Patent ID: 7693960

Claim:
A data storage system comprising: a first storage system at a customer premises that is configured to receive individual data files from a customer system, and on an individual file-by-file basis substantially in real time from receiving each of the individual data files, to determine individual file types for the individual data files and transfer the individual data files based on the individual file types determined for the individual data files; a second storage system configured to receive and store the individual data files on the individual file-by-file basis, and to subsequently form blocks of data including the individual data files, and transfer the blocks of data; a third storage system configured to receive and store the blocks of data to store the individual data files; a bonded time division multiplex connection configured to transfer the individual data files from the first storage system to the second storage system on the individual file-by-file basis; a first internet protocol connection configured to transfer the blocks of data from the second storage system to the third storage system; and a customer management system at the customer premises that is linked to the second and third storage systems by a second internet protocol connection and that is configured to receive first instructions from a customer associated with the customer premises, and in response, to instruct the second and third storage systems to increase data storage capacity for the customer premises and to instruct the second storage system to increase communications capacity for the customer premises on the bonded time division multiplex connection and the third storage system to increase communication capacity for the customer premises on the first internet protocol connection.