Patent ID: 7742504

Claim:
A system comprising: a plurality of storage devices to store data, including data streams including respective data segments in sequences, wherein data segments included in a sequence of a data stream are stored in the plurality of storage devices; a plurality of data processing devices to couple with a network communication device, the plurality of data processing devices coupled with the plurality of storage devices, each data processing device of the plurality of data processing devices including: a first module to retrieve a data segment from a storage device of the plurality of storage devices coupled with the data processing device, wherein the data segment is included in the sequence of data segments of a data stream, remaining data segments in the data stream stored in remaining storage devices; and a second module to schedule transmission of the retrieved data segment to a client according to the sequence, wherein the second module schedules transmission of the retrieved data segment based on schedules of transmissions of corresponding second modules included in remaining data processing devices, each scheduled to transmit data segments retrieved from corresponding storage devices such that all data segments in the data stream are retrieved and scheduled for transmission in the sequence in which the data segments are included in the data stream, wherein at least one data processing device of the plurality of data processing devices includes a module to provide control information to control a transmission of the data stream, each second module of each data processing device operatively coupled to the module to provide control information, and to schedule transmission of corresponding retrieved data segments according to the control information, wherein the module to provide control information is included in a data processing device that receives a request for the data stream, and wherein, in response to the module to provide control information receiving the request, the plurality of data processing devices send the data segments directly to a client requesting the data stream.