Parallel I/O network file server architecture
DCFirst Claim
1. 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 file system requests from said network;
means for performing procedures for satisfying said file system requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and
means for encoding any file system 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.
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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.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server including a first unit comprising:
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means for decoding file system requests from said network; means for performing procedures for satisfying said file system requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and means for encoding any file system 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server including a first unit comprising:
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means for decoding file system requests from said network; means for performing procedures for satisfying said file system requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and means for encoding any file system reply messages for return transmission on said network, said first unit lacking means to execute any user-provided application programs on said first unit. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server comprising:
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a network control module, including a network interface coupled to receive file system 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 file system 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. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for processing requests from a data network, for use by a network file server including a network control module coupled to receive file system requests from said network and a file system control module coupled to said mass storage device, comprising the steps of:
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said network control module preparing file retrieval requests in response to received file system 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. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification