Parallel I/O network file server architecture

• US 5,802,366 A
• Filed: 10/11/1994
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NetApp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Auspex Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Pitts, William M., Boucher, Laurence B., Blightman, Stephen E., Row, Edward John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Application Number:
  US08/320,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.02, 395/200.06, 395/200.12, 395/700, 395/650, 395/680, 395/683
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1858 Parallel file systems, i.e. file systems supporting multiple processors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A file server architecture is disclosed, comprising as separate processors, a network controller unit, a file controller unit and a storage processor unit. These units incorporate their own processors, and operate in parallel with a local Unix host processor. All networks are connected to the network controller unit, which performs all protocol processing up through the NFS layer. The virtual file system is implemented in the file control unit, and the storage processor provides high-speed multiplexed access to an array of mass storage devices. The file controller unit control file information caching through its own local cache buffer, and controls disk data caching through a large system memory which is accessible on a bus by any of the processors.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use with a data network and a mass storage device, comprising the combination of first and second processing units,

said first processing unit being coupled to said network and performing procedures for satisfying requests from said network which are within a predefined non-NFS class of requests,

and said second processing unit being coupled to said network and to said mass storage device and decoding NFS requests from said network, performing procedures for satisfying said NFS requests, and encoding NFS reply messages for return transmission on said network, said second processing unit not satisfying any requests from said network which are within said predefined non-NFS class of requests.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said predefined non-NFS class of requests includes a predefined set of remote procedure calls.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first processing unit includes a general purpose operating system and wherein said second processing unit does not include a general purpose operating system.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second processing unit comprises:

a network control unit coupleable to said network;

a data control unit coupleable to said mass storage device;

a buffer memory;

means in said network control unit for decoding said NFS requests and for encoding said NFS reply messages;

means for transmitting to said data control unit requests responsive to NFS requests from said network to store specified data from said network on said mass storage device;

means for transmitting said specified storage data from said network to said buffer memory and from said buffer memory to said data control unit;

means for transmitting to said data control unit requests responsive to NFS requests from said network to retrieve specified retrieval data from said mass storage device to said network;

means for transmitting said specified retrieval data from said data control unit to said buffer memory and from said buffer memory to said network.

5. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server including a first unit comprising:

means for decoding NFS requests from said network;

means for performing procedures for satisfying said NFS requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and

means for encoding any NFS reply messages for return transmission on said network,

said first unit lacking means in said first unit for executing any programs which make calls to any general purpose operating system.

6. A network file server according to claim 5, further including a second unit comprising means for executing programs which make calls to a general purpose operating system.

7. A network file server according to claim 6, wherein said first unit lacks means in said first unit for executing any programs which make calls to a UNIX operating system, and wherein said second unit comprises means for executing programs which make calls to a UNIX operating system.

8. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server including a first unit comprising:

means for decoding NFS requests from said network;

means for performing procedures for satisfying said NFS requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and

means for encoding any NFS reply messages for return transmission on said network,

said first unit lacking means to execute any user-provided application programs on said first unit.

9. A network file server according to claim 8, further including a second unit running a user-provided application program.

10. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server comprising;

a network control module, including a network interface coupled to receive NFS requests from said network;

a file system control module, including a mass storage device interface coupled to said mass storage device; and

a communication path coupled directly between said network control module and said file system control module, said communication path carrying file retrieval requests prepared by said network control module in response to received NFS requests to retrieve specified retrieval data from said mass storage device,

said file system control module retrieving said specified retrieval data from said mass storage device in response to said file retrieval requests and returning said specified retrieval data to said network control module,

and said network control module preparing reply messages containing said specified retrieval data from said file system control module for return transmission on said network.

11. A network file server according to claim 10, wherein said file system control module returns said specified retrieval data directly to said network control module.

12. A network file server according to claim 10, wherein said network control module further prepares file storage requests in response to received NFS requests to store specified storage data on said mass storage device, said network control module communicating said file storage requests to said file system control module,

and wherein said file system control module further stores said specified storage data on said mass storage device in response to said file storage requests.

13. A network file server according to claim 12, wherein said file storage requests are communicated to said file system control module via said communication path.

14. A method for processing requests from a data network, for use by a network file server including a network control module coupled to receive NFS requests from said network and a file system control module coupled to said mass storage device, comprising the steps of:

said network control module preparing file retrieval requests in response to received NFS requests to retrieve specified retrieval data from said mass storage device;

said network control module communicating said file retrieval requests directly to said file system control module;

said file system control module retrieving said specified retrieval data from said mass storage device in response to said file retrieval requests and returning said specified retrieval data to said network control module; and

said network control module preparing reply messages containing said specified retrieval data from said file system control module for return transmission on said network.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said file system control module returns said specified retrieval data directly to said network control module.

16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

said network control module preparing file storage requests in response to received NFS requests to store specified storage data on said mass storage device

said network control module communicating said file storage requests to said file system control module;

and said file system control module storing said specified storage data on said mass storage device in response to said file storage requests.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said file storage requests are communicated directly to said file system control module.

18. A network file server for use with a network and at least one mass storage device, said network file server including:

a network interface, coupleable to said network, for receiving NFS requests from said network;

a file server processor, coupled to the network interface and coupleable to said at least one mass storage device, for executing essentially only NFS requests from said network interface, including accessing said at least one mass storage device if required.

19. A network file server for use with an Ethernet network and at least one mass storage device, said network file server including:

a network interface, coupleable to said Ethernet network, for receiving from said Ethernet network packets containing NFS requests to read data from or write data to said at least one mass storage device;

a parallel bus;

a dedicated file server processor, coupled to said network interface by means of said parallel bus, and coupleable to said at least one mass storage device, for executing essentially only NFS requests from said network interface, including accessing said at least one mass storage device if required.

20. A network file server for use with an Ethernet network, said network file server including:

a parallel bus;

at least one mass storage device coupled to said parallel bus;

a network interface, coupleable to said Ethernet network, and coupled to said parallel bus, for receiving from said Ethernet network packets containing NFS requests to read data from or write data to said at least one mass storage device;

a dedicated file server processor, coupled to said network interface and to said at least one mass storage device by means of said parallel bus, for executing essentially only NFS requests from said network interface, including accessing said at least one mass storage device if required.