File Aggregation in a Switched File System
First Claim
1. A method for managing files by a file switch in a file storage system, the method comprising:
- aggregating a plurality of storage volumes including at least one native mode volume and at least one extended mode volume into a global namespace; and
allowing client access to files in the at least one native mode volume indirectly via the aggregated global namespace.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a switched file system, a file switching device is logically positioned between clients and file servers and communicates with the clients and the file servers using standard network file protocols. The file switching device appears as a server to the client devices and as a client to the file servers. The file switching device aggregates storage from multiple file servers into a global filesystem and presents a global namespace to the client devices. The file switching device typically supports a “native” mode for integrating legacy files into the global namespace and an “extended” mode for actively managing files across one or more file servers. Typically, native-mode files may be accessed directly or indirectly via the file switching device, while extended-mode files may be accessed only through the file switching device. The file switching device may manage file storage using various types of rules, e.g., for managing multiple storage tiers or for applying different types of encoding schemes to files. Rules may be applied to pre-existing files.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. A method for managing files by a file switch in a file storage system, the method comprising:
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aggregating a plurality of storage volumes including at least one native mode volume and at least one extended mode volume into a global namespace; and allowing client access to files in the at least one native mode volume indirectly via the aggregated global namespace. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for storing files, the system comprising:
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a network file manager; and a plurality of file server nodes supporting a plurality of storage volumes including at least one native mode volume accessible by client nodes directly and indirectly through the network file manager and at least one extended mode volume accessible by client nodes only through the network file manager, wherein the network file manager aggregates a plurality of storage volumes including at least one native mode volume and at least one extended mode volume into a global namespace. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of storing files by a file switch in a switched file system, each file associated with a file type, the method comprising:
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maintaining a set of rules for storing files in a plurality of file servers including at least a metadata server and a storage server, the rules defining at least one file type to be stored in the metadata server; and storing a file based at least in part on the file type associated with the file according to the set of rules, whereby the file is stored in the metadata server only if the file type associated with the file is a file type to be stored in the metadata server. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of achieving file virtualization in a network including client nodes and file server nodes, the client nodes and the file server nodes using standard network file protocols, the method comprising:
providing a network file manager in communication with the network, the network file manager in a logical data path between the client nodes and the file server nodes, appearing as a client to the file server nodes and as a server to the client nodes, and interacting with both the client nodes and the file server nodes using the standard network file protocols. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
Specification