Network management system having virtual catalog overview of files distributively stored across network domain
DCFirst Claim
1. A network system comprising:
- (a) a network-linking backbone;
(b) a plurality of file-servers operatively coupled to the backbone for providing file-serving services over the backbone, each file server having a nonvolatile data storage device storing a plurality of data files, the respective data storage device of each file server further having a local catalog stored within said respective data storage device for identifying each file of the respective data storage device by name and storage location; and
(c) a domain administrating server (DAS) operatively coupled to the backbone,wherein the DAS has a domain-wide virtual catalog containing copies of the file identifying information currently stored in the local catalogs of said plurality of file-servers,wherein the DAS has oversight means for overseeing and managing domain-wide activities including a transfer of file data from a first of the file servers to a second of the file servers, andwherein the oversight means consults the domain-wide virtual catalog to identify the location of a source file in said first file server from which said to-be-transferred file data is to be obtained.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network management system includes a domain administrating server (DAS) that stores a virtual catalog representing an overview of all files distributively stored across a network domain currently or in the past. The current and historical file information is used for assisting in auditing or locating files located anywhere in the domain. The current file information is used for assisting in transferring files across the domain. The domain administrating server (DAS) also includes a rule-base driven artificial administrator for monitoring and reacting to domain-wide alert reports and for detecting problematic trends in domain-wide performance based on information collected from the network domain.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A network system comprising:
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(a) a network-linking backbone; (b) a plurality of file-servers operatively coupled to the backbone for providing file-serving services over the backbone, each file server having a nonvolatile data storage device storing a plurality of data files, the respective data storage device of each file server further having a local catalog stored within said respective data storage device for identifying each file of the respective data storage device by name and storage location; and (c) a domain administrating server (DAS) operatively coupled to the backbone, wherein the DAS has a domain-wide virtual catalog containing copies of the file identifying information currently stored in the local catalogs of said plurality of file-servers, wherein the DAS has oversight means for overseeing and managing domain-wide activities including a transfer of file data from a first of the file servers to a second of the file servers, and wherein the oversight means consults the domain-wide virtual catalog to identify the location of a source file in said first file server from which said to-be-transferred file data is to be obtained. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A network system comprising:
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(a) a network-linking backbone; (b) a plurality of file-servers operatively coupled to the backbone for providing file-serving services over the backbone, wherein each file server has a nonvolatile data storage device for storing and retrieving a plurality of data files, wherein each file server further has an operations supporting infrastructure for supporting file storage and retrieval operations of the file server, wherein each file server additionally has a local infrastructure monitoring and reporting agent for monitoring the operations supporting infrastructure of the file server and for issuing an alert report onto the network-linking backbone in the event that a problem develops in the corresponding operations supporting infrastructure; and (c) a domain administrating server (DAS) operatively coupled to the backbone, wherein the DAS has a backbone monitoring means for monitoring communications along the network-linking backbone, detecting alert reports issued by any of the infrastructure monitoring and reporting agents, collecting the alert reports and storing the alert reports for immediate or later analysis. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A centralized file management system for managing files stored in plural data storage devices of a network domain, wherein the plural data storage devices of the domain are interconnected by a domain-linking backbone and the files of said data storage devices are accessed by way of the domain-linking backbone, wherein each storage device stores a local catalog that identifies a name, location and/or other attributes of each local file and/or directory contained within the respective storage device, said system comprising:
(a) scan means, coupled to domain-linking backbone, for periodically scanning the network domain and interrogating the local catalog of each data storage device in the network domain. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A centralized file management method for managing files stored in plural data storage devices of a network domain, wherein the plural data storage devices of the domain are interconnected by a domain-linking backbone and each storage device stores a local catalog that identifies a name, location and/or other attributes of each local file and/or directory contained therein, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating the local catalog of each data storage device in the network domain for file identifying information stored within said local catalog; and (b) integrating the file identifying information collected by said interrogating step from each local catalog into a domain-wide virtual catalog so that each file of the network domain can be identified by name, location or another attribute by consulting the domain-wide virtual catalog.
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19. A file access method comprising the steps of:
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(a) interrogating a local catalog of each data storage device in a network composed of plural data storage devices linked to one another by a network-linking backbone; (b) retrieving from each interrogated local catalog, file identifying information identifying a name, a storage location and/or other attributes of each file stored in the interrogated device; and (c) integrating the retrieved file identifying information collected from each local catalog into a domain-wide virtual catalog so that each file stored on the network can be identified by name, location and/or another attribute by consulting the domain-wide virtual catalog.
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20. A network system comprising:
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(a) a network-linking backbone; (b) a plurality of file-servers operatively coupled to the backbone for providing file-serving services over the backbone, each file server having a data storage device for storing a plurality of data files, the respective data storage device of each file server further having a local catalog for identifying each file currently-stored in the respective data storage device by name and storage location; and (c) a domain administrating server (DAS) operatively coupled to the backbone, wherein the DAS has a first virtual catalog containing copies of the file identifying information currently stored in the local catalogs of said plurality of file-servers. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification