FILE SHARED APPARATUS AND ITS METHOD FILE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ITS METHOD RECORDING MEDIUM IN WHICH FILE SHARED PROGRAM IS RECORDED AND RECORDING MEDIUM IN WHICH FILE PROCESSING PROGRAM IS RECORDED

• US 6,499,058 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1999
• Issued: 12/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Acacia Patent Acquisition Corporation (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Motokazu Hozumi
• Inventors: Hozumi, Motokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Wen Tai
• Application Number:
  US09/392,964
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225-229, 340/825, 340/825.5, 710/36, 710/107-108, 710/240, 710/200, 711/150, 711/163, 713/210, 713/201, 707/8, 714/9, 714/5-6
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• 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 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

A conventional data shared system using a plurality of processing nodes and data storage units in a storage area network using SAN OS was a volume-level locking or a file-system-level locking through one limited server. A locking system for SAN proposed this time is one that is a file-system-level locking and creates no single point of failure. Namely, the locking system is incorporated into each storage unit of Storage Area Network to run software. As a result, the storage unit is converted to an intelligent form and an acceptor (1) for a first protocol and an acceptor (2) for a second protocol coexist. This allows the acceptor (1) to perform a locking mechanism and the acceptor (2) to perform data transfer, so that the locking system that is a file system level locking and that creates no single point of failure can be realized. The plurality of protocols is thus used so as to execute data control and data transfer efficiently.

Claims

1. A shared file system, comprising:

a network in which a plurality of protocols are usable;

a plurality of file processing apparatuses interconnected by said network; and

a plurality of storage units which are connected to said file processing apparatuses via said network, wherein each storage unit comprises a lock mechanism which comprises;

a first acceptor for receiving a file lock request from said file processing apparatuses by use of a first protocol;

a sender for sending a file access approval to said file processing apparatuses which requests a file lock upon receipt of said file lock request; and

a second acceptor for receiving, by use of a second protocol, a file access instruction from the file processing apparatus to which said file access approval was sent.

2. The shared file system according to claim 1, wherein said file lock mechanism switches the operation of said first and said second acceptor according to the protocol from said network.

3. The shared file system according to claim 1, wherein said first protocol is a network protocol, and said second protocol is a storage protocol.

4. The shared file system according to claim 1, wherein said file lock mechanism comprises, in an integrated manner and built inside thereof:

a network interface for connection with said network;

a storage interface for connection with the body of said storage unit;

a control unit provided between said network interface and said storage interface, for controlling the entire lock mechanism;

a first storage unit for storing a program for operating said first acceptor and said second acceptor; and

a second storage until for operating said first and second acceptor using the program read from said first storage unit under the control of said control unit.

5. A shared file device accessed via a network by a plurality of file processing apparatuses interconnected by said network in which a plurality of protocols are usable, said shared file device comprising a plurality of storage units each comprising a lock mechanism, said lock mechanism, comprising:

a first acceptor for receiving a file lock request from said file processing apparatuses by use of a first protocol;

a sender for sending a file access approval to said file processing apparatus which requests a file lock upon receipt of said file lock request; and

a second acceptor for receiving, by use of a second protocol, a file access instruction from the file processing apparatus to which said file access approval is sent.

6. The shared file device according to claim 5, wherein said file lock mechanism switches the operation of said first and said second acceptor according to the protocol from said network.

7. A computer-readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon;

where said program is to make the computer execute a file processing method for accessing a shared file device in which a plurality of storage units each comprise a lock mechanism, in which the shared file device connected to a network, in which a plurality of protocols are usable, via said network, said method comprising;

sending a file lock request to said shared file device by use of a first protocol;

accepting a file access approval from said shared file apparatus to which said file lock request is sent; and

sending a file access instruction to said shared file device by use of a second protocol upon receipt of said file access approval.