Technique to support pseudo-names

• US 6,219,799 B1
• Filed: 08/01/1997
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Kandasamy, Subbiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NGUYEN X
• Application Number:
  US08/905,097
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 395/182.02, 395/200.16, 395/727, 395/828, 714/4, 714/7, 714/9
• US Class Current: 714/4.5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

A system and method for providing redundant access to a network-based storage medium. The storage medium is divided into at least two partitions and two computers are configured as network servers, one each of the computers acting as a server for one each of the partitions. Each of the computers is assigned a unique name to identify it to the network. A first one of the computers supports multiple network names. When the other computer fails or goes off-line the first computer is configured to respond to both the first name and the second name, and to act as a network server for both partitions. The network can thus access the partition served by the second computer even though the second computer is off-line. When the second computer returns on-line, the first computer is re-configured to its initial configuration.

Claims

1. In a high-availability multi-computer network, running in an “

Intelligent Network Storage Controller”

(INSC) configuration supporting a first computer and at least a second computer operating with NETBIOS and SMB services of The Microsoft Windows NT operating system so that either computer depends upon its own unique “

Name”

to function, a method of compensating for a loss of functionality experienced by either computer by equipping both computers to also support the Name of the other and to automatically called-upon to provide functionality for the other when such becomes impaired, including providing SMB file services therefor; and

further comprising an SMB protocol stack resident on both the first computer and the second computer, and wherein the SMB protocol stack comprises a name proxy drive NPD which layers itself between a TCP/IP layer and a “

NETBIOS over TCP/IP”

, and wherein NPD makes use of the fact that the SMB services uses a special name “

*SMBSERVER”

to accommodate connections from clients that are unaware of a prevailing NETBIOS name associated with one of the first and the second computers.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein each computer registers the computer NAME of the other using NETBIOS protocol;

and enabling SMB Server to “

listen”

for regrets under that computer name.

3. The invention of claim 2, wherein the driver module of each computer registers its own name and that of the other computer with appropriate NETBIOS transport means.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein the SMB server listens for each computer name and also for a “

special name”

SN. Which is used as a proxy for other names, thus allowing any number N of computers into the network, with special name SN supporting any number of additional names.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein said INSC supports multiple computer names by using a pair of NT Kernel mode driver—

stages namely;

a “

Name Responder Driver”

(NRD) and a “

Name Proxy Driver”

(NPD).

6. The invention of claim 4, where SMB Server SV works over the NETBIOS over TCP/IP, where Name Respond Driver stage NRD is adapted to attach, or detach a name to a particular NETBIOS transport means.

7. The invention of claim 6, where the system is made to send message packets according to NETBIOS protocol.

8. The invention of claim 7, wherein, under WINS, computer A with IP address IP-A and name N-A communicates with computer B having different IP address IP-B and different name N-B.

9. The invention of claim 8, wherein attaching a name by driver stage NRD causes the system to execute NETBIOS.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein the array comprises an SMB Server, a NETBIOS over a TCP/IP stage, a Name Proxy Driver NPD, a TCP/IP layer and a Network Driver stage, all coupled in order, between a Windows NT file system and a Network cable, with driver NPD fitted into the protocol layer of computer A and computer B.

11. The invention of claim 8, wherein the array comprises an SMB Server, a NETBIOS over a TCP/IP stage, a Name Proxy Driver NPD, a TCP/IP layer and a Network Driver stage, all coupled in order, between a Windows NT file system and a Network cable, with driver NPD fitted into the protocol layer of computer A and computer B;

wherein attaching a name by driver stage NRD causes the system to execute NETBIOS.

12. The invention of claim 11, where Names are registered with WINS server;

Name-Query broadcasts are responded-to, and

Name-refresh messages are sent out.