Method and system for networking computers having varying file architectures
First Claim
1. An improved, distributed network comprising:
- (a) a central server having a central server file system, said central server including means for communicating with central server clients in accordance with a central server network protocol, means for converting central server network file service requests in said central server network protocol, communicated form said central server clients, into central server file system commands, and means for sending said central server file system commands to said central server file system; and
(b) a foreign server, said foreign server including means for communicating with foreign server clients in accordance with a foreign server network protocol, means for converting foreign server network file service requests in said foreign server network protocol, communicated from said foreign server clients, into central server file system commands, and means for sending said central server file system commands directly to said central server file system without routing the commands through the central server.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved, distributed network comprising a central server and at least one foreign server, which provides a method and means for integrating multiple networks with varying file systems is provided. The present invention allows foreign servers to coexist on a single integrated file server while eliminating server-to-server translations, thus improving the performance of the network.
In a preferred embodiment, the central server communicates with central server clients in accordance with a central server network protocol, and converts central server network file service requests from the central server clients into central server file system commands. Foreign servers communicate with foreign server clients in accordance with a foreign server network protocol and convert foreign server network file service requests from foreign server clients into central server file system commands. The foreign servers also inform the central server of file system operations performed on the central server file system by the foreign file servers.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An improved, distributed network comprising:
-
(a) a central server having a central server file system, said central server including means for communicating with central server clients in accordance with a central server network protocol, means for converting central server network file service requests in said central server network protocol, communicated form said central server clients, into central server file system commands, and means for sending said central server file system commands to said central server file system; and (b) a foreign server, said foreign server including means for communicating with foreign server clients in accordance with a foreign server network protocol, means for converting foreign server network file service requests in said foreign server network protocol, communicated from said foreign server clients, into central server file system commands, and means for sending said central server file system commands directly to said central server file system without routing the commands through the central server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method for accessing files in a central server file system of a network, the network including a central server, central server clients, a foreign server, and foreign server clients, the method comprising the steps of:
-
communicating central server network file service requests in a central server network protocol from central server clients to the central server; converting the central server network file service requests to central server file system commands; sending the converted central server file system commands to the central server file system; transferring foreign server network file service requests in a foreign server protocol to the foreign server; translating the foreign server network file service requests into central server file system commands; and forwarding the translated central server file system commands to the central server file system by the foreign server without routing the commands through the central server. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A method for accessing files in a central server file system of a network, the network including a central server, central server clients, a foreign server, and foreign server clients, the central server for receiving central server network file service requests in a central server network protocol from central server clients, for converting the central server network file service requests to central server file system commands, and for sending the converted central server file system commands to the central server file system, the method comprising the steps of:
-
transferring foreign server network file service requests in a foreign server protocol to the foreign server; translating the foreign server network file service requests into central server file system commands; and forwarding the translated central server file system commands to the central server file system by the foreign server without routing the commands through the central server.
-
Specification