Method and system for effective utilization of data storage capacity

• US 20040153481A1
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Srikrishna Talluri
• Original Assignee: Srikrishna Talluri
• Inventors: Talluri, Srikrishna
• Application Number:
  US10/762,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20040153481A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2056 by mirroring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0607 by facilitating the process of upgrading existing storage systems, e.g. for improving compatibility between host and storage device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0613 in relation to throughput
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A method and system for effective utilization of data storage capacity on storage resources of a communicatively coupled network system involves the creation of a data storage architecture that provides for a dynamic, percentage based segmentation of ‘total installed capacity’ or ‘available/unused storage capacity’ on all or selected nodes on the network system into dedicated and shared storage segments. The storage architecture also employs a centralized file server directly in the path of a distributed network file system in the preferred operating mode, where the centralized server acts uniquely as a host of original data and also as a back-up device.

Claims

1. A method for effective utilization of data storage capacity using a storage architecture wherein the said storage architecture enables dynamic configuration and segmentation of storage capacity on all or selected nodes on the network system into non-sharable and shared storage capacity segments, said method further based on a percentage of ‘

total installed capacity’

or ‘

available/unused storage capacity’

on said nodes.

2. A method that uses a centralized file server directly in the path of a distributed network file system, wherein the centralized server acts as a host of original data and also as a back-up device.

3. A method for effective utilization of data storage capacity using a storage architecture wherein the said storage architecture makes optimal utilization of network bandwidth and subsystem I/O bandwidth for storing data in a distributed network file system.