Direct data retrieval in a distributed computing system

• US 6,260,069 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1998
• Issued: 07/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anglin, Matthew Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart, Mark H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YUAN, ALMARI ROMERO
• Application Number:
  US09/021,499
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/213, 709/214, 709/215, 709/216, 709/223, 709/203, 707/10, 707/201, 707/202, 707/204, 707/1, 707/8, 713/100, 714/6, 714/12
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for backing up files in a distributed computing system, such as a distributed file system. A backup request is initiated with a backup client program to backup a requested file. A determination is made as to whether the requested file is maintained in a shared name space. The backup client program and a backup server program are capable of accessing files maintained in the shared name space. The file server maintains the files in the shared name space. The backup request is transmitted to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is maintained in the shared name space. The backup server program transmits a message to the file server to provide the requested file. The file server transmits the requested file to the backup server program. The backup server program stores the requested file in a storage device.

Claims

1. A method for backing up files in a distributed computing system, comprising:

initiating a backup request with a backup client program to backup a requested file;

determining, by the backup client program, whether the requested file is maintained in a shared name space, wherein the backup client program and a backup server program have access to files maintained in the shared name space, and wherein a file server maintains files in the shared name space;

transmitting, by the backup client program, the backup request to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is maintained in the shared name space;

transmitting a message by the backup server program to the file server to provide the requested file;

transmitting the requested file by the file server to the backup server program, wherein the requested file is not transferred to the backup client program; and

storing by the backup server program the requested file in a storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup client program is on a first computer machine, the backup server program is on a second computer machine, and the file server is on a third computer machine, wherein the first computer, second computer, and third computer communicate over a network system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first computer machine and second computer machine include a distributed file system (DFS) client program and wherein the file server includes a DFS server program, wherein the DFS client program interfaces the first and second computer machines with the DFS server program to access files in the shared name space.

4. The method of claim 2, further including the steps of:

issuing an authentication ticket to the client providing the client access to certain files in the shared name space;

generating a delegation token with the client, wherein the delegation token allows the backup server to access files in the shared name space on behalf of the client with a level of access not greater than the access provided by the client authentication ticket;

transmitting the delegation token from the client to the backup server;

transmitting the delegation token from the backup server to the file server;

determining with the file server whether the delegation token permits the backup server to access the requested file; and

wherein the step of transmitting the requested file with the file server to the backup server including the backup server program occurs after determining that the delegation token permits access to the requested backup file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup client program and backup server program are on a first computer machine and the file server is on a second computer machine, wherein the first computer machine and second computer machine communicate over a network system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the backup client program and backup server program communicate via a shared memory within the first computer machine.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first computer machine includes a distributed file system (DFS) client program and wherein the file server includes a DFS server program, wherein the DFS client program in the first computer machine interfaces with the DFS server program to allow the first computer machine to access files in the shared name space.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the requested file with the backup client program to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is not maintained in the shared name space.

9. A distributed computing system for backing up files in a shared name space, comprising:

(a) a backup client program, including means for initiating a backup request to backup a requested file;

(b) a backup server program;

(c) a file server, wherein the file server maintains files included in a shared name space, wherein the backup client program and backup server program are capable of accessing files maintained in the shared name space;

(d) means, performed by the backup client program, for determining whether the requested file is included in the shared name space;

(e) means, performed by the backup client program, for transmitting the backup request to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is included in the shared name space;

(f) means, performed by the backup server program, for transmitting a message to the file server to provide the requested file;

(g) means, performed by the file server, for transmitting the requested file to the backup server program, wherein the requested file is not transferred to the backup client program; and

(h) means, performed by the backup server program, for storing the requested file in a storage device.

10. The distributed computing system of claim 9, further including:

a first computer machine including the backup client program;

a second computer machine including the backup server program;

a third computer machine including the file server; and

a network system providing communication among the first computer, second computer, and third computer.

11. The distributed computing system of claim 10, further including:

a distributed file system (DFS) client program included within the first computer machine and the second computer machine; and

a DFS server program included in the file server, wherein the DFS client program interfaces the first and second computer machines with the DFS server program to allow the first and second computer machines to access files in the shared name space.

12. The distributed computing system of claim 10, further including:

means for issuing an authentication ticket to the client providing the client access to certain files in the shared name space;

means, performed by the client, for generating a delegation token that allows the backup server to access files in the shared name space on behalf of the client with a level of access not greater than the access provided by the client authentication ticket;

means for transmitting the delegation token from the client to the backup server program;

means for transmitting the delegation token from the backup server to the file server; and

means, performed by the file server, for determining whether the delegation token permits access to the requested file, wherein the file server transmits the requested file to the second machine after determining that the delegation token permits access to the requested backup file.

13. The distributed computing system of claim 9, further including:

a first computer machine including the backup client program and the backup server program;

a second computer machine including the file server;

a network system providing communication between the first computer machine and the second computer machine.

14. The distributed computing system of claim 13, further including a shared memory within the first computer machine, wherein the backup client program and backup server program communicate via the shared memory.

15. The distributed computing system of claim 13, further including:

a distributed file system (DFS) client program in the first computer machine;

a DFS server program included in the file server, wherein the DFS client program interfaces the backup server program with the DFS server program to access files in the shared name space maintained on the file server.

16. The distributed computing system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for transmitting the requested file with the backup client program to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is not maintained in the shared name space.

17. An article of manufacture for use in programming a distributed computing system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer readable storage medium having at least one computer program embedded therein that causes a backup client program, backup server program, and file server within the distributed computing system to perform:

initiating a backup request by the backup client program to backup a requested file;

determining, by the backup client program, whether the requested file is maintained in a shared name space, wherein the backup client program and backup server program have access to files maintained in the shared name space, and wherein the file server maintains files in the shared name space;

transmitting, by the backup client program, the backup request to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is maintained in the shared name space;

transmitting a message by the backup server program to the file server to provide the requested file;

transmitting the requested file by the file server to the backup server program, wherein the requested file is not transferred to the backup client program; and

storing by the backup server program the requested file in a storage device.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the backup client program is on a first computer machine, the backup server program is on a second computer machine, and the file server is on a third computer machine, wherein the first computer, second computer, and third computer communicate over a network system.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the first computer machine and second computer machine include a distributed file system (DFS) client program and wherein the file server includes a DFS server program, wherein the DFS client program interfaces the first and second computer machines with the DFS server program to allow the first and second computer machines to access files in the shared name space.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, further including the steps of:

issuing an authentication ticket to the client providing the client access to certain files in the shared name space;

generating a delegation token with the client, wherein the delegation token allows the backup server to access files in the shared name space on behalf of the client with a level of access not greater than the access provided by the client authentication ticket;

transmitting the delegation token from the client to the backup server;

transmitting the delegation token from the backup server to the file server;

determining with the file server whether the delegation token permits access to the requested file; and

wherein the step of transmitting the requested file with the file server to the backup server including the backup server program occurs upon determining that the delegation token permits access to the requested backup file.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 17, wherein the backup client program and backup server program are on a first computer machine and the file server is on a second computer machine, wherein the first computer machine and second computer machine communicate over a network system.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the backup client program and backup server program communicate via a shared memory within the first computer machine.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 21, wherein the first computer machine includes a distributed file system (DFS) client program and wherein the file server includes a DFS server program, wherein the DFS client program interfaces the backup server program with the DFS server program to access files in the shared name space maintained on the file server, wherein the DFS program interfaces the file server and the first computer machine to make files in the shared name space maintained in the file server available to the first computer machine including the DFS client program.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting the requested file with the backup client program to the backup server program upon determining that the requested file is not maintained in the shared name space.