Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090077097 | File Aggregation in a Switched File System - In a switched file system, a file switching device is logically positioned between clients and file servers and communicates with the clients and the file servers using standard network file protocols. The file switching device appears as a server to the client devices and as a client to the file servers. The file switching device aggregates storage from multiple file servers into a global filesystem and presents a global namespace to the client devices. The file switching device typically supports a “native” mode for integrating legacy files into the global namespace and an “extended” mode for actively managing files across one or more file servers. Typically, native-mode files may be accessed directly or indirectly via the file switching device, while extended-mode files may be accessed only through the file switching device. The file switching device may manage file storage using various types of rules, e.g., for managing multiple storage tiers or for applying different types of encoding schemes to files. Rules may be applied to pre-existing files. | 03-19-2009 |
20090106255 | File Aggregation in a Switched File System - In a switched file system, a file switching device is logically positioned between clients and file servers and communicates with the clients and the file servers using standard network file protocols. The file switching device appears as a server to the client devices and as a client to the file servers. The file switching device aggregates storage from multiple file servers into a global filesystem and presents a global namespace to the client devices. The file switching device typically supports a “native” mode for integrating legacy files into the global namespace and an “extended” mode for actively managing files across one or more file servers. Typically, native-mode files may be accessed directly or indirectly via the file switching device, while extended-mode files may be accessed only through the file switching device. The file switching device may manage file storage using various types of rules, e.g., for managing multiple storage tiers or for applying different types of encoding schemes to files. Rules may be applied to pre-existing files. | 04-23-2009 |
20090271412 | Peer-to-Peer Redundant File Server System and Methods - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 10-29-2009 |
20110087696 | SCALABLE SYSTEM FOR PARTITIONING AND ACCESSING METADATA OVER MULTIPLE SERVERS - In an aggregated file system, metadata is partitioned into multiple metadata volumes. On receipt of a file processing request, a file switch examines its mount entry cache to identify a target metadata volume that hosts the metadata of the requested file. The identification begins with mount entries at a root volume and continues recursively by examining a portion of the absolute pathname of the file until the target metadata volume is identified. Finally, the file switch forwards the request to a metadata server managing the target metadata volume. Since the identification process is carried out completely within the file switch, there is no need for multiple expensive network accesses to different metadata servers. | 04-14-2011 |
20120036161 | Distributed File System and Method - A distributed file system and method distributes file system objects across multiple self-contained volumes, where each volume is owned by a unique file system node. Logical links are used to reference a file system object between volumes. Each file system node includes a relocation directory in which is maintained hard links to locally-stored file system objects that are referenced from another file system node using logical links. Various file system operations that involve multiple volumes are performed without having to place a write lock on more than one volume at a time. Various caching schemes allow the various file system nodes to cache file system object data and metadata. | 02-09-2012 |
20130013619 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013639 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and /or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013654 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013655 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-10-2013 |
20130013675 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-10-2013 |
20130018928 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-17-2013 |
20130018930 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 01-17-2013 |
20130066830 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 03-14-2013 |
20130066931 | PEER-TO-PEER REDUNDANT FILE SERVER SYSTEM AND METHODS - Peer-to-peer redundant file server system and methods include clients that determine a target storage provider to contact for a particular storage transaction based on a pathname provided by the filesystem and a predetermined scheme such as a hash function applied to a portion of the pathname. Servers use the same scheme to determine where to store relevant file information so that the clients can locate the file information. The target storage provider may store the file itself and/or may store metadata that identifies one or more other storage providers where the file is stored. A file may be replicated in multiple storage providers, and the metadata may include a list of storage providers from which the clients can select (e.g., randomly) in order to access the file. | 03-14-2013 |
20140082145 | Software-Defined Network Attachable Storage System and Method - A method for establishing a software-defined network attachable storage system includes establishing first and second sets of logical computer systems (which may be virtual computer systems) as namespace servers and dataspace servers respectively. Each namespace server is configured: (a) to store, in its memory, filesystem metadata, the metadata including file and directory names and information on where user data associated with the file and directory names resides, and to store in its storage system a dynamically updated copy of the filesystem metadata; and (b) to process storage system pathname requests, for a predetermined subset of the namespace, from at least one requesting client computer and to return in response to each request a handle for use by the requesting client computer; and (ii) each dataspace server is configured to store and retrieve user data in its storage system based on handles determined by the namespace servers. | 03-20-2014 |
20140297734 | Software-Defined Network Attachable Storage System and Method - A method for establishing a software-defined network attachable storage system includes establishing first and second sets of logical computer systems (which may be virtual computer systems) as namespace servers and dataspace servers respectively. Each namespace server is configured: (a) to store, in its memory, filesystem metadata, the metadata including file and directory names and information on where user data associated with the file and directory names resides, and to store in its storage system a dynamically updated copy of the filesystem metadata; and (b) to process storage system pathname requests, for a predetermined subset of the namespace, from at least one requesting client computer and to return in response to each request a handle for use by the requesting client computer; and (ii) each dataspace server is configured to store and retrieve user data in its storage system based on handles determined by the namespace servers. | 10-02-2014 |