File server system providing direct data sharing between clients with a server acting as an arbiter and coordinator
First Claim
1. A method of accessing data stored in a data storage location in a data storage device, the method comprising:
- (a) a server receiving from a client a request for accessing data related to a file, and wherein the server is in communication with a data storage device including data storage locations and the server managing locks on files having data stored in the data storage device;
(b) in response to the request for data, the server returning to the client metadata of the file including information specifying a data storage location for the file and granting to the client a lock on at least a portion of the file to be used when accessing data that is at least a portion of the file; and
(c) using the metadata of the file received from the server, the client producing at least one data access command based on the metadata received from the server for accessing the data storage location and sending the at least one data access command produced from the metadata received from the server to the data storage device for accessing data stored on the data storage device that comprises at least a portion of the file for which the lock is granted.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A client is permitted to send data access commands directly to network data storage of a network file server after obtaining a lock on at least a portion of the file and obtaining metadata indicating storage locations for the data in the data storage. For example, the client sends to the file server at least one request for access to a file. In response, the file server grants a lock to the client, and returns to the client metadata of the file including information specifying data storage locations in the network data storage for storing data of the file. The client receives the metadata, and uses the metadata to produce at least one data access command for accessing the data storage locations in the network storage. The client sends the data access command to the network data storage to read or write data to the file. For a write operation, the client may modify the metadata. When the client is finished writing to the file, the client returns any modified metadata to the file server.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. A method of accessing data stored in a data storage location in a data storage device, the method comprising:
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(a) a server receiving from a client a request for accessing data related to a file, and wherein the server is in communication with a data storage device including data storage locations and the server managing locks on files having data stored in the data storage device; (b) in response to the request for data, the server returning to the client metadata of the file including information specifying a data storage location for the file and granting to the client a lock on at least a portion of the file to be used when accessing data that is at least a portion of the file; and (c) using the metadata of the file received from the server, the client producing at least one data access command based on the metadata received from the server for accessing the data storage location and sending the at least one data access command produced from the metadata received from the server to the data storage device for accessing data stored on the data storage device that comprises at least a portion of the file for which the lock is granted. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A program product containing a program for a server and a client, wherein the server and the client are in communication with at least one data storage device including data storage locations for storing a file, wherein the program is executable for responding to each request for data that comprises at least a portion of a file stored in the at least one data storage device by:
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enabling the server to respond to a request for data from a client for access to at least a portion of the file, by returning to the client metadata of the file including information specifying a data storage location for the file, and wherein the server is in communication with a data storage device and the server is further enabled by the program for managing locks on files having data stored in the data storage device and for granting a lock on at least a portion of the file to be used by the client when accessing data that comprises at least a portion of the file; and enabling the client to use the metadata of the file received from the server to produce at least one data access command based on the metadata received from the server for accessing the data storage location and sending the at least one data access command produced from the metadata received from the server to the data storage device for accessing data stored on the data storage device that comprises at least a portion of the file for which the lock is granted. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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Specification