Patent ID: 7640274

Claim:
A distributed storage system for streaming data, said system comprising: a first content writer configured to write an asset file to a first storage device, write a first block map for said asset file to the first storage device, said first block map comprising information concerning boundaries where said asset file is stored on said first storage device, write a first file associated with said asset file to the first storage device, said first file comprising at least one pointer to a location in said asset file, and write a second block map for said first file to the first storage device, said second block map comprising information concerning boundaries where said first file is stored on said first storage device; a program configured to write a copy of said first block map and said second block map on a second storage device coupled to a first video pump, wherein said first video pump is also coupled to said first storage device; a content syncher process configured to arrange for said copies of said first block map and said second block map on the second storage device to have names that are correlated with the names of the corresponding asset file and first file on the first storage device; a virtual file system configured to enable said first video pump to read said asset file by using said copy of said first block map, said virtual file system further configured to enable said first video pump to read said first file by using said copy of said second block map, said virtual file system further comprising a stackable virtual node interface and at least one virtual node; and a resource controller configured to: receive a request for said asset file, and select said first video pump from among a plurality of video pumps and direct the request to said first video pump; wherein said resource controller is further configured to determine that said first video pump has streamed said asset file more recently than any other video pump from among said plurality of video pumps and select said first video pump based upon said determining.