VIRTUALIZED DATA STORAGE VAULTS ON A DISPERSED DATA STORAGE NETWORK

• US 20110213940A1
• Filed: 05/12/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: FOSTER, LYNN, LEGGETTE, WESLEY, VOLVOVSKI, ILYA, DHUSE, GREG, GLADWIN, S. CHRISTOPHER, MOTWANI, MANISH, MARK, ZACHARY, BELLANCA, JAMIE, THORNTON, VANCE, TOLEDANO, SARAH
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1076 Parity data used in redundant arrays of independent storages, e.g. in RAID systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1092 Rebuilding, e.g. when physically replacing a failing disk
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2272 Management thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network

Abstract

A method begins with a slice server receiving a request to access a virtual digital data storage vault. The method continues by determining whether the virtual digital data storage vault is a first virtual digital data storage vault or a second virtual digital data storage vault. The slice server supports a portion of each of the first and the second virtual digital data storage vaults. When the virtual digital data storage vault is the first or the second virtual digital data storage vault, the method continues by determining whether the request is valid. When the request is valid, the method continues by executing the request to generate a response.

Claims

1. A method for execution by a slice server comprises:

receiving a request to access a virtual digital data storage vault;

determining whether the virtual digital data storage vault is a first virtual digital data storage vault or a second virtual digital data storage vault, wherein the slice server supports a portion of each of the first and the second virtual digital data storage vaults;

when the virtual digital data storage vault is the first or the second virtual digital data storage vault, determining whether the request is valid; and

when the request is valid, executing the request to generate a response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the request further comprises:

accessing a first vault data structure when the request corresponds to accessing the first virtual digital data storage vault, wherein the first vault data structure includes first user account information; and

accessing a second vault data structure when the request corresponds to accessing the second virtual digital data storage vault, wherein the second vault data structure includes second user account information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the request further comprises:

validating a user account identified in the request; and

when the user account is valid, validating the request based on permissions associated with the user account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining whether the virtual digital data storage vault is the first or the second virtual digital data storage vault further comprises:

accessing a list of virtual digital data storage vaults supported by the dispersed data storage system; and

determining whether the first or the second virtual digital data storage vault is on the list.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

generating an error when the request is not for accessing the first or the second virtual digital data storage vaults or when the request is invalid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing the request comprises at least one of:

storing a data slice of a first data segment in the portion of the first virtual digital data storage vault; and

storing a data slice of a second data segment in the portion of the second virtual digital data storage vault.

7. A method for execution by a slice server comprises:

maintaining a list of virtual digital data storage vaults that are supported by the slice server, wherein the list of virtual digital data storage vaults is stored in the memory, wherein the list of virtual digital data storage vaults includes a plurality of entries, and wherein an entry of the plurality of entries includes a virtual digital data storage vault identifier and allocated memory space;

maintaining an access control list that lists valid user accounts and corresponding permissions, wherein the access control list is stored in memory; and

processing a request based on the list of virtual digital data storage vaults and the access control list.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing the request further comprises:

identifying a virtual digital data storage vault from the request;

determining whether the identified virtual digital data storage vault is on the list of virtual digital data storage vaults;

when the identified virtual digital data storage vault is on the list of virtual digital data storage vaults, continuing processing the request based on the access control list; and

when the identified virtual digital data storage vault is not on the list of virtual digital data storage vaults, indicating an error.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the processing the request further comprises:

when the request identifies a virtual digital data storage vault on the list of virtual digital data storage vaults, identifying a user account from the request;

determining whether the user account is listed in the access control list;

when the user account is not listed in the access control list, indicating an error;

when the user account is listed in the access control list, identifying a function from the request;

determining whether the function is within the permissions for the user account;

when the function is not within the permissions for the user account, indicating the error; and

when the function is within the permissions for the user account, executing the function to produce a response.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprises:

storing a slice of a first data segment in a first section of a first virtual digital data storage vault;

storing a slice of a second data segment in a second section of the first virtual digital data storage vault;

storing a slice of a third data segment in a first section of a second virtual digital data storage vault; and

storing a slice of a fourth data segment in a second section of the second virtual digital data storage vault.