Unification of directory service with file system services
First Claim
1. In a distributed system having components including at least one storage device and at least one computer system, a distributed file system for storing files in file system structures and a distributed name space of names of the file system structures in which each distinct name may refer to only one file system structure, a method comprising the steps of:
- storing files in the storage device in the file system structures;
storing directory entries in the storage device in the file system structures that store the files such that the directory entries have names in the distributed name space, at least some of said directory entries holding information regarding how to locate the file system structures in the distributed system; and
accessing a first of the file system structures in the storage device that stores at least one directory entry to locate a second of the file system structures using the information stored in the first file system structure.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A software system unifies directory services with the file system. Directory service entries and other files are all stored in a common logical format, such as an object format. The unification of files with directory service entries allows a common set of tools to operate on both such entities and allows a common name space to be utilized. Security measures are taken so as to prevent unauthorized access to the directory service entries.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. In a distributed system having components including at least one storage device and at least one computer system, a distributed file system for storing files in file system structures and a distributed name space of names of the file system structures in which each distinct name may refer to only one file system structure, a method comprising the steps of:
-
storing files in the storage device in the file system structures; storing directory entries in the storage device in the file system structures that store the files such that the directory entries have names in the distributed name space, at least some of said directory entries holding information regarding how to locate the file system structures in the distributed system; and accessing a first of the file system structures in the storage device that stores at least one directory entry to locate a second of the file system structures using the information stored in the first file system structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A distributed system comprising:
-
a processor; a distributed set of storage devices; a distributed file system for storing files in file system structures in the set of storage devices; means for providing a distributed name space naming file system structures such that each distinct name may refer to only one file system structure; and means for storing directory service entries, that describe the structure of the distributed file system, in the same file system structures as are used to store files in the set of storage devices such that the directory entries are named by the distributed name space. - View Dependent Claims (5)
-
-
6. In a distributed system having resources that are logically partitioned into domains including a first and second domain, each domain including at least one computer system, a method comprising the steps of:
-
(a) storing at least one set of directory service entries in a selected computer system in each domain; (b) storing a file in a computer system of the second domain other than the selected computer system; (c) generating a request from the first domain to access directory service entries in the second domain; (d) in response to step (c), generating a request from a computer system in the first domain to access the file stored in the second domain; (e) in response to step (d), accessing the directory service entries on the selected machine in the second domain; and (f) accessing the file stored on a computer of the second domain other than the selected computer system using information obtained by accessing the directory service entries on the selected machine in the second domain. - View Dependent Claims (7)
-
-
8. In a distributed system having hardware components that include at least one storage device and processors that run processes, a method comprising the steps of:
-
storing files in the storage device; storing names of the stored files in the storage devices to create a distributed name space so that the stored files are visible to the processes and so that each distinct name may refer to only one stored file; logically partitioning the names of the stored files in the distributed name space into groups of files; for each group of files, storing in the storage device a set of associated directory service entries as files, the directory service entries describing locations of the stored files; and for each group of files, adding names of the associated directory service entries to the group in the distributed name space that is stored in the storage device. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. In a distributed system having a plurality of data processing systems, wherein each data processing system includes a storage device and other resources, a method comprising the steps of:
-
storing in at least one of the storage devices a tree-structured distributed name space for files in the distributed system, the distributed name space being logically partitioned into domains, each domain comprising a subtree of the distributed name space; storing in at least one of the storage devices a domain set of directory service entries for each domain, the directory service entries holding information describing the subtree of the distributed name space of the domain and resources in the domain; storing in the storage device of a selected data processing system a local set of directory service entries for the selected one of the data processing systems, the local set of directory service entries including at least a portion of the domain set of directory service entries; using the local set of directory service entries to obtain directory information at the selected one of the data processing systems; and locally making changes to the local set of directory service entries at the selected one of the data processing systems. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer system in a distributed system having components including a storage device to provide a distributed file system for storing files in file system structures and a distributed name space of names of the file system structures in which each distinct name may refer to only one file system structure by performing the steps of:
-
storing files in the storage device in the file system structures; storing directory entries in the storage device in the file system structures that store the files such that the directory entries have names in the distributed name space, at least some of said directory entries holding information regarding how to locate the file system structures in the distributed system; and accessing a first of the file system structures in the storage device that stores at least one directory entry to locate a second of the file system structures using the information stored in the first file system structure. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification