Method, system, and program for maintaining a namespace of filesets accessible to clients over a network

• US 20050273451A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Correl, Stephen F., Young, Jason Christopher, Clark, Thomas Keith, Seeger, James John
• Granted Patent: US 7,392,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program maintaining information on a namespace comprised of filesets shared by clients over a network. Zone information is maintained on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client system, at least one fileset, and at least one storage pool. For one zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client system. Clients are provided information on filesets included in a namespace, wherein each of a plurality of clients receive information on the at least one fileset associated with the client in the at least one zone including the client.

Claims

1. A method maintaining information on a namespace comprised of filesets shared by clients over a network, comprising:

maintaining zone information on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client system, at least one fileset, and at least one storage pool, wherein for one zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client system; and

providing clients information on filesets included in a namespace, wherein each of a plurality of clients receive information on the at least one fileset associated with the client in the at least one zone including the client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one client associated with multiple zones is enabled to access the filesets and storage pools in the associated zones.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the clients are restricted to performing operations with respect to file sets and storage pools in the at least one zone including the client.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one rule identifying a condition and storage pools in which to store files if the condition is satisfied;

determining whether the storage pools identified in the received rule are included in multiple zones; and

rejecting the received rule in response to determining that a specified fileset in the condition is not included in one zone including the storage pools identified in the received rule.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the rule condition indicates at least one client, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one client indicated in the rule condition is included in the determined multiple zones; and

failing the received rule in response to determining that the at least one client is not included in one the determined multiple zones.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition indicates at least one of a fileset, file class, or client, wherein the condition is satisfied if a request to create a file satisfies the condition.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a service class associates a service level with storage pools and zones, wherein multiple storage pools and zones are capable of being associated with one service level.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request to create a file from one client;

determining a rule specifying one service class that is applicable to the received request;

determining at least one storage pool included in the specified service class that is in a zone applicable to the initiated the request; and

creating the requested file in an area of the determined at least one storage pool.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone information is maintained by a metadata server in communication with the clients and wherein the metadata server provides the clients information on the filesets included in the namespace that the clients are enabled to access, wherein the metadata server further performs:

receiving a request from one client to create a file;

determining whether one rule applies to the file create request indicating at least one storage pool in which to create the file; and

creating the file in a location in the at least one storage pool indicated in the rule in response to determining that one rule applies.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage pool comprises at least one storage device, wherein each storage device is restricted to being included in one storage pool.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone information is used to verify client connectivity to storage pools during client discovery, wherein the client is enabled to only access storage pools in zones including the client performing discovery.

12. A system in communication with clients and storage pools over a network, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

zone information, implemented in the computer readable medium, on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client system, at least one fileset, and at least one storage pool, wherein for one zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client system; and

circuitry enabled to provide clients information on filesets included in a namespace, wherein each of a plurality of clients receive information on the at least one fileset associated with the client in the at least one zone including the client

13. The system of claim 12, wherein one client associated with multiple zones is enabled to access the filesets and storage pools in the associated zones.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the clients are restricted to performing operations with respect to file sets and storage pools in the at least one zone including the client.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the circuitry is further enabled to:

receive one rule identifying a condition and storage pools in which to store files if the condition is satisfied;

determining whether the storage pools identified in the received rule are included in multiple zones;

rejecting the received rule in response to determining that a specified fileset in the condition is not included in one zone including the storage pools identified in the received rule.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the rule condition indicates at least one client, and wherein the circuitry is further enabled to:

determine whether the at least one client indicated in the rule condition is included in the determined multiple zones; and

fail the received rule in response to determining that the at least one client is not included in one the determined multiple zones.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the condition indicates at least one of a fileset, file class, or client, wherein the condition is satisfied if a request to create a file satisfies the condition.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein a service class associates a service level with storage pools and zones, wherein multiple storage pools and zones are capable of being associated with one service level.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the circuitry is further enabled to:

receive a request to create a file from one client;

determine a rule specifying one service class that is applicable to the received request;

determine at least one storage pool included in the specified service class that is in a zone applicable to the initiated the request; and

create the requested file in an area of the determined at least one storage pool.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the zone information is maintained by a metadata server in communication with the clients and wherein the metadata server provides the clients information on the filesets included in the namespace that the clients are enabled to access, wherein the metadata server further performs:

receiving a request from one client to create a file;

determining whether one rule applies to the file create request indicating at least one storage pool in which to create the file; and

creating the file in a location in the at least one storage pool indicated in the rule in response to determining that one rule applies.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one storage pool comprises at least one storage device, wherein each storage device is restricted to being included in one storage pool.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the zone information is used to verify client connectivity to storage pools during client discovery, wherein the client is enabled to only access storage pools in zones including the client performing discovery.

23. An article of manufacture in communication with clients and storage pools over a network, wherein the article of manufacture is enabled to perform operations, the operations comprising:

maintaining zone information on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client system, at least one fileset, and at least one storage pool, wherein for one zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client system; and

providing clients information on filesets included in a namespace, wherein each of a plurality of clients receive information on the at least one fileset associated with the client in the at least one zone including the client

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein one client associated with multiple zones is enabled to access the filesets and storage pools in the associated zones.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the clients are restricted to performing operations with respect to filesets and storage pools in the at least one zone including the client.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving one rule identifying a condition and storage pools in which to store files if the condition is satisfied;

determining whether the storage pools identified in the received rule are included in multiple zones;

rejecting the received rule in response to determining that a specified fileset in the condition is not included in one zone including the storage pools identified in the received rule.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the rule condition indicates at least one client, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the at least one client indicated in the rule condition is included in the determined multiple zones; and

failing the received rule in response to determining that the at least one client is not included in one the determined multiple zones.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the condition indicates at least one of a fileset, file class, or client, wherein the condition is satisfied if a request to create a file satisfies the condition.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein a service class associates a service level with storage pools and zones, wherein multiple storage pools and zones are capable of being associated with one service level.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request to create a file from one client;

determining a rule specifying one service class that is applicable to the received request;

determining at least one storage pool included in the specified service class that is in a zone applicable to the initiated the request; and

creating the requested file in an area of the determined at least one storage pool.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the zone information is maintained by a metadata server in communication with the clients and wherein the metadata server provides the clients information on the filesets included in the namespace that the clients are enabled to access, wherein the metadata server further performs:

receiving a request from one client to create a file;

determining whether one rule applies to the file create request indicating at least one storage pool in which to create the file; and

creating the file in a location in the at least one storage pool indicated in the rule in response to determining that one rule applies.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the at least one storage pool comprises at least one storage device, wherein each storage device is restricted to being included in one storage pool.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the zone information is used to verify client connectivity to storage pools during client discovery, wherein the client is enabled to only access storage pools in zones including the client performing discovery.

34. A computer readable medium, comprising:

zone information on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client system, at least one fileset, and at least one storage pool, wherein for one zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client system;

wherein clients are provided information on filesets included in a namespace, wherein each of a plurality of clients receive information on the at least one fileset associated with the client in the at least one zone including the client

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein one client associated with multiple zones is enabled to access the filesets and storage pools in the associated zones.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the clients are restricted to performing operations with respect to file sets and storage pools in the at least one zone including the client.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein the condition indicates at least one of a fileset, file class, or client, wherein the condition is satisfied if a request to create a file satisfies the condition.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein a service class associates a service level with storage pools and zones, wherein multiple storage pools and zones are capable of being associated with one service level.