Shippable network-attached data storage device with updateable electronic display

Abstract

A network-attachable data transfer device housed within a shippable enclosure that incorporates an updateable electronic display for displaying shipping destination information is disclosed. The device may be initialized (e.g., prepared to receive data, and the updateable electronic shipping display set to the shipping destination) by a service provider and shipped, in accordance with the displayed destination address, as a self-contained shipping unit. The device may be installed onto a network at the destination and loaded with data. The display may also be updated with the next destination address such that the device is shipped to the updated destination address (e.g., back to the service provider, or onto other destinations before being send back to the service provider). When the device is received back at the service provider, the data is transferred from the device to a service provider storage facility, wiped of data, and prepared to be sent out again.

Description

[0001]This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14 / 788,671, filed Jun. 30, 2015, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]Growth of data storage capacity and big data has far outpaced the rate of increase of data transmission bandwidth capable of transferring big data. The discrepancy is so great that transmitting big data from one storage facility to another storage facility can be prohibitively costly (e.g., requiring costly system upgrades) or lengthy (e.g., transmission taking months to years). Physically moving the storage media may leave the data on legacy hardware or may not be an available option (e.g., when the data was stored by a storage service on behalf of the customer). Some solutions have involved transferring the data to a portable storage device (e.g., network attached storage devices) and shipping the portable storage device to another storage facility where the data is transferred to another storag...

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