution activity; receive the access instruction, which is a data gathering step and insignificant extra-solution activity; and access the target page based on a storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, which is insignificant extra-solution activity. Claim 21 recites a computing node and a storage node and claim 37 recites a storage medium storing a computer program and at least one processor, which are each generic components of a computer. Examiner notes specification paragraph 0005 states “If a large amount of data is stored in the storage system, a data amount of the data index stored in the storage system is large, and the large data index occupies large storage space in the storage system.” Paragraph 0006 states “This application provides a storage system, a data access method and apparatus, and a device, to reduce storage space occupied by a data index and improve data access efficiency.” Paragraph 0009 states “When accessing the target page, the storage node does not need to establish a data index or query a data index, but directly accesses the target page from the storage location of the target page. The data index may not be retained on a storage node side, to avoid occupying large storage space by the data index and effectively improve data access efficiency.” Examiner found additional discussion showing how the invention achieves these improvements are discussed with figure 3 and paragraphs 0121 and 0135. The claim steps do not recite a particular improvement in any technology or function of a computer per MPEP 2106.04(d) and do not recite any unconventional steps in the invention per MPEP 2106.05(a). Therefore, the recited mental process is not integrated into a practical application. Taking the claim as a whole, providing storage space for storing and accessing a target page of stored data are routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Sending an access instruction and receiving the access instruction are sending and receiving data across a network per the network and network interface in figures 2A and 2B and paragraphs 0073 and 0087, which are routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. The computing node, storage node, storage medium storing a computer program, and at least one processor are each still generic components of a computer. Thus the claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the recited mental process.
Claims 22, 30, and 38 each recites when accessing the target page based on the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, read the target page based on the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, and feed back the target page to the computing node, and reading a target page is retrieving data from memory and is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II, and feeding the target page back to a computing node is recited broadly and amounts to sending data across a network per the network and network interface in figures 2A and 2B and paragraphs 0073 and 0087, which are routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Claims 23 and 31 each recites before sending the data read instruction to the storage node, when the target page needs to be read, determine the target page is not found in a memory of the computing node based on the page identifier of the target page, and determining is evaluating and a mental process. Claims 24, 32, and 39 each recites when accessing the target page based on the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, write the target page into the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, and writing a target page to storage is storing it which is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II.
Claims 25 and 33 each recites wherein the data write instruction carries pages that belong to a same logical chunk group and that are buffered in memory of the computing node and page identifiers of the pages, and the pages belonging to the same logical chunk group comprise the target page, and buffering chunks of data is storing it which is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Claims 26, 34, and 40 each recites send a page application request to the storage node, wherein the page application request is a request to obtain the page identifier of the target page, and which is sending data across a network per the network and network interface in figures 2A and 2B and paragraphs 0073 and 0087, which is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II; obtain the page identifier of the target page fed back by the storage node, which is retrieving data and is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II; and allocate the page identifier to the target page, which is storing the page identifier in the target page and is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II.
Claim 27 and 35 each recites after receiving the page application request, address the logical chunk group identifier and the offset as the page identifier of the target page, and addressing data is storing data and is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II, and feed back the page identifier of the target page to the computing node, which is sending data across a network per the network and network interface in figures 2A and 2B and paragraphs 0073 and 0087, which is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II. Claims 28 and 36 each recites wherein the logical chunk group is an append only log (PLOG), and the logical chunk group identifier is a PLOG identifier, and a log is storing data which is routine and conventional per the list of routine and conventional activities in MPEP 2106.05(d) part II.
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 21-22, 24-27, 29-30, 32-35, and 37-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by He et al (US 20220035560), hereafter He.
With respect to claims 21, 29, and 37, He teaches:
a computing node (figure 3 compute nodes 20i, clients 102); and
a storage node, wherein a hard disk in the storage node provides page-level storage space for the computing node, and a minimum allocation unit in the page-level storage space is a logical chunk group (paragraph 0056 figure 3 storage nodes 30 with hard disks 302 divided into chunks as minimum allocation units);
wherein the computing node is configured to send an access instruction to the storage node, wherein the access instruction carries a page identifier of a target page (paragraph 0005 client node sends a write instruction, includes a log of the to-be-stored data and access address of the storage object, also paragraph 0034 client sends write instruction with access address (identifier of target page)); and
wherein the storage node is configured to:
receive the access instruction (paragraph 0054 storage node receives write instruction);
parse out a logical chunk group identifier and an offset from the page identifier of the target page, wherein the offset indicates a location of the target page in a logical chunk group identified by the logical chunk group identifier (paragraph 0054 parses write instruction to get access address, paragraph 0058 hard disk divided into chunks, uses LUN and length of data); and
access the target page based on a storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point (paragraph 0058 access target with address and length (offset)).
With respect to claim 37, He teaches a storage medium and at least one processor (paragraphs 0039, 0125).
With respect to claims 22, 30, and 38, He teaches when accessing the target page based on the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, read the target page based on the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, and feed back the target page to the computing node (paragraph 0021 request is a read request, reads the data at the access address, feeds data back to client).
With respect to claims 24, 32, and 39, He teaches when accessing the target page based on the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point, write the target page into the storage location to which the logical chunk group identifier and the offset point (paragraph 0005 write instructions write data with access address to storage location).
With respect to claims 25 and 33, He teaches wherein the data write instruction carries pages that belong to a same logical chunk group and that are buffered in memory of the computing node and page identifiers of the pages, and the pages belonging to the same logical chunk group comprise the target page (paragraph 0005 data first buffered in memory of the computing node then stored in a hard disk).
With respect to claims 26, 34, and 40, He teaches:
send a page application request to the storage node, wherein the page application request is a request to obtain the page identifier of the target page (paragraph 0032 request to store data (write request));
obtain the page identifier of the target page fed back by the storage node (paragraph 0032 request carries access address of storage object); and
allocate the page identifier to the target page (paragraph 0032 allocate data to address in hard disk).
With respect to claims 27 and 35, He teaches after receiving the page application request, address the logical chunk group identifier and the offset as the page identifier of the target page, and feed back the page identifier of the target page to the computing node (paragraph 0032 access address fed back to to-be-stored data, paragraph 0066 feed back information about allocated storage object).
Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 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, 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.
Claims 23 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He in view of Roberts et al (US 20220129196), hereafter Roberts.
With respect to claims 23 and 31, all the limitations in claims 21 and 29 are addressed by He above. He does not teach before sending the data read instruction to the storage node, when the target page needs to be read, determine the target page is not found in a memory of the computing node based on the page identifier of the target page. Roberts teaches this in, upon a read memory command, checking for data in the cache (paragraph 0060). It would have been obvious to have combined this function of determining a target data is not found in memory in Roberts with the techniques for storing data in He as it is more efficient to check in cache for data to be read since cache is faster to read from than seeking the data on a disk.
Claims 28 and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He in view of Hyun et al (US 20150193302), hereafter Hyun.
With respect to claims 28 and 36, all the limitations in claims 1 and 29 are addressed by He above. He does not teach wherein the logical chunk group is an append only log (PLOG), and the logical chunk group identifier is a PLOG identifier. Hyun teaches this with an append-only log-based writing structure storing a logical block of data (paragraphs 0191, 0197 figure 6). It would have been obvious to have combined the use of an append-only log in Hyun with the techniques for storing data in He to store data sequentially so He can more efficiently find the next storage space for data.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRUCE M MOSER whose telephone number is (571)270-1718. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9a-5p.
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/BRUCE M MOSER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2154 7/10/26
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