Modular software method for independent storage nodes

• US 6,948,001 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2000
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Independent Storage Corporation
• Original Assignee: Radiant Data Corporation
• Inventors: Bradley, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DELGADO, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/705,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 709/230, 709/227, 709/246, 709/217, 707/204, 707/4, 711/6, 719/312, 719/324, 718/100, 717/100, 713/100, 710/260, 710/65
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• 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: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation

Abstract

An independent storage node is disclosed that includes a processor and transport hardware in communication with the processor that is capable of communicating data via a transport connection. Executing on the processor is modular storage software that comprises a plurality of software modules and a module interface. The module interface allows dynamic binding of the software modules and is capable of executing on a plurality of processor types by using particular software modules related to a specific processor type.

Claims

1. A system for software module to module communication, comprising:

a module interface capable of receiving a file system request configured in either of multiple file system formats, the module interface defined to translate the received file system request into a dynamic flat file system request;

a first software module in communication with the module interface, the first software module capable of communicating file system requests configured in a first file system format to the module interface; and

a second software module in communication with the module interface, the second software module capable of communicating file system requests configured in a second file system format to the module interface,

wherein the first software module is capable of communicating with the second software module via translation through the dynamic flat file system as provided by the module interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic flat file system is defined as an array of objects including volume-type objects, file-type objects, and directory-type objects.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic flat file system is defined to incorporate object attributes from a superset of object attributes, the superset of object attributes including object attributes of the multiple file system formats.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the module interface includes a file system translator for translating the received file system request into the dynamic flat file system, the file system translator being defined to combine a parsing and generation function with an ability to create file structures from the superset of object attributes of the dynamic flat file system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dynamic flat file system of the module interface provides data storage for both the first and second software modules.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first software module operates within a first computing system and the second software module operates within a second computing system, the first and second computing systems being independent from each another.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first computing system differs from the second computing system with respect to hardware, operating system, or both hardware and operating system.

8. An independent storage node, comprising:

a network interface module defined to receive and send data over a network;

a file system translator defined to receive file system requests from the network interface and translate the file system requests into a dynamic flat file system format;

a dynamic flat file system defined to direct storage of data received through the network interface module in accordance with the file system requests as translated by the file system translator into the dynamic flat file system format;

a storage device driver defined to generate block-level requests based on the file system requests in the dynamic flat file system format; and

a storage device defined to store data in accordance with the block-level requests generated by the storage device driver.

9. The independent storage node of claim 8, wherein the dynamic flat file system is defined as an array of objects including volume-type objects, file-type objects, and directory-type objects.

10. The independent storage node of claim 8, wherein the dynamic flat file system is defined to incorporate object attributes from a superset of object attributes, the superset of object attributes including object attributes of file systems associated with the file system requests received by the file system translator.

11. The independent storage node of claim 10, wherein the file system translator is defined to combine a parsing and generation function with an ability to create file structures from the superset of object attributes of the dynamic flat file system.