Methods and apparatus for conversion of content

Abstract

In one embodiment of the invention, a utility may be installed (e.g., by a system administrator) on a storage system. The utility may read content units on the storage system that are stored in one data format, and convert the content units to a second data format. In one embodiment, in response to a read request for a content unit, a data format in which to return the content unit may be selected and the content unit may be returned in that data format. In another embodiment, mapping information may be created that specifies in which data format a content unit should be returned in response to a request for the content unit. The mapping information may be stored either on the storage system that stores the content unit, the computer requesting access to the content unit, or any other computer or device in the computer system.

1 . A method for use in a computer system comprising at least one storage system and at least one host computer that is coupled to the at least one storage system and executes an application program that writes a plurality of content units to the at least one storage system, wherein the at least one storage system stores the plurality of content units in a first stored format, the method comprising:
 (A) executing on at least one computer other than the at least one host computer at least one utility that reads at least some of the plurality of content units and stores the at least some of the plurality of content units on the at least one storage system in a second stored format that is different from the first stored format.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises an act of executing the at least one utility on the at least one storage system. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer system further comprises at least one component that couples the at least one host to the at least one storage system, and wherein the act (A) comprises an act of executing the at least one utility on the at least one component. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the act (A) comprises an act of executing the at least one utility on at least one appliance that is separate from the at least one storage system and the at least one host computer. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one utility replaces the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the first stored format with the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the second stored format. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the application program is a first application program, wherein the second stored format is compatible with a second application program, and wherein the first format is incompatible with the second application program. 
   
   
       7 . At least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on a computer system comprising at least one storage system and at least one host computer that is coupled to the at least one storage system and executes an application program that writes a plurality of content units to the at least one storage system, wherein the at least one storage system stores the plurality of content units in a first stored format, performs a method comprising:
 (A) executing on at least one computer other than the at least one host computer at least one utility that reads at least some of the plurality of content units and stores the at least some of the plurality of content units on the at least one storage system in a second stored format that is different from the first stored format.   
   
   
       8 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the act (A) comprises an act of executing the at least one utility on the at least one storage system. 
   
   
       9 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the computer system further comprises at least one component that couples the at least one host to the at least one storage system, and wherein the act (A) comprises an act of executing the at least one utility on the at least one component. 
   
   
       10 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the act (A) comprises an act of executing the at least one utility on at least one appliance that is separate from the at least one storage system and the at least one host computer. 
   
   
       11 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the least one utility stores the at least some of the plurality of content units in the second stored format without replacing the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the first stored format. 
   
   
       12 . The at least one computer readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the application program is a first application program, wherein the second stored format is compatible with a second application program, and wherein the first format is incompatible with the second application program. 
   
   
       13 . In a computer system, at least one storage system comprising:
 at least one network interface that couples the at least one storage system to at least one host computer in the computer system, wherein the at least one host computer is capable of executing an application program that writes a plurality of content units to the at least one storage system;   at least one storage device that stores the plurality of content units in a first stored format; and   at least one controller that executes at least one utility that reads at least some of the plurality of content units and stores the at least some of the plurality of content units on the at least one storage system in a second stored format that is different from the first stored format.   
   
   
       14 . The at least one storage system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one utility replaces the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the first stored format with the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the second stored format. 
   
   
       15 . The at least one storage system of  claim 13 , wherein the least one utility stores the at least some of the plurality of content units in the second stored format without replacing the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the first stored format. 
   
   
       16 . The at least one storage system of  claim 13 , wherein the application program is a first application program, and wherein the second stored format is compatible with a second application program. 
   
   
       17 . The at least one storage system of  claim 16 , wherein the first and second application programs are different versions of an application program that performs substantially the same functions. 
   
   
       18 . The at least one storage system of  claim 16 , wherein the second format is incompatible with the first application program. 
   
   
       19 . A method for use in a computer system comprising at least one storage system and at least one host computer that is coupled to the at least one storage system and executes an application program that writes a plurality of content units to the at least one storage system, wherein the at least one storage system stores the plurality of content units in a first stored format, the method comprising:
 (A) installing on at least one computer other than the at least one host computer at least one utility that can read at least some of the plurality of content units and store the at least some of the plurality of content units on the at least one storage system in a second stored format that is different from the first stored format.   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the act (A) comprises an act of installing the at least one utility on the at least one storage system. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the computer system further comprises at least one component that couples the at least one host to the at least one storage system, and wherein the act (A) comprises an act of installing the at least one utility on the at least one component. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the act (A) comprises an act of installing the at least one utility on at least one appliance that is separate from the at least one storage system and the at least one host computer. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one utility replaces the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the first stored format with the at least some of the plurality of content units stored in the second stored format. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the application program is a first application program, wherein the second stored format is compatible with a second application program, and wherein the first format is incompatible with the second application program.