Fast file server methods and systems

• US 10,038,739 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2017
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PME IP Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: PME IP Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Westerhoff, Malte, Stalling, Detlev
• Primary Examiner(s): Boutah, Alina A
• Application Number:
  US15/679,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20170346883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

The invention provides, in one aspect, an improved system for data access comprising a file server that is coupled to a client device or application executing thereon via one or more networks. The server comprises static storage that is organized in one or more directories, each containing, zero, one or more files. The server also comprises a file system operable, in cooperation with a file system on the client device, to provide authorized applications executing on the client device access to those directories and/or files. Fast file server (FFS) software or other functionality executing on or in connection with the server responds to requests received from the client by transferring requested data to the client device over multiple network pathways. That data can comprise, for example, directory trees, files (or portions thereof), and so forth.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) sending from a client executing application executed on a client file system on a client device a request for access to a configuration file to a file server;

(b) receiving access to the configuration file from the file server, where access is granted based in part on identity of the client executing application;

(c) reading from the configuration file an access key;

(d) reading one or more network interfaces of the file server specified by the configuration file, where the file server listens for incoming requests on the one or more network interfaces;

(e) sending a request for a data transfer through the one or more network interfaces together with the access key, where access to the data transfer is granted based in part on the access key; and

(f) receiving the data transfer through the one or more network interfaces.

2. The method of claim 1, where the file server executes a fast file server program which generates the configuration file.

3. The method of claim 2, where the fast file server program writes the configuration file into one or more directory trees that are to be exported.

4. The method of claim 3, where the configuration file has read permissions.

5. The method of claim 4, where the read permissions are as restrictive as the most restrictive read permissions of any files in the one or more directory trees.

6. The method of claim 1, where the access key is randomly generated.

7. The method of claim 1, where the contents of the access key proves that the client executing application had read permission to the configuration file.

8. The method of claim 1, where a connection to one or more network interfaces transmits a session key.

9. The method of claim 8, where one or more connections to each of the one or more network interfaces transmits the session key.

10. The method of claim 1, where the one or more network interfaces specified by the configuration file are physically independent networks.

11. The method of claim 1, where one or more security keys are used to identify a requested data transfer.

12. The method of claim 1, where a first client device accesses a first set of data over one or more first network interfaces and a second client device accesses a second set of data over the one or more first network interfaces.

13. The method of claim 1, where a first client device accesses a first set of data over one or more first network interfaces and a second client device accesses a second set of data over one or more second network interfaces.

14. The method of claim 13, where the one or more first network interfaces partially overlap with the one or more second network interfaces.

15. The method of claim 13, where none of the one or more first network interfaces are included in the one or more second network interfaces.

16. The method of claim 1, where the data transfer is transferred to the client device in parallel over two or more network pathways.

17. The method of claim 1, where the data transfer is transferred to the client device concurrently over two or more network pathways.

18. The method of claim 1, where the client file system cooperates with a file system on the file server to provide access to the configuration file for the client executing application.

20. The file server of claim 1, where the data comprises one or more of a directory tree, a file, a portion a directory tree and a portion of a file.

19. A client device comprising:

(a) a client static storage that is organized in one or more directories, where each directory contains zero, one or more files; and

(b) client executing application on a client file system capable of communicating with a fast file server program on a server file system of a file server over a plurality of networks, where the client executing application requests access to a configuration file generated by the fast file server program, where the configuration file specifies from the plurality of networks, one or more network interfaces over which data can be accessed by the client executing application, where access is granted at least in part based on read permission of the client executing application, where when the server file system receives a request from the client executing application for data the server file system responds by transferring the data over the one or more network interfaces specified by the configuration file.