WEB DISTRIBUTED STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20110022640A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Franco, Lucas Goncalves, Pierri, Renato de, Tavares de Lacerda, Luis Cezar Menezes, Puntel, Eduardo Rodrigues
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

A method is provided for storing a file as slices on storage elements. A computer having memory and at least one computer processor receives a request to store a file. The file is split into slices. A respective header is generated to individually identify each one of the slices. Emails are generated and for each email: an email body includes one of the slices and an email subject line includes the respective header. Each of the emails is stored on storage elements. First metadata is generated for the file, and the first metadata includes information to reconstruct the file from the slices.

Claims

1. A method for storing a file as slices on storage elements comprising:

receiving by a computer processor a request to store a file;

splitting the file into slices;

generating a respective header to individually identify each one of the slices;

generating a plurality of emails, wherein for each email of the plurality of emails, an email body comprises one of the slices and an email subject line comprises the respective header;

storing each of the plurality of emails on storage elements; and

generating first metadata for the file, wherein the first metadata comprises information to reconstruct the file from the slices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage elements comprise at least one of:

a plurality of email servers, a plurality of storage systems, and a plurality of email accounts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the plurality of emails is stored on a different one of the storage elements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating duplicates of the plurality of emails such that each one of the slices is duplicated.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

splitting the first metadata for the file into first metadata slices;

generating a plurality of metadata emails which respectively comprise each one of the first metadata slices; and

storing each of the plurality of metadata emails on the storage elements.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of metadata emails are stored on different storage elements from the plurality of emails.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a second metadata comprising information to reconstruct the first metadata from the first metadata slices.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating slices of garbage containing dummy data;

generating a plurality of garbage emails comprising respective slices of garbage; and

storing the plurality of garbage emails on the storage elements intermixedly with the plurality of emails comprising slices of the file.

9. A method for restoring a file that has been split into slices for storage comprising:

receiving by a computer processor a request to retrieve a file;

retrieving restore parameters from a first metadata corresponding to the file;

retrieving slices of the file from a plurality of email bodies of a plurality of emails based on the restore parameters; and

reconstructing the slices of the file to a restored file based on the restore parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

responsive to the first metadata being split into metadata slices, reconstructing the first metadata.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein reconstructing the first metadata comprises accessing a second metadata.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether garbage slices containing dummy data are intermixed with the slices of the file; and

removing the garbage slices to leave only the slices of the file.

13. A computer program product for storing a file as slices on storage elements, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request to store a file;

computer readable program code configured to split the file into slices;

computer readable program code configured to generate a respective header to individually identify each one of the slices;

computer readable program code configured to generate a plurality of emails, wherein for each email of the plurality of emails;

an email body comprises one of the slices and an email subject line comprises the respective header;

computer readable program code configured to store each of the plurality of emails on storage elements; and

computer readable program code configured to generate first metadata for the file, wherein the first metadata comprises information to reconstruct the file from the slices.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to split the first metadata for the file into first metadata slices;

computer readable program code configured to generate a plurality of metadata emails which respectively comprise each one of the first metadata slices; and

computer readable program code configured to store each of the plurality of metadata emails on the storage elements.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the plurality of metadata emails are stored on different storage elements from the plurality of emails.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising computer readable program code configured to generate a second metadata comprising information to reconstruct the first metadata from the first metadata slices.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to generate slices of garbage containing dummy data;

computer readable program code configured to generate a plurality of garbage emails comprising respective slices of garbage; and

computer readable program code configured to store the plurality of garbage emails on the storage elements intermixedly with the plurality of emails comprising slices of the file.

18. A computer program product for restoring a file that has been split into slices for storage, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a request to retrieve a file;

computer readable program code configured to retrieve restore parameters from a first metadata corresponding to the file;

computer readable program code configured to retrieve slices of the file from a plurality of email bodies of a plurality of emails based on the restore parameters; and

computer readable program code configured to reconstruct the slices of the file to a restored file based on the restore parameters.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

responsive to the first metadata being split into metadata slices, computer readable program code configured to reconstruct the first metadata comprising computer readable program code configured to access a second metadata.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine whether garbage slices containing dummy data are intermixed with the slices of the file; and

computer readable program code configured to remove the garbage slices to leave only the slices of the file.