Method and apparatus for serving files from a mainframe to one or more clients
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of providing access to a file stored on a mainframe, the method comprising:
- receiving from a client computer system a request to provide access to a file stored on the mainframe computer system, the request comprising an offset, the offset capable of identifying a position in the file other than a block boundary;
retrieving at least a first portion of the file using an operating system that allows access to the file solely starting on block boundaries; and
providing access to at least a second portion of the file at the position.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus provides random access to mainframe files that are accessed using an operating system that does not provide random access. This allows a computer system such as a mainframe on which random access is not supported to act as a file server for a computer system on which random access is supported without requiring the entire file to be downloaded to the client computer system.
50 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of providing access to a file stored on a mainframe, the method comprising:
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receiving from a client computer system a request to provide access to a file stored on the mainframe computer system, the request comprising an offset, the offset capable of identifying a position in the file other than a block boundary;
retrieving at least a first portion of the file using an operating system that allows access to the file solely starting on block boundaries; and
providing access to at least a second portion of the file at the position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
receiving a command to access the file, the command specifying a path and filename;
reading at least one property of the file stored in a registry responsive to the path; and
transmitting from a client computer to the mainframe a request to access the file responsive to the at least one property read and the command received.
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10. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing access to a file stored on a mainframe, the computer program product comprising:
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computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive from a client computer system a request to provide access to a file stored on the mainframe computer system, the request comprising an offset, the offset capable of identifying a position in the file other than a block boundary;
computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to retrieve at least a first portion of the file using an operating system that allows access to the file solely starting on block boundaries; and
computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to provide access to at least a second portion of the file at the position. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to receive a command to access the file, the command specifying a path and filename;
computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to read at least one property of the file stored in a registry responsive to the path; and
computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to transmit from a client computer to the mainframe a request to access the file responsive to the at least one property read and the command received.
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19. An apparatus for providing random access to a file stored in a mainframe computer system, the apparatus comprising
a mainframe accessor having a first input/output operatively coupled for receiving a file access request for a mainframe file stored using an operating system that allows access to the file only on block boundaries, the request comprising an offset capable of identifying a position in the file other than a block boundary, the mainframe accessor for providing an identifier of the mainframe file at a mainframe accessor second input/output responsive to the request received at the mainframe accessor first input/output, for retrieving at a third input/output at least a portion of the mainframe file responsive to the request received at the first input/output, and for providing at the first input/output the portion of the mainframe file received at the mainframe accessor third input/output; -
a formatter having a first input/output coupled to the mainframe accessor second input/output for receiving the identifier of the mainframe file and the set of conversion information, the formatter for requesting and receiving at a second input/output at least a first portion of the mainframe file, and for providing to an output a second portion of the mainframe file corresponding to the at least a portion of the mainframe file received at the formatter second input/output; and
a cache having an input/output coupled to the formatter output for receiving the at least the second portion of the mainframe file and coupled to the mainframe accessor third input/output for receiving the request and providing a third portion of the mainframe file responsive to the request. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
a registry having an input/output for receiving a path identifier, the registry for, responsive to the path identifier, providing at the registry input/output at least one property stored for the path identifier; and
an accessor located in a client computer system different from the mainframe computer system, the accessor having a first input/output for receiving a command to access a file, the command corresponding to a file, the file corresponding to a path, having a second input/output coupled to the registry input/output and a third input/output coupled to the mainframe accessor first input/output, the accessor for providing at the accessor second input/output a path identifier responsive to the command received at the accessor first input/output, for receiving at the second input/output the at least one property, for generating and providing at the third input/output an access request responsive to the at least one property received at the accessor second input/output, for receiving at the accessor third input/output the at least the portion of the mainframe file, and for providing at the accessor first input/output the at least the portion of the mainframe file received at the accessor third input/output.
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21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the command to access the file is a read command.
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22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the command to access the file is a write command.
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23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein:
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the mainframe accessor receives the at least one property at the first input/output and provides the at least one property at the second input/output; and
the formatter receives the at least one property at the formatter first input/output and the formatter is additionally for adjusting responsive to the at least one property the at least the first portion of the file received at the formatter second input/output to produce the at least the second portion of the mainframe file.
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Specification