Multi-protocol namespace server
First Claim
1. A namespace server comprising:
- memory for storing translation information for translating client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server network namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a NAS network namespace, and at least one processor coupled to the memory for accessing the translation information, said at least one processor being programmed for translating the client requests for access to the files referenced by pathnames in the client-server network namespace into the requests for access to the files referenced by the pathnames in the NAS network namespace, said at least one processor also being programmed for changing the translation of a client-server network pathname for a file from an old NAS network pathname for the file to a new NAS network pathname for the file for migrating the file without disruption to concurrent client read-write access to the file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A namespace server translates client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a backend NAS network namespace. The namespace server also translates between different file access protocols. The namespace server may change the translation of a client-server network pathname from an old backend NAS network pathname to a new backend NAS network pathname for file migration without disruption to client access during file migration for load balancing or for a more appropriate service level. Client access can also be routed automatically and transparently to replicas in case of server or site failures. The namespace server may create the appearance of a virtual file system that contains multiple physical servers, a virtual share that contains physical shares from different servers, directories that contain files on different servers, and files that contain data from files on different servers.
143 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A namespace server comprising:
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memory for storing translation information for translating client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server network namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a NAS network namespace, and at least one processor coupled to the memory for accessing the translation information, said at least one processor being programmed for translating the client requests for access to the files referenced by pathnames in the client-server network namespace into the requests for access to the files referenced by the pathnames in the NAS network namespace, said at least one processor also being programmed for changing the translation of a client-server network pathname for a file from an old NAS network pathname for the file to a new NAS network pathname for the file for migrating the file without disruption to concurrent client read-write access to the file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A namespace server comprising:
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memory for storing translation information for translating client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server network namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a NAS network namespace, and at least one processor coupled to the memory for accessing the translation information, said at least one processor being programmed for translating the client requests for access to the files referenced by pathnames in the client-server network namespace into the requests for access to the files referenced by the pathnames in the NAS network namespace, wherein said at least one processor is programmed for receiving from a client the client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in the client-server network namespace in accordance with a first high-level file access protocol, and said at least one processor is programmed for transmitting to a file server the requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a NAS network namespace in accordance with a second high-level file access protocol, and wherein one of the first and second high level file access protocols is the Network File System (NFS) protocol, and the other of the first and second file access protocols is the Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocol. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A namespace server comprising:
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memory for storing translation information for translating client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server network namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a NAS network namespace, and at least one processor coupled to the memory for accessing the translation information, said at least one processor being programmed for translating the client requests for access to the files referenced by pathnames in the client-server network namespace into the requests for access to the files referenced by the pathnames in the NAS network namespace, wherein the memory contains a namespace tree defining a translation of the client-server network namespace into the NAS network namespace, the namespace tree including inodes for names in the client-server network namespace for shares, directories, and files. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification