Parallel file system and method with a metadata node
First Claim
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1. The method for a computer system having a shared disk environment for a plurality of files stored in said shared disk environment and in which multiple computer nodes can each directly access, update or enlarge the same file in parallel, the method of operating the shared disk environment, including the steps of:
- transferring metadata for said same file to and from said shared disk environment via one of said multiple computer nodes;
transferring metadata for the same file to and from said shared disk environment to other than said one of said multiple computer nodes via said one of said multiple computer nodes;
wherein for the management of metadata information for a file in said shared disk environment system a single computer node is selected as said one of said multiple computer nodes for that file;
wherein the method includes reflecting the metadata on disk by keeping cached a copy of the metadata on the metadata computer node;
wherein each computer node has an operating system instance which includes a daemon for deferred sync which periodically flushes dirty data directly to disk and flushes dirty metadata to the single computer node, and wherein the single computer node flushes dirty metadata to disk when it gets a signal from said sync daemon.
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Abstract
A computer system having a shared disk file system running on multiple computers each having their own instance of an operating system and being coupled for parallel data disks. One of the computers serves as a metadata node and manages metadata for parallel read and write actions for a particular file. Metadata is transferred from and to this file from the other computers via this medadata node computer.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. The method for a computer system having a shared disk environment for a plurality of files stored in said shared disk environment and in which multiple computer nodes can each directly access, update or enlarge the same file in parallel, the method of operating the shared disk environment, including the steps of:
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transferring metadata for said same file to and from said shared disk environment via one of said multiple computer nodes; transferring metadata for the same file to and from said shared disk environment to other than said one of said multiple computer nodes via said one of said multiple computer nodes; wherein for the management of metadata information for a file in said shared disk environment system a single computer node is selected as said one of said multiple computer nodes for that file; wherein the method includes reflecting the metadata on disk by keeping cached a copy of the metadata on the metadata computer node; wherein each computer node has an operating system instance which includes a daemon for deferred sync which periodically flushes dirty data directly to disk and flushes dirty metadata to the single computer node, and wherein the single computer node flushes dirty metadata to disk when it gets a signal from said sync daemon. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification