[OpenAFS] AFS+RAID

[Jason Young]

--On March 7, 2005 1:29:12 PM -0500 Jason Young
<itecs-openafs@engr.ncsu.edu> wrote:

> 
> 
> --On March 4, 2005 6:59:44 PM -0500 Derrick J Brashear
> <shadow@dementia.org> wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, 3 Mar 2005, John L. Capone wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi,
>>> 
>>> I am doing some research and am trying to determine what was the
>>> earliest time that an institution began to RAID with AFS.
>> 
>> So the question is, is he trying to get rid of a patent by proving prior
>> art, in which case, I hope someone is more helpful than I was (I got a
>> private email from him previously, and honestly, I have no idea),
> 
> I got a same email/phone call - probably because about 4 years ago I was
> asking about this and for recommendations about arrays that the community
> used.
> 
> Possibly against my better judgment - I responded - probably because after
> 2 emails and a phone call, it might be better to respond than not. - My
> response was basically "As soon as anyone could afford a RAID array" 
> 
> <http://people.engr.ncsu.edu/jayoung/site/pages/-8151fdc36adc64dd65892426
> a4ca8904>
> 
> It is kind of true, I somehow feel a little... weird... having responded
> to an IP lawyer - is that a sad state of affairs or what?  
> 
> Jason

I got an email back from Mr. Capone answering my curiousity question,
basically the summary was that he was trying to:

"overcome a patent that alleges to be novel and unobvious in claiming a
system that includes RAID on AFS...What we are trying to find out is if
anyone published an article or spoke about or developed a product that
included RAID on AFS prior to 1990."

I'm afraid our use probably wasn't much help, but hopefully someone will be
able to help him.

I will say, after being curious enough to search the Patent Database ( the
ugliest web page known to man) for "AFS AND RAID" (to see if I might figure
out the one the lawyer is trying to overcome) that I came away exceedingly
depressed at some of the patent grants the USPTO hands out. 

Jason


-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jason Young                       \ NC STATE UNIVERSITY  
ITECS Systems Group Manager        \ COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
http://people.engr.ncsu.edu/jayoung \     
____________________________________________________________