Method and system for extending file system metadata

• US 6,119,118 A
• Filed: 06/01/1999
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Bruffey, Bill Monroe, Kain, William P. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene, John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/324,472
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/1, 707/4, 707/103, 707/217, 707/302, 707/303
• US Class Current: 707/822
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

In a computer, a system and a method handle requests from a client for accessing metadata attributes from at least one file system having an associated format containing specific metadata attributes. A format agent manages the file system. A client'"'"'s request is received at an interface and forwarded to a dispatcher. The dispatcher routes the request to the format agent. The format agent fulfills the portions of the client'"'"'s request regarding metadata attributes included in the associated format of the file system. If the client'"'"'s request contains a metadata attribute that is not part of the file system'"'"'s associated format, the format agent accesses a metadata attribute store to retrieve the metadata attribute data needed to fulfill the request. The requested metadata attribute data is then returned to the client. Multiple instances of the metadata attribute data are accessible by the client, the instances selected and/or assigned by the client and/or the system.

Claims

1. In a computer including at least one client, a system for handling requests from the client for accessing metadata and client data from at least one file system having an associated format containing specific metadata, the system comprising:

format agent means for managing said at least one file system;

interface means for receiving a request from said client;

dispatch means for receiving the request from said interface means and routing said request to said format agent means; and

metadata attribute storage means for storing metadata attribute data, wherein said format agent means accesses said metadata attribute storage means to fulfill portions of said request regarding metadata attributes which are not included in said associated format of said at least one file system.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising dispatch control storage means for storing at least one first identifier for identifying said format agent means, second identifiers for identifying a plurality of objects to which said request may be sent and mapping information for mapping between the second and first identifiers.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said interface means comprises means for translating said requests to messages.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the metadata attribute is stored without modifying the file system.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises a port and a plurality of objects assigned to said port, said objects receiving the request from said format agent.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises means for receiving messages from said port.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein said objects comprises a metadata attribute store object for receiving a request from said format agent means, and wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises means for forwarding said metadata attribute data from said metadata attribute storage object to said format agent means in response to said request.

8. The system according to claim 2, wherein said mapping information comprises a plurality of control blocks.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said plurality of control blocks comprise:

at least one agent control block;

at least one volume control block connected to said at least one agent control block;

at least one iterator control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

at least one object control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

at least one fork control block connected to said object control block; and

at least one path control block connected to said fork control block.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises a metadata attribute control store for storing mapping information for mapping between a request from a format agent and metadata attribute data.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said mapping information comprises a plurality of metadata attribute store control blocks.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein multiple instances of metadata attributes are accessible by said client.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the multiple instances are selected by said client.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by said client.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein the multiple instances are selected by the file manager.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by the file manager.

17. A file manager comprising:

a plurality of interface modules for receiving a request from a client regarding a storage medium, the storage medium being organized according to a file system format;

at least one format agent for processing requests to said storage medium;

a dispatcher for receiving the request from said interface modules and routing said request to said at least one format agent; and

a metadata attribute store for storing metadata attribute data, wherein said at least one format agent accesses said metadata attribute store to fulfill portions of said request regarding metadata attributes which are not included in said associated format of said storage medium.

18. The file manager according to claim 17, further comprising dispatcher control store for storing at least one first identifier for identifying said format agent means, second identifiers for identifying a plurality of objects to which said request may be sent and mapping information for mapping between the second and first identifiers.

19. The file manager according to claim 17, wherein said interface modules comprise means for translating said requests to messages.

20. The file manager according to claim 17, wherein the metadata attribute data is stored without modifying the file system.

21. The file manager according to claim 17, wherein said metadata attribute store comprises a port and a plurality of objects assigned to said port, said objects receiving the request from said format agent.

22. The file manager according to claim 21, wherein said metadata attribute store comprises means for receiving messages from said port.

23. The file manager according to claim 21, wherein said objects comprise a metadata attribute store object for receiving a request from said at least one format agent, and wherein said metadata attribute store means comprises means for forwarding said metadata attribute data from said metadata attribute storage object to said format agent means in response to said request.

24. The file manager according to 18, wherein said mapping information comprises a plurality of control blocks.

25. The file manager according to claim 24, wherein said plurality of control blocks comprise:

at least one agent control block; and

at least one volume control block connected to said at least one agent control block;

at least one iterator control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

at least one object control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

at least one fork control block connected to said object control block; and

at least one path object connected to said fork control block.

26. The file manager of claim 17, wherein said metadata attribute store comprises a metadata attribute control store for storing mapping information for mapping between a request from a format agent and metadata attribute data.

27. The file manager according to claim 24, wherein said mapping information comprises a plurality of metadata attribute store control blocks.

28. The file manager according to claim 17, wherein said file manager fulfills requests for multiple instances of metadata attributes.

29. The file manager according to claim 28, wherein the multiple instances are selected by said client.

30. The file manager according to claim 28, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by said client.

31. The file manager according to claim 28, wherein the multiple instances are selected by the file manager.

32. The file manager according to claim 28, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by the file manager.

33. In a computer including at least one client, a method for handling requests from the client for accessing metadata and client data from at least one file system having an associated format, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for accessing metadata attributes from said file system from said client;

routing the request to a format agent managing said file system;

fulfilling portions of said request regarding metadata attributes contained in said associated format of said file system; and

retrieving metadata attribute data from a metadata attribute storage means to fulfill portions of said request regarding metadata attributes that are not contained in said associated format of said file system.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising:

storing first identifiers for identifying said format agents, second identifiers for identifying a plurality of objects to which said request may be sent, and mapping information for mapping between said second and first identifiers, wherein said step of routing is performed based on said mapping information.

35. The method according to claim 33, wherein said step of receiving said request includes translating said request to a message.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the metadata attribute data is stored without modifying the file system.

37. The method according to claim 33, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises a port and a plurality of objects assigned to said port, said objects receiving the request from said format agent.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of receiving messages from said port.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein said objects comprise a metadata attribute store object for receiving a request from said format agent means, and wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises means for forwarding said metadata attribute data from said metadata attribute storage object to said format agent means in response to said request.

40. The method according to claim 34, wherein said step of storing comprises storing a plurality of control blocks.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein said step of storing comprises the steps of:

storing at least one agent control block;

storing at least one volume control block connected to said at least one agent control block;

storing at least one iterator control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

storing at least one object control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

storing at least one fork control block connected to said object control block; and

storing at least one path control block connected to said fork control block.

42. The method according to claim 33, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises a metadata attribute control store for storing mapping information for mapping between a request from a format agent and metadata attribute data.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein said mapping information comprises a plurality of metadata attribute store control blocks.

44. The method according to claim 33, wherein multiple instances of metadata attributes are accessible by said client.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the multiple instances are selected by said client.

46. The method according to claim 44, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by said client.

47. The method according to claim 44, wherein the multiple instances are selected by the file manager.

48. The method according to claim 44, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by the file manager.

49. A method for handling requests in a file manager, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a client regarding a storage medium, the storage medium being organized according to a file system format;

routing the request to a format agent managing said file system;

fulfilling portions of said request regarding metadata attributes contained in said associated format of said file system; and

retrieving metadata attribute data from a metadata attribute storage means to fulfill portions of said request regarding metadata attributes that are not contained in said associated format of said file system.

50. The method according to claim 49, further comprising:

storing first identifiers for identifying a plurality of format agents, second identifiers for identifying a plurality of objects to which said request may be sent, and mapping information for mapping between said second and first identifiers, wherein said step of routing is performed based on said mapping information.

51. The method according to claim 49, wherein said step of receiving comprises translating said request to a message.

52. The method according to claim 49, wherein the metadata attribute data is stored without modifying the file system.

53. The method according to claim 49, further comprising a step of storing metadata attribute store control blocks.

54. The method according to claim 53, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises a port and a plurality of objects associated with said metadata attribute store control blocks, said plurality of objects assigned to said port and adapted to receive messages corresponding to said request from said format agent, and wherein said method further comprises the step of retrieving said messages from said objects through said port to process said requests.

55. The method according to claim 50, wherein said step of storing comprises storing a plurality of control blocks.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein said step of storing comprises the steps of:

storing at least one agent control block;

storing at least one volume control block connected to said at least one agent control block;

storing at least one iterator control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

storing at least one object control block connected to said at least one volume control block;

storing at least one fork control block connected to said object control block; and

storing at least one path control block connected to said fork control block.

57. The method according to claim 49, wherein said metadata attribute storage means comprises a metadata attribute control store for storing mapping information for mapping between a request from a format agent and metadata attribute data.

58. The method according to claim 55, wherein said mapping information comprises a plurality of metadata attribute store control blocks.

59. The method according to claim 49, wherein said file manager fulfills requests for multiple instances of metadata attributes.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein said multiple instances are selected by said client.

61. The method according to claim 59, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by said client.

62. The method according to claim 59, wherein said multiple instances are selected by the file manager.

63. The method according to claim 59, wherein the multiple instances are assigned by said client.