METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PRIVILEGED EXECUTION SUPPORT FOR FILE SYSTEM COMMANDS ON A STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20140297688A1
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sandisk Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: SADRY, NAUZAD
• Granted Patent: US 10,073,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage device that is able to execute higher level commands, such as network-level, file-system commands, with privileged access to various resources, such as the storage media, hardware, memory, firmware, etc. In one embodiment, the storage device is configured to receive and execute network-level file-system commands, such as Server-Message-Block protocol commands. In particular, the storage device comprises a drive having a storage media and a communications interface, such as a network interface, and a controller. The controller is configured to interpret and execute network-level, file-system commands received from the communications interface on data stored on the storage media. Accordingly, the storage device can service the network-level, file-system commands more efficiently and without the need for user-space applications.

Claims

1. A storage drive configured to execute file system commands, said storage drive comprising:

at least one storage media;

a controller configured to control the at least one storage media;

a memory, coupled to the controller, storing at least a portion of a file system for files stored on the at least one storage media;

a communications interface configured to communicate with a network and receive network-level, file-system commands; and

a processor, coupled to the communications interface and having privileged access to the controller and at least one storage media, configured by program code to execute the received network-level, file-system commands relating to files stored on the at least one storage media.

2. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage media comprises a hard disk.

3. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage media comprises a solid-state medium.

4. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the communications interface comprises an Ethernet-protocol network communications interface.

5. The storage drive of claim 4, wherein the processor executes network-level, file-system commands.

6. The storage drive of claim 4, wherein the processor executes server message block commands.

7. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured by program code for an embedded operating system.

8. The storage drive of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises firmware implementing program code to execute the network level, file-system commands.

9. A storage device configured to execute commands with privileged access to storage media of the storage device, said storage device comprising:

at least one storage media;

a controller configured to control the at least one storage media;

a memory, coupled to the controller, for storing at least a portion of a file system related to files stored on the at least one storage media;

a network interface configured to interface a network; and

a processor executing an operating system, having privileged access to the controller and the at least one storage media and coupled to the network interface, configured by program code to execute network-level, file-system commands relating to files stored on the at least one storage media.

10. The storage device of claim 9, wherein the storage media comprise at least one hard disk.

11. The storage device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to execute an embedded LINUX operating system.

12. The storage device of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to execute an embedded Windows operating system.

13. The storage device of claim 9, wherein the processor comprises firmware implementing the program code for executing network-level, file-system commands.

14. The storage device of claim 9, wherein processor is configured to execute server message block protocol commands on files stored on the at least one storage media based on privileged access to the at least one storage media.

15. A method of processing network-level, file-system commands by a storage drive, wherein the storage drive comprises a storage media, a controller for controlling the storage media, a memory, coupled to the controller, storing at least a portion of a file system related to files stored on the storage media, a network communications interface for communications with a network, and a processor executing program code based on privileged access to the controller and the storage media of the storage drive, said method comprising:

receiving, via the network communications interface, at least one network-level, file-system commands;

forwarding, from the network interface to the processor, the received at least one network-level, file-system commands; and

executing, by the processor on the storage media, the network-level, file-system commands based on the privileged access of the processor to the controller and the storage media.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the network-level, file-system commands comprises executing, in firmware within the processor, the network-level, file-system commands.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the network-level, file-system commands comprises executing, by the processor, server message block protocol commands on the storage media.

18. A network attached storage device configured to execute network-level, file-system commands, said storage device comprising:

a storage media;

a controller for controlling the storage media;

a memory storing at least a portion of a file system for files stored on the storage media;

a network interface configured to interface a network and receive network-level, file-system commands; and

a processor, coupled to the network interface, executing program code with privileged access to the controller and storage media to execute network-level, file-system commands related to files stored on the storage media.

19. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the storage media comprise at least one hard drive.

20. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to execute an embedded LINUX operating system.

21. The storage device of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to execute a Windows operating system.