Method and system for interfacing to cloud storage

• US 20100191783A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nasuni Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nasuni Corporation
• Inventors: Mason, Robert S., Rodriguez, Andres
• Granted Patent: US 8,880,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/822
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1446 Point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9027 Trees
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/805 Real-time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data

Abstract

An interface between an existing local file system and a data store (e.g., a “write-once” store) generates and exports to the data store a “versioned” file system. The state of the local file system at a given point in time can be determined using the versioned file system. Preferably, the versioned file system comprises a set of structured data representations (such as XML) that comprise metadata associated with the actual file system data. In operation, the interface creates and exports to the data store structured data representations, which correspond to versions of the local file system, as well as the actual file system data that these structured data representations represent. A cache associated with the interface stores recently used data and metadata, as well as all write data and metadata waiting to be transferred to the data store. Prior to transfer, one or more data transformations, such as compression, encryption, de-duplication and the like, may be applied to the data and metadata. The data store comprises any type of back-end storage device, system or architecture. In one embodiment, the data store comprises one or more cloud storage service providers. As necessary, a given structured data representation is then used to retrieve an associated version of the file system. In this manner, the versioned file system only requires write-once behavior from the data store to preserve its complete state at any point-in-time. The cache facilitates near-instant restore of the file system on an as-needed basis. When the interface is positioned in “front” of a generic data store, the interface has the effect of turning that data store into a “versioned file system” (“VFS”). A content control system (CCS) is used to configure and manage the interface.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method associated with a local file system, the method comprising:

intercepting local file system data traffic and generating, as metadata, a series of one or more structured data representations of the file system each corresponding to a version of the file system;

caching at least first and second portions of the metadata and the local file system data represented by the metadata in association with the local file system;

exporting the metadata and local file system data to one or more storage service providers;

wherein the first portion cached represents metadata and local file system data that is to be written to the one or more storage service providers, and the second portion cached represents recently used local file system data.

2. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 1 wherein the method further includes:

applying one or more data transformations to the metadata and the local file system data prior to exporting.

3. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 2 wherein the one or more data transformations are one of:

compression, encryption, de-duplication, and combinations thereof.

4. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the storage service providers has associated therewith a write-once data store.

5. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 1 wherein a structured data representation is an XML representation.

6. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 4 wherein the method further includes configuring a volume in at least one of the storage service providers to store metadata and the local file system data that the metadata represents.

7. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 6 wherein the method further includes executing a management function with respect to the volume, wherein the management function is selected from one of:

moving the volume, copying the volume, linking the volume, recovering the volume, removing the volume, changing an attribute associated with the volume, and reporting on data associated with the volume.

8. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 1 wherein a structured data representation is generated upon a change within the file system.

9. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 8 wherein the change within the file system is one of:

a file creation, file deletion, file modification, directory creation, directory deletion and directory modification.

10. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 1 wherein the method further includes using the second portion cached to restore the local file system on an as-needed basis.

11. The computer-readable medium as described in claim 1 wherein the method further includes restoring the local file system to a point-in-time by retrieving metadata and local file system data from the one or more storage service providers and performing a restore operation at the local file system.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method associated with a local file system, the method comprising:

intercepting local file system data traffic and generating, as metadata, a series of one or more structured data representations of the file system each corresponding to a version of the file system;

caching the metadata and the local file system data represented by the metadata in association with the local file system;

applying one or more data transformations to the metadata and the local file system data; and

exporting the metadata and local file system data, as transformed by the one or more data transformations, to one or more of a configurable set of storage service providers.

13. An apparatus for configuring one or more user local file systems to interface to cloud storage, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor performs a configuration method, comprising;

creating a volume in cloud storage for use in storing a series of structured data representations that represent versions of a user'"'"'s local file system;

associating to the volume a file system agent that executes in the user local file system, wherein the file system agent intercepts local file system data and generates the series of structured data representations; and

identifying one or more storage service providers to host the volume.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 13 wherein the configuration method further includes executing a management function with respect to the volume, wherein the management function is selected from one of:

associating or de-associating the volume with the file system agent, moving the volume, copying the volume, linking the volume, recovering the volume, removing the volume, changing an attribute associated with the volume, and reporting on data associated with the volume.

15. The apparatus as described in claim 13 wherein the configuration method further includes providing an encryption key to the user local file system for use in encrypting the structured data representations.