Meta-data storage and access techniques

• US 20050138011A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Garney, John I., Trika, Sanjeev N., Royer, Robert J. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/746,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138011A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

Briefly, techniques to separate a file system and its related meta-data from associated data stored in a mass storage device and store the meta-data on a low latency random access storage device with approximately uniform access times.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

allocating storage capacity for meta-data in a meta-data storage device;

receiving a request to access a file; and

requesting access to meta-data in response to the file including an access to meta-data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating storage capacity further comprises:

determining an initial region allocable for meta-data storage in the meta-data storage device;

formatting a region of the meta-data storage device for meta-data storage; and

updating a table that associates meta-data with storage locations in the meta-data storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requesting access to meta-data further comprises:

selectively providing a first address for meta-data in response to the file including an access to meta-data; and

selectively translating the first address into a second address in response to an association between the first and second addresses, wherein the second address identifies a storage location in the meta-data storage device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the translating further comprises:

selectively allocating a third address in available storage in the meta-data storage device in response to the first address not being associated with any address in the meta-data storage device; and

associating the first address with the selectively allocated third address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta-data storage device comprises a non-volatile storage device with approximately similar access times for randomly requested meta-data

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising accessing meta-data using the meta-data storage device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the allocating storage capacity for meta-data comprises allocating addressable storage locations in the meta-data storage device and at least another storage device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing meta-data in the meta-data storage device and the at least another storage device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a file name and wherein the requesting access to meta-data is based on the file name.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an address associated with the request to access the file and wherein the requesting access to meta-data is based on the address.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selectively associating meta-data with the request to access the file; and

requesting access to data based on the meta-data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta-data storage device comprises a non-volatile storage device with approximately similar access times for randomly stored meta-data and further comprising a mass storage device to store data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the meta-data comprises file system meta-data.

14. A system comprising:

a processing unit;

a first storage device;

a second storage device;

an interface device to provide intercommunication between the processing unit and the first and second storage devices; and

an application storage device including machine readable instructions that when executed instruct the processing unit to;

allocate storage capacity for meta-data in a meta-data storage device,

receive a request to access a file, and

request access to meta-data in response to the file including an access to meta-data.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface device comprises an interface compatible with serial ATA.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the interface device comprises an interface compatible with PCI express.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the first storage device comprises a non-volatile storage device with approximately similar access times for randomly stored meta-data.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the second storage device comprises a mass storage device to store data.