System and method for distribution of network file accesses over network storage devices

• US 6,654,795 B1
• Filed: 02/25/2000
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Brantley W. Coile
• Inventors: Coile, Brantley W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KIMBERLY D
• Application Number:
  US09/513,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/10, 709/203, 709/215, 709/224, 709/227, 709/228, 709/216-219, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1019 Random or heuristic server selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method supporting efficient distribution of file access requests across one or more storage device systems. A typical system according to the present invention includes a gateway system, one or more indexing system and one or more storage device systems. File access requests are initially received by the gateway system. The gateway system forwards a received file access request to a selected indexing system; the gateway system maintains information concerning the connection between the originator of the request and the selected indexing system. The selected indexing system determines the locations at which the requested file is stored among the storage device systems and selects one of these locations. The selected indexing system forwards the file access request to the storage device system indicated by the selected location, which responds by breaking the requested file into data packets and transmitting the data packets to the request originator. When the first of the data packets passes through the gateway, the gateway updates its information concerning the connection by replacing the information regarding the selected indexing system with information regarding the storage device system indicated by the selected location.

Claims

1. A system for distribution of network file accesses over storage devices, comprising:

(a) one or more storage device systems containing files, wherein each storage device system is capable of performing the steps of;

(i) receiving a file access request;

(ii) responsive to the receipt of the file access request, generating a file data packet; and

(iii) outputting the generated file data packet; and

(b) one or more indexing systems, wherein each indexing system is capable of performing the steps of;

(i) receiving a file access request comprising a file identifier;

(ii) locating a storage device system containing a file corresponding to the file identifier in the received file access request; and

(iii) forwarding the received file access request to tbe located storage device system; and

(c) a gateway system for performing the steps of;

(i) establishing a connection between a client computer and a selected indexing system;

(ii) forwarding a file access request received from the client computer to the selected indexing system; and

(iii) upon receiving the generated file data packet from a selected storage device system, changing the connection between the client computer and the selected indexing system to a connection between the client computer and the located storage device system.

2. The system of claim 1, and further comprising a communication network connecting the one or more storage device systems, the gateway system and the one or more indexing systems.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway system, the one or more indexing systems and the one or more storage devices arc connected on a single physical network.

4. The system of claim 1, and further comprising a private communication network connecting the one or more storage device systems and the one or more indexing systems.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the selected indexing system performs the step of forwarding the file access request to the located storage device system via the private communication network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway system comprises a storage device capable of storing one or more connection objects each representing a connection between a client computer and a specific indexing system or a specific storage device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway system establishes the connection between the client computer and a selected indexing system by performing the steps of:

(A) receiving a connection initiation packet from the client computer;

(B) selecting an indexing system from the one or more indexing systems; and

(C) creating a connection object representing the connection between the client computer and the selected indexing system in the gateway system'"'"'s storage device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the gateway system performs the step of selecting an indexing system by performing the step comprising of selecting an indexing system based upon current usage of the one or more indexing systems.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the gateway system performs the step of selecting an indexing system by performing the step comprising of selecting an indexing system based upon a circular queuing algorithm.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway system forwards a file access request received from the client computer to the selected indexing system by performing the steps of:

(A) receiving from the client computer a file access request comprising a destination address and a source address;

(B) identifying the connection object in the gateway system'"'"'s storage device corresponding to the received the file access request; and

(C) transmitting the received file access request to the selected indexing system indicated by the identified connection object.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the gateway system forwards a file access request received from the client computer to the selected indexing system by performing the further step comprising of:

(D) modifying the destination address of the received file access request to a destination address of the selected indexing system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway system forwards a file access request further comprising a checksum received from the client computer to the selected indexing system by performing the further step comprising of:

(E) updating the checksum of the received file access request to conform with the modified destination address.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein each indexing system locates a storage device system containing a file corresponding to the file identifier in the received file access request by performing the steps of:

(A) determining a set of storage device systems from the one or more storage device systems containing a file corresponding to the file identifier in the received file access request; and

(B) selecting a storage device system from the determined set.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the indexing system performs the step of selecting a storage device system by performing the step comprising of selecting a storage device system from the determined set based upon current usage of the storage device systems in the determined set.

15. A method operable by a gateway system for distribution of a network file access received from a client computer to a storage device system via an indexing system, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a connection between the client computer and the indexing system;

(b) forwarding a file access request comprising a file identifier received from the client computer to the indexing system;

(c) upon receiving a file data packet from a storage device system, changing the connection between the client computer and the indexing system to a connection between the client computer and the storage device system.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising the steps of (d) receiving by the indexing system the file access request;

(e) locating a storage device system containing a file conesponding to the file identifier in the received file access request; and

(f) forwarding the received file access request to the icoated storage device system.

17. The method of claim 16, and further comprising the step of (g) receiving a file access request by the located storage device system;

(h) responsive to the receipt of the file access request, generating a file data packet by the located storage device system; and

(i) outputting by the located storage device system the generated file data packet.

18. The method of claim 15, and further comprising the steps of (d) receiving a file access request by a storage device system;

(e) responsive to the receipt of the file access request, generating a file data packet by the storage device system; and

(f) outputting by the storage device system the generated file data packet.

19. A computer-readable, digital storage device containing instructions, that upon executiot by a processor in a gateway system, cause the processor to distribute a network file access received from a client computer to a storage device system via an indexing system, by performing the steps comprising of:

(a) establishing a connection between the client computer and the indexing system;

(b) forwarding a file access request comprising a file identifier received from the client computer to the indexing system;

(c) upon receiving a file data packet from a storage device system, changing the connection between the client computer and the indexing system to a connection between the client computer and the storage device system.