Clustered filesystem for mix of trusted and untrusted nodes

• US 20040250113A1
• Filed: 04/16/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beck, Kenneth S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0709 in a distributed system consisting of a plurality of standalone computer nodes, e.g. clusters, client-server systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0745 in an input/output transactions management context input/output processing in general G06F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0772 Means for error signaling, e.g. using interrupts, exception flags, dedicated error registers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A cluster of computer system nodes share direct read/write access to storage devices via a storage area network using a cluster filesystem. At least one trusted metadata server assigns a mandatory access control label as an extended attribute of each filesystem object regardless of whether required by a client node accessing the filesystem object. The mandatory access control label indicates the sensitivity and integrity of the filesystem object and is used by the trusted metadata server(s) to control access to the filesystem object by all client nodes.

Claims

1. A method of operating a cluster of computer system nodes sharing direct read/write access to filesystems administered by at least one trusted metadata server node on storage devices connected to the computer system nodes via a storage area network, comprising:

assigning a mandatory access control label as an extended attribute of each filesystem object administered by the at least one trusted metadata server node regardless of whether required by a client node creating the filesystem object.

2. A method as recited in claim 1,

wherein the file system object is obtained from a filesystem, and

wherein said assigning uses a fiilesystem mandatory access control label if previously assigned to the filesystem when the client node requesting access to the filesystem has no mandatory access control label for accessing the filesystem.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said assigning uses a networking mandatory access control label if previously assigned to the client node and no fiilesystem mandatory access control label is assigned to the filesystem.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said assigning uses a default mandatory access control label if no fiilesystem mandatory access control label is assigned to the filesystem and no networking mandatory access control label is assigned to the client node.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said assigning includes a first indication of sensitivity and integrity in the mandatory access control label of the filesystem object.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

assigning a second indication of sensitivity and integrity to each node having access to the filesystem; and

permitting access to the filesystem object by any client node only if the second indication of sensitivity and integrity assigned thereto meets criteria defined by the first indication of sensitivity and integrity in the mandatory access control label of the filesystem object.

7. At least one computer readable medium storing at least one program embodying a method of operating a cluster of computer system nodes sharing direct read/write access to filesystems administered by at least one trusted metadata server node on storage devices connected to the computer system nodes via a storage area network, said method comprising:

assigning a mandatory access control label as an extended attribute of each filesystem object administered by the at least one trusted metadata server node regardless of whether required by a client node creating the filesystem object.

8. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 7,

wherein the file system object is obtained from a filesystem, and

wherein said assigning uses a fiilesystem mandatory access control label if previously assigned to the filesystem when the client node requesting access to the filesystem has no mandatory access control label for accessing the filesystem.

9. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein said assigning uses a networking mandatory access control label if previously assigned to the client node and no fiilesystem mandatory access control label is assigned to the filesystem.

10. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein said assigning uses a default mandatory access control label if no fiilesystem mandatory access control label is assigned to the filesystem and no networking mandatory access control label is assigned to the client node.

11. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein said assigning includes a first indication of sensitivity and integrity in the mandatory access control label of the filesystem object.

12. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

assigning a second indication of sensitivity and integrity to each node having access to the filesystem; and

permitting access to the filesystem object by any client node only if the second indication of sensitivity and integrity assigned thereto meets criteria defined by the first indication of sensitivity and integrity in the mandatory access control label of the filesystem object.

13. A cluster of computer systems, comprising:

storage devices storing at least one filesystem;

a storage area network coupled to said storage devices;

metadata client nodes coupled to said storage area network; and

at least one trusted metadata server node, coupled to said storage area network, to assign a mandatory access control label as an extended attribute of each filesystem object regardless of whether required by a client node accessing the filesystem object.

14. A cluster of computer systems as recited in claim 13,

wherein the file system object is obtained from a filesystem, and

wherein said at least one trusted metadata server node uses a fiilesystem mandatory access control label if previously assigned to the filesystem when the client node requesting access to the filesystem does has no mandatory access control label for accessing the filesystem.

15. A cluster of computer systems as recited in claim 14, wherein said at least one trusted metadata server node uses a networking mandatory access control label if previously assigned to the client node and no fiilesystem mandatory access control label is assigned to the filesystem.

16. A cluster of computer systems as recited in claim 15, wherein said at least one trusted metadata server node uses a default mandatory access control label if no fiilesystem mandatory access control label is assigned to the filesystem and no networking mandatory access control label is assigned to the client node.

17. A cluster of computer systems as recited in claim 16, wherein said at least one trusted metadata server node includes a first indication of sensitivity and integrity in the mandatory access control label of the filesystem object.

18. A cluster of computer systems as recited in claim 17, wherein said at least one trusted metadata server node further assigns a second indication of sensitivity and integrity to each node having access to the filesystem, and permits access to the filesystem object by any client node only if the second indication of sensitivity and integrity assigned thereto meets criteria defined by the first indication of sensitivity and integrity in the mandatory access control label of the filesystem object.