Network accessible file server

• US 10,558,622 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nasuni Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nasuni Corporation
• Inventors: Shaw, David M., McDonald, Matthew M., Neufeld, Russell A., Lacasse, Christopher S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Hung D
• Application Number:
  US15/591,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20180025026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• 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

Abstract

A cloud-based write-once object store is configured to store inode-based data exported to the store from an enterprise file system. For each version of data (e.g., a file) exported to the store, there is a version of the inode corresponding to that data. As versions of the data are exported to the cloud, the system creates multiple versions of the inode. The set of inode versions corresponding to the versions of the file have a pointer associated therewith that specifies the latest version of the data associated with the inode. The inode versions in the set share the same pointer. The inode versions represent a revision history for the inode. For each inode version corresponding to a version of the data, information is received and stored in a new portion of the object store. The inode version for a file version comprises a list of data chunks for the file.

Claims

1. A method to improve cloud-based storage for an enterprise file system, comprising:

providing access to a cloud-based write-once object store that is configured to store inode-based data exported to the cloud-based write-once object store from the enterprise file system;

for each version of particular data exported to the cloud-based write-once object store from the enterprise file system, associating a version of an inode, the inode being uniquely associated with the particular data and having a number that is immutable, wherein each of a set of inode versions for the inode has associated therewith a same, shared de-referencing pointer that specifies a latest version of the particular data that is associated with the inode; and

for each inode version corresponding to a version of the particular data, receiving and storing information in a new portion of the write-once object store, thereby enabling the write-once object store to provide a network-accessible file service.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the particular data is one of:

a directory, a piece of the directory, and a file.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the information stored is one of:

a directory manifest, and a file manifest.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the information stored is a file manifest that includes one or more chunks of a file.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the version of the particular data is exported from the enterprise file system upon an event that is one of:

creation, update, rename and deletion.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the cloud-based write-once object store is associated with a storage service provider entity.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further including tracking multiple inode versions that share the number, wherein the multiple inode versions represent multiple versions of a file in the enterprise file system.

8. Apparatus configured to provide cloud-based storage for an enterprise file system, comprising:

a processor;

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the processor to provide access to a cloud-based write-once object store, the cloud-based write-once object store being configured to store inode-based data exported to the cloud-based write-once object store from the enterprise file system, the computer program instructions configured to;

associate a version of an inode to each version of particular data exported to the cloud-based write-once object store from the enterprise file system, the inode being uniquely associated with the particular data and having a number that is immutable, wherein each of a set of inode versions for the inode has associated therewith a same, shared de-referencing pointer that specifies a latest version of the particular data that is associated with the inode; and

receive and initiate storage of information in a new portion of the write-once object store for each inode version corresponding to a version of the particular data thereby enabling the write-once object store to provide a network-accessible file service.

9. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the particular data is one of:

a directory, a piece of the directory, and a file.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein the information stored is a file manifest that includes one or more chunks of a file.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10, wherein the version of the particular data is exported from the enterprise file system upon an event that is one of:

creation, update, rename and deletion.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the information stored is one of:

a directory manifest, and a file manifest.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the cloud-based write-once object store is associated with a storage service provider entity.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 8, wherein the computer program instructions are further executed to track multiple inode versions that share the number, wherein the multiple inode versions represent multiple versions of a file in the enterprise file system.

15. A computer system, comprising:

a write-once object store, the write-once object store being configured to store inode-based data exported to the write-once object store from a file system;

a processor; and

computer memory holding computer program instructions configured to;

associate a version of an inode to each version of a particular file exported to the write-once object store from the file system, the inode being uniquely associated with the particular file and having a number that is immutable, wherein each of a set of inode versions for the inode has associated therewith a same, shared de-referencing pointer that specifies a latest version of the particular file that is associated with the inode; and

receive and initiate storage of data chunks in a new portion of the write-once object store for each inode version corresponding to a version of the particular file, thereby enabling the write-once object store to provide a network-accessible file service.