Versioned file system with sharing

• US 20120089569A1
• Filed: 10/12/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nasuni Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nasuni Corporation
• Inventors: Mason, Robert S. Jr., Shaw, David M., Baughman, Kevin W., Fridella, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/639
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files

Abstract

A method of data sharing among multiple entities is provided. Each entity exports to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system local to that entity. The method begins by forming a sharing group that includes two or more entities. Sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group is enabled. The filers use a single distributed lock to protect each version of the file system. This lock is managed to allow each filer access to the shared file system volume to create its new version. To share a fully-versioned file system, asynchronous updates at each of the filers is permitted, and each node is then allowed to “push” its individual changes to the store to form the next version of the file system. A mechanism also may be used to reduce the period during which filers in the group operate under lock.

Claims

1. A method of data sharing among multiple entities, each of which create and export to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system, comprising:

forming a sharing group that includes two or more of the multiple entities; and

enabling sharing of the structured data representations by members of the sharing group.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the sharing is enabled by a first entity performing a snapshot with respect to its versioned file system and, as the snapshot is being performed, restricting other of the entities in the sharing group from performing a snapshot with respect to their versioned file systems.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further including notifying each other entity in the sharing group of a changed file generated as a result of the snapshot being performed by the first entity.

4. The method as described in claim 3 further including having an entity that receives a notification of the changed file update its versioned file system.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the structured data representation is an XML representation.

6. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the restricting step is implemented using a lock.

7. The method as described in claim 6 wherein the lock is activated before data is sent to the data store.

8. The method as described in claim 6 wherein the lock is activated after data is sent to the data store but before updating metadata associated with the data.

9. The method as described in claim 6 further including restricting a size of the snapshot.

10. The method as described in claim 6 further including restricting a time period associated with the snapshot.

11. The method as described in claim 6 further including restricting a type of object associated with the snapshot.

12. The method as described in claim 2 further including obtaining a local coherent view of the structured data representations across the data store prior to performing the snapshot.

13. The method as described in claim 12 further including faulting given data to facilitate sharing of the structured data representations.

14. Apparatus associated with multiple entities, each of which create and export to a data store a structured data representation comprising a versioned file system, comprising:

a processor; and

computer memory storing computer program instructions executed by the processor (a) to generate an interface by which a sharing group that includes two or more of the multiple entities is configured, and (b) to enable sharing, as a volume, of the structured data representations by the two or more of the multiple entities.