초록 ▼

A method for retrieving video data which has been striped across a plurality of disks using a coarse-grained striping technique. Specifically, and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises scheduling the retrieval of a video in response to an incomi

A method for retrieving video data which has been striped across a plurality of disks using a coarse-grained striping technique. Specifically, and in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the method comprises scheduling the retrieval of a video in response to an incoming request and based on the availability of bandwidth on the disks, and then rescheduling the retrieval of that video to occur at an earlier time, the rescheduling based on a change (i.e., an increase) in the availability of bandwidth on the disks which results from the retrieval of another video being completed. The scheduling and rescheduling may, for example, comprise assigning a disk to the video, where the method further comprises incrementing the disk assigned to the video as each round occurs and beginning the retrieval of the given video when the disk assigned to it is the disk on which the data for the given video begins.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [7.] A video server for servicing a plurality of incoming requests to retrieve a corresponding plurality of stored sequences of bits representing video information, the video server comprising:a plurality of disks, each of said disks having a bandwidth associated therewith, each of said

[ We claim:] [7.] A video server for servicing a plurality of incoming requests to retrieve a corresponding plurality of stored sequences of bits representing video information, the video server comprising:a plurality of disks, each of said disks having a bandwidth associated therewith, each of said sequences of bits having been stored on the plurality of disks in accordance with a coarse-grained disk striping technique in which each of the stored sequences of bits is adapted to be retrieved in response to a corresponding request thereto and in a successive plurality of rounds including a first round, each of said rounds comprising the retrieval of a corresponding successive subsequence of said sequence of bits, each of said successive subsequences having been stored on exactly one of said disks;means for scheduling the first round of the retrieval of one of said sequences of bits to occur at a first point in time, the means for scheduling responsive to one of said incoming requests, wherein said first point in time is based on both the order in which said incoming requests are received and a measure of availability of said bandwidth associated with one or more of said disks; andmeans for rescheduling the first round of said retrieval of said one of said sequences of bits to occur at a second point in time earlier than the first point in time, the means for rescheduling responsive to a change in said measure of availability of said bandwidth associated with said one or more of said disks, said change in said measure of availability of said bandwidth resulting from a completion of the retrieval of another one of said sequences of bits.