Storage System and Method

• US 20080263113A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snowflake, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Kalambur, Subramaniam Venkata, Krishnaiyer, Rajesh Anantha, Puri, Puneet
• Granted Patent: US 7,991,746 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems

Abstract

A storage system comprising apparatus for consolidating portions of free space from a plurality of remote storage units; and apparatus for presenting the consolidated portions as a single file system.

Claims

1. A storage system comprising:

apparatus for consolidating portions of free space from a plurality of remote storage units; and

apparatus for presenting the consolidated portions as a single file system.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote storage units are accessed over a network.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, comprising apparatus for discovering portions of free space on the network.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein data provided to the storage system from a first remote storage unit is stored in portions of free space from remote storage units other than the first remote storage unit.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein files stored in the file system are encrypted.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein files stored in the file system are replicated across multiple portions of free space.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6, comprising apparatus for producing a new replica of data stored in an unavailable storage unit by accessing replicas of the data in other storage units.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising a metadata file for indicating files that are stored in the file system and their locations within the portions of free space.

9. A storage method comprising:

consolidating portions of free space from a plurality of remote storage units; and

storing data within the consolidated portions as a single file system.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein consolidating the portions of free space comprises accessing the remote storage units are accessed over a network.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, comprising discovering portions of free space on the network.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein storing data comprises storing data provided to the storage system from a first remote storage unit in portions of free space from remote storage units other than the first remote storage unit.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9, comprising encrypting the data.

14. A method as claimed in claim 9, comprising replicating the data across multiple portions of free space.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, comprising producing a new replica of data stored in an unavailable storage unit by accessing replicas of the data in other storage units.

16. A method as claimed in claim 9, comprising maintaining a metadata file for indicating files that are stored in the file system and their locations within the portions of free space.

17. A computer program for implementing the method as claimed in claim 9.

18. Computer readable storage storing a computer program as claimed in claim 17.

19. A data processing system comprising:

a storage unit;

apparatus for indicating free space available on the storage unit; and

apparatus for storing data associated with a remote file system within the free space.