FACILITATING ACCESS TO REMOTE CLOUD SERVICES

• US 20160277497A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Panzura, Inc.
• Inventors: Bannister, Greig W., Taylor, John Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,986,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0619 in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0658 Controller construction arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/668 Internet protocol [IP] address subnets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• 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]

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for facilitating access to a remote cloud service via a cloud controller for a distributed filesystem. Two or more cloud controllers collectively manage distributed filesystem data that is stored in the cloud storage systems; the cloud controllers ensure data consistency for the stored data, and each cloud controller caches portions of the distributed filesystem. During operation, a cloud controller detects a request from a co-located client to access a network address that is in the same subnet of their local network. The cloud controller determines that the network address is associated with the remote cloud service (which executes in a cloud storage environment) and forwards the request to the remote cloud service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating access to a remote cloud service for a client of a distributed filesystem, the method comprising:

collectively managing the data of the distributed filesystem using two or more cloud controllers, wherein collectively managing the data comprises storing the data for the distributed filesystem in one or more cloud storage systems, wherein the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for data stored in the cloud storage systems, wherein a local cloud controller and the client are co-located in a local network;

detecting at the local cloud controller a request from the client to access a network address that is associated with the subnet of the local network;

determining at the local cloud controller that the network address is associated with the remote cloud service, wherein the remote cloud service executes in a cloud storage environment; and

forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein the remote cloud service is not co-located with the local cloud controller and the client;

wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service facilitates an abstraction for the client that the remote cloud service is present in the local network and co-located with the local cloud controller and the client; and

wherein the method further comprises configuring the remote cloud service from the client as if the remote cloud service were a local service executing in the local network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more cloud storage systems for the distributed filesystem are hosted in the cloud storage environment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises:

instantiating a remote cloud controller in the cloud storage environment;

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) between the local cloud controller and the remote cloud controller; and

instantiating the remote cloud service in the cloud storage environment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises:

determining a sub-subnet address space in the subnet of the local network that is available;

allocating the sub-subnet address space to one or more remote cloud services, wherein the remote cloud service is allocated a network address in the sub-subnet address space, wherein the local cloud controller performs bridging for the sub-subnet address space; and

upon detecting at the local cloud controller a request sent to the sub-subnet address space, forwarding the request to the remote cloud controller, wherein the remote cloud controller forwards the request to the remote cloud service.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein detecting the request at the local cloud controller further comprises:

detecting at the local cloud controller an address resolution protocol (ARP) request for the network address; and

sending the link layer address for the local cloud controller in response to the ARP request for the network address to ensure that subsequent requests to the remote cloud service are directed to the local cloud controller.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises:

determining an available network address in the subnet of the local network; and

allocating the available network address to the remote cloud service, wherein the local cloud controller maintains a mapping between network addresses in the local network that are associated with remote cloud services;

upon detecting at the local cloud controller a request sent to the network address, forwarding the request to the remote cloud controller, wherein the remote cloud controller forwards the request to the remote cloud service.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4,

wherein the remote cloud service executes data-intensive tasks in proximity to the one or more cloud storage systems and the remote cloud controller to leverage a low-latency and high-bandwidth network in the cloud storage environment;

and

wherein executing data-intensive tasks in the cloud storage environment facilitates reducing network traffic on a network link between the local network and the one or more cloud storage systems.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 4,

wherein the remote cloud controller is configured with the same network address as the local cloud controller;

wherein the method further comprises initiating a filesystem access request to access the distributed filesystem from the remote cloud service;

wherein initiating the filesystem access request comprises;

sending a fileserver request to a network directory, wherein the network directory incorrectly determines based on the network address of the remote cloud service that the remote cloud service is co-located with the local cloud controller and thus returns the network address of the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service;

sending from the remote cloud service a file access request to the network address for the local cloud controller, wherein the remote cloud controller that is configured with the same network address as the local cloud controller receives the file access request and proceeds to provide file services for the distributed filesystem to the remote cloud service.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9,

wherein returning the network address for the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises returning an authentication identifier for the filesystem access request from the network directory to the remote cloud service;

wherein the local cloud controller and the network directory are configured to share a shared secret;

wherein the local cloud controller shares the shared secret with the remote cloud controller; and

wherein the remote cloud controller is configured to use the shared secret to decrypt and validate the authentication identifier.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9,

wherein returning the network address for the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises returning an authentication identifier for the filesystem access request from the network directory to the remote cloud service;

wherein the local cloud controller and the network directory are configured to share a shared secret;

wherein the remote cloud controller is configured to send the authentication identifier to the local cloud controller; and

wherein the local cloud controllers uses the shared secret to decrypt and validate the authentication identifier and send the decrypted authentication identifier to the remote cloud controller.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for facilitating access to a remote cloud service for a client of a distributed filesystem, the method comprising:

collectively managing the data of the distributed filesystem using two or more cloud controllers, wherein collectively managing the data comprises storing the data for the distributed filesystem in one or more cloud storage systems, wherein the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for data stored in the cloud storage systems, wherein a local cloud controller and the client are co-located in a local network;

detecting at the local cloud controller a request from the client to access a network address that is associated with the subnet of the local network;

determining at the local cloud controller that the network address is associated with the remote cloud service, wherein the remote cloud service executes in a cloud storage environment; and

forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12,

wherein the remote cloud service is not co-located with the local cloud controller and the client;

wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service facilitates an abstraction for the client that the remote cloud service is present in the local network and co-located with the local cloud controller and the client; and

wherein the method further comprises configuring the remote cloud service from the client as if the remote cloud service were a local service executing in the local network.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more cloud storage systems for the distributed filesystem are hosted in the cloud storage environment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises:

instantiating a remote cloud controller in the cloud storage environment;

establishing a virtual private network (VPN) between the local cloud controller and the remote cloud controller; and

instantiating the remote cloud service in the cloud storage environment.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises:

determining a sub-subnet address space in the subnet of the local network that is available;

allocating the sub-subnet address space to one or more remote cloud services, wherein the remote cloud service is allocated a network address in the sub-subnet address space, wherein the local cloud controller performs bridging for the sub-subnet address space; and

upon detecting at the local cloud controller a request sent to the sub-subnet address space, forwarding the request to the remote cloud controller, wherein the remote cloud controller forwards the request to the remote cloud service.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein detecting the request at the local cloud controller further comprises:

detecting at the local cloud controller an address resolution protocol (ARP) request for the network address; and

sending the link layer address for the local cloud controller in response to the ARP request for the network address to ensure that subsequent requests to the remote cloud service are directed to the local cloud controller.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein forwarding the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service further comprises:

determining an available network address in the subnet of the local network; and

allocating the available network address to the remote cloud service, wherein the local cloud controller maintains a mapping between network addresses in the local network that are associated with remote cloud services;

upon detecting at the local cloud controller a request sent to the network address, forwarding the request to the remote cloud controller, wherein the remote cloud controller forwards the request to the remote cloud service.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15,

wherein the remote cloud service executes data-intensive tasks in proximity to the one or more cloud storage systems and the remote cloud controller to leverage a low-latency and high-bandwidth network in the cloud storage environment;

and

wherein executing data-intensive tasks in the cloud storage environment facilitates reducing network traffic on a network link between the local network and the one or more cloud storage systems.

20. A cloud controller that facilitates access to a remote cloud service for a client of a distributed filesystem, comprising:

a processor;

a storage mechanism that stores metadata for the distributed filesystem; and

a storage management mechanism;

wherein two or more cloud controllers collectively manage the data of the distributed filesystem, wherein collectively managing the data comprises storing the data for the distributed filesystem in one or more cloud storage systems, wherein the cloud controllers cache and ensure data consistency for data stored in the cloud storage systems, wherein the cloud controller and the client are co-located in a local network, wherein the remote cloud service executes in a cloud storage environment;

wherein the storage management mechanism is configured to detect a request from the client to access a network address that is associated with the subnet of the local network;

wherein the storage management mechanism is configured to determine whether the network address is associated with the remote cloud service, and, if so, forward the request from the local cloud controller to the remote cloud service.