Read-only storage device having network interface, a system including the device, and a method of distributing files over a network

• US 20030084152A1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keicy K. Chung
• Original Assignee: Keicy K. Chung
• Inventors: Chung, Keicy K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• 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: H04L 65/4025 where none of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. downloading a file in a parallel FTP session, initiating an email or combinational services
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A Read-only storage device having network interface, a system including the device, and a method of distributing files over a network. The storage device comprises a processor communicably connected to a computer interface, a network interface, and a storage means. The processor is communicates with a computer and a file server through the computer interface and the network interface, respectively. The computer may request a file from the processor and the processor responds by either (1) providing the requested file to the computer on a read-only basis if the file is cached on the storage means, (2) obtains the file from the file server if the file is available from the file server, caches the obtained file on the storage means, and provides the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis, or (3) returns a file unavailable notice to the computer.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a processor;

a computer interface communicably connected to the processor to enable the processor to communicate with a computer;

a network interface communicably connected to the processor to enable the processor to communicate with a file server; and

a storage means communicably connected to the processor, wherein the computer may request a file from the processor and the processor either (1) provides the file to the computer if the file is cached on the storage means, (2) obtains the file from the file server if the file is available from the file server, caches the obtained file on the storage means, and provides the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis, or (3) returns a file unavailable notice to the computer.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the computer is communicably connected to a network server through the network interface.

3. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage means comprises random access media.

4. A computer network comprising

a file server;

a network server;

a computer communicably connected to the network server;

a storage device communicably connected to the computer and the file server, the storage device comprising a processor and a storage means, wherein the computer may request a file from the processor and the processor either (1) provides the file to the computer on a read-only basis if the file is cached on the storage means, (2) obtains the file from the file server if the file is available from the file server, caches the obtained file on the storage means, and provides the obtained file to the computer on a read-only basis, or (3) returns a file unavailable notice to the computer.

5. The computer network of claim 4, wherein the computer is communicably connected to the network server through the storage device.

6. The computer network of claim 4, wherein the storage means comprises random access media.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising providing to the computer a response indicating that the file is not available if the file is not cached on the storage means.

7. A method of providing a file to a computer comprising

receiving in a storage device a request from the computer for the file, the storage device including a storage means;

determining whether the file is cached on the storage means;

determining, if the file is not cached on the storage means, whether the file is available from a file server, and if the file is available from the file server, retrieving the file from the file server and caching the retrieved file on the storage means; and

providing to the computer the file on a read-only basis if the file is cached on the storage means.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising deleting the cached file from the storage means upon receiving a command from the file server to delete the cached file.

10. A method for providing updated files to a computer comprising:

providing to the computer, from a storage device, a list identifying a plurality of files which the storage device may retrieve from a file server;

retrieving from the file server, with the storage device, a first file of the plurality of files when the computer communicates to the storage device a request for the first file;

caching within the storage device a copy of the first file that the computer may access on a read-only basis;

receiving at the storage device notice from the file server that an updated version of the first file exists on the file server, whereupon the cached copy of the first file is deleted.