Fast file server methods and systems

• US 10,686,868 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• 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:
  US16/036,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20180324243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 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 file server device comprising:

(a) a processor, a static storage, a file system, and a TCP/IP port communicating with a plurality of independent networks, where one or more of the plurality of networks is interspersed between the processor and the file server device; and

(b) a fast file server software application residing on the file server device, where the fast file server software application generates a configuration file, where the configuration file identifies from the plurality of independent networks one or more network interfaces over which a set of data can be transferred between the file server device and a client executing application, where the client executing application is executed on the processor, and where the fast file server software application transfers the set of data to the client executing application over the one or more of the plurality of networks through the one or more network interfaces specified in the configuration file.

2. The device of claim 1, where the fast file server software application grants access to the client executing application to read the configuration file.

3. The device of claim 1, where the TCP/IP port listens for incoming connections.

4. The device of claim 1, where the plurality of independent networks are connected to physically independent networks.

5. The device of claim 1, where the fast file server software application monitors for incoming requests for the set of data from the client executing application.

6. The device of claim 1, where the file system is operable to provide access to the client executing application access to directories and/or files of the file system.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising generating an access key, where the access key is used to authorize access to the configuration file.

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

9. The device of claim 1, where one or more security keys are used to identify a valid request for a set of data for transfer.

10. The device 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.

11. The device 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.

12. The device of claim 11, where the one or more first network interfaces partially overlap with the one or more second network interfaces.

13. The device of claim 11, where none of the one or more first network interfaces are included in the one or more second network interfaces.

14. The device of claim 1, where the transfer of the set of data to the client executing application occurs in parallel over two or more network pathways.

15. The device of claim 1, where the transfer of the set of data to the client executing application occurs concurrently over two or more network pathways.

16. The device of claim 1, where the configuration file resides on the file server device.

17. A file server device comprising:

a processor, a static storage, a file system, a configuration file, a TCP/IP port communicating with a plurality of independent networks each having one or more network interfaces, and a fast file server software application, where;

the configuration file identifies, from the plurality of independent networks, one or more network interfaces over which data can be transferred between the fast file server software application and a client executing application on one of the plurality of independent networks;

the fast file server software application monitors for requests from the client executing application;

in response to receiving a request for access to the configuration file from the client executing application via at least one of a plurality of networks, the fast file server software application authorizes access to the configuration file for the client executing application; and

in response to requests for data from a client executing application having access to the configuration file, the fast file server software application sends a data transfer to the client executing application through the one or more network interfaces specified in the configuration file.

18. The device of claim 17, where the configuration file has read permissions.

19. The device of claim 17, where the configuration file further comprises an access key, where the access key is used to authorize access to the configuration file.

20. The device of claim 17, where the fast file server software application generates the configuration file.