EXTENDING NON-VOLATILE STORAGE AT A COMPUTER SYSTEM
First Claim
1. At a computer system including a first volume and one or more other volumes, the storage capacity of the first volume and a portion of at least one of the one or more other volumes logically combined, the logically combined storage capacity represented to applications at the computer system as the storage capacity of the first volume, access to the logically combined storage capacity being facilitated through reference to the first volume, a method for performing a file operation, the method comprising:
- an act of receiving a file operation command from an application, the file operation command indicating that a file operation is to be performed on a file perceived by the application to stored on the first volume;
an act of accessing a file table entry for the file from a file table stored on the first volume, the file table entry including file metadata with links to a plurality of shadow copies of the file on a corresponding plurality of volumes respectively, the plurality of shadow copies including a shadow copy designated as the master shadow copy and one or more other shadow copies designated as secondary shadow copies;
an act of accessing the master shadow copy and the one or more secondary shadow copies from corresponding appropriate volumes;
an act of performing the file operation on at least one shadow copy; and
an act of indicating to the application that the file operation was performed on the file perceived to be stored on the first volume.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for extending non-volatile storage at a computer system. In some embodiments, a file operation is performed on at least one shadow copy of a file that is perceived by an application to be stored on a single volume. A plurality of shadow copies of a file can be accessed using durable file identifiers that are durable across changes to other file characteristics. It is indicated back to the application that the file operation was performed on the file perceived to be stored on the single volume. Storage capabilities are enhanced through migration and/or replication of files to newly added volumes.
42 Citations
20 Claims
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1. At a computer system including a first volume and one or more other volumes, the storage capacity of the first volume and a portion of at least one of the one or more other volumes logically combined, the logically combined storage capacity represented to applications at the computer system as the storage capacity of the first volume, access to the logically combined storage capacity being facilitated through reference to the first volume, a method for performing a file operation, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving a file operation command from an application, the file operation command indicating that a file operation is to be performed on a file perceived by the application to stored on the first volume; an act of accessing a file table entry for the file from a file table stored on the first volume, the file table entry including file metadata with links to a plurality of shadow copies of the file on a corresponding plurality of volumes respectively, the plurality of shadow copies including a shadow copy designated as the master shadow copy and one or more other shadow copies designated as secondary shadow copies; an act of accessing the master shadow copy and the one or more secondary shadow copies from corresponding appropriate volumes; an act of performing the file operation on at least one shadow copy; and an act of indicating to the application that the file operation was performed on the file perceived to be stored on the first volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. At a computer system including a first volume and one or more other volumes, the storage capacity of the first volume and a portion of at least one of the one or more other volumes logically combined, the logically combined storage capacity represented to applications at the computer system as the storage capacity of the first volume, access to the logically combined storage capacity being facilitated through reference to the first volume, a method for performing a file operation, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving a file operation command from an application, the file operation command indicating that a file operation is to be performed on a file perceived by the application to be stored on the first volume; an act of determining that one or more shadow copies of the file exist on one or more corresponding volumes respectively, the one or more shadow copies including at least a master shadow copy; an act of using a durable file identifier to access the master shadow copy, the durable file identifier being durable across changes to other file characteristics such that if any file characteristics of the file, including the file name, are changed, the durable identifier continues to reference the master shadow copy; an act of performing the file operation at least on the master shadow copy; an act of indicating to the application that the file operation was performed on the file perceived to be stored on the first volume. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. At a computer system including a first volume storing one or more files, a method for enhancing the storage capabilities of the computer system in response to a change in volume configuration, the method comprising:
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an act of receiving an indication that a new volume has been attached to the computer system; an act of referring to configuration rules to determine how a portion of available storage space on the new volume is to be utilized to enhance the storage capabilities of the computer system; an act of logically combining the storage capacity of the first volume and a portion of the available storage space of the new volume, the logically combined storage capacity represented to applications at the computer system as the storage capacity of the first volume; an act of creating a directory within an existing directory structure of the new volume in response to receiving the indication and in accordance with the configuration rules, the subdirectory for storing shadow copies of files stored on the first volume; an act of copying a file from the first volume into the created directory to implement a storage capability enhancement indicated in the configuration rules; and an act of adding file metadata to a file table entry for the file stored on the first volume, the file metadata identifying the copy of the file in the created directory as a shadow copy of the file. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification