Network storage system

• US 20040143643A1
• Filed: 07/08/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takamoto, Yoshifumi, Yamasaki, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,308,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/215
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Disclosed here is a network storage system for providing many clients with file services. The system is structured to enable layered management of clients so that a client management device is disposed between a network file device provided with a disk unit and each client while the network file device allocates a disk area to the client management device, sets and manages access privileges of clients while the client management device allocates a disk area to each client and sets and manages the access privilege of each client.

Claims

1. A network storage system for supplying a storage to a plurality of clients through a network;

wherein said system includes;

a first device provided with a disk device; and

a second device for managing the connection to said plurality of clients;

wherein said first device allocates an area of said disk device to said second device;

wherein said second device allocates a lower area of said area allocated from said first device to each of said plurality of clients; and

wherein said second device is provided with means for translating a source network address to a specific network address to be transferred to said first device even when receiving a request from any one of a plurality of network addresses denoting said plurality of clients.

2. The network storage system according to claim 1,

wherein said second device adds a preset name of said area allocated from said first device to a file name included in said access request received from said client and transfers said file name to said first device.

3. The network storage system according to claim 2,

wherein said system, when said second device is started up, encodes an identifier specific to said second device, then transfers said encoded identifier to said first device while said first device decodes said device identifier received from said second device and compares said device identifier received from said second device with device identifiers described in a table stored in said first device so as enable those identifier-described devices to be connected to their objects.

4. The network storage system according to claim 3,

wherein said first device requests said second device for transferring of its device identifier periodically and inhibits said second device to access said allocated area when receiving no response from said second device or when said device identifier is not found in said table stored in itself and used to describe devices enabled to access said allocated disk area.

5. The network storage system according to claim 2,

wherein said first device, when said second device is started up, transfers the name of said area allocated to said second device.

6. The network storage system according to claim 3,

wherein said first device notifies said second device of a usable capacity when said second device is started up and said second device makes a check whether or not said capacity is exceeded when receiving a write request from a client and rejects said write request if said capacity is exceeded.

7. The network storage system according to claim 2,

wherein said second device encodes a write or read request from a client, then transfers said encoded request to said first device.

8. The network storage system according to claim 2,

wherein said second device, when a client'"'"'s file is to be transferred between a plurality of said second devices, determines whether or not said file is transferred between different networks and converts the user identifier described in the management information of said file if YES is the check result.

9. The network storage system according to claim 8,

wherein said second device, when having transferred said file, deletes the management information related to said client who has transferred said file therefrom and said destination second device adds the management information related to said client thereto.

10. The network storage system according to claim 2,

wherein said second device is built in said first device.

11. A network storage system connected to a network to which a plurality of clients are connected, said system comprising:

a network file device for managing a plurality of disk devices; and

a client management device for relaying an access request issued from a client to a disk device and translating said client address to its address to access said disk device.

12. A network storage system connected to a network to which a plurality of clients are connected, said system comprising:

a network file device for managing a plurality of disk devices; and

a client management device for relaying an access request issued from a client to a disk device;

wherein said network file device allocates a predetermined area of each of said plurality of disk devices to said client management device; and

wherein said client management device divides said predetermined area allocated to itself and allocates said divided areas to said plurality of clients.

13. The network storage system according to claim 12,

wherein said network file device has a primary cache for storing copy information, which is at least part of said disk device information;

and

wherein said client management device has a secondary cache for storing part of said copy information stored in said primary cache, which corresponds to said predetermined area allocated itself.

14. The network storage system according to claim 12,

wherein said network file device and said network storage system are united into one or separated from each other and connected to each other through a network.