Method for forming virtual network storage
First Claim
1. A method of a virtualization controller coupled to a client and a plurality of network storages, and forming a virtual network storage by using said plurality of network storages so that accesses to said plurality of network storages are done just like accesses to one network storage, said method comprising the steps of:
- receiving a file list request from said client to said virtualization controller, said file list request being used to request a file list from a virtual directory of said virtual network storage;
transferring first and second file list requests corresponding to said received file list request to each of first and second network storages after converting a source address and a target address of said received file list request for access to each of directories of said first and second network storages, said directories corresponding to said virtual directory, said converted source address being an address of said virtualization controller, said converted target address being an address of said first or second network storage;
receiving a first file list from said first network storage in response to said transferred first file list request;
receiving a second file list from said second network storage in response to said transferred second file list request, said second file list being different from said first file list;
combining both said first and second file lists into a combined file list;
sending said combined file list from said virtualization controller to said client;
receiving a request generated by said client according to said combined file list sent to said client;
determining a network storage to which said received request is to be transferred according to said combined file list received from said network storage;
transferring said request to said determined network storage;
receiving a response from said network storage in response to said transferred request; and
transferring said received response to said client.
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for forming a virtual network storage using general network storages and through the processing by a network storage accessing protocol without using any dedicated network storages, concentrated management servers, or distributed directories. The virtual network storage, when receiving a READDIR request from a client, transfers the received READDIR request to each network storage, and receives READDIR responses from the network storages. The virtual network storage then combines the READDIR responses from the network storages and sends the result to the client. This solves the problem caused by increasing the number of network storages wherein a centralized management server becomes a bottleneck that would hinder the improvement of the system scalability, as well as the problem of using dedicated network storages that disables the employment of existing network storages for forming a virtual network storage.
35 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of a virtualization controller coupled to a client and a plurality of network storages, and forming a virtual network storage by using said plurality of network storages so that accesses to said plurality of network storages are done just like accesses to one network storage, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a file list request from said client to said virtualization controller, said file list request being used to request a file list from a virtual directory of said virtual network storage; transferring first and second file list requests corresponding to said received file list request to each of first and second network storages after converting a source address and a target address of said received file list request for access to each of directories of said first and second network storages, said directories corresponding to said virtual directory, said converted source address being an address of said virtualization controller, said converted target address being an address of said first or second network storage; receiving a first file list from said first network storage in response to said transferred first file list request; receiving a second file list from said second network storage in response to said transferred second file list request, said second file list being different from said first file list; combining both said first and second file lists into a combined file list; sending said combined file list from said virtualization controller to said client; receiving a request generated by said client according to said combined file list sent to said client; determining a network storage to which said received request is to be transferred according to said combined file list received from said network storage; transferring said request to said determined network storage; receiving a response from said network storage in response to said transferred request; and transferring said received response to said client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of a virtualization controller coupled to a client and a plurality of network storages, and forming a virtual network storage by using said plurality of network storages so that accesses to said plurality of network storages are done just like accesses to one network storage, said. method. comprising the steps of:
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receiving a file list request from said client to said virtualization controller, said file list request being used to request a file list from a virtual directory of said virtual network storage; transferring file list requests corresponding to said received file list request to each of said plurality of network storages after converting a source address and a target address of said received file list request for access to each of directories of said plurality of network storages, said directories corresponding to said virtual directory, said converted source address being an address of said virtualization controller, said converted target address being an address of said plurality of network storages; receiving file lists from said plurality of network storages in response to said transferred file list requests, said file lists being different from one other, determining whether or not each of said received file lists is successful; combining only successful file lists as determined in said determining step into a combined file list; sending said combined file list from said virtualization controller to said client; receiving a request generated by said client according to said combined file list sent to said client; determining a network storage to which said received request is to be transferred according to said combined file list received from said network storage; transferring said request to said determined network storage; receiving a response from said network storage in response to said transferred request; and transferring said received response to said client. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method of a virtualization controller coupled to a client and a plurality of network storages, and forming a virtual network storage by using said plurality of network storages so that accesses to said plurality of network storages are done just like accesses to one network storage, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a file list request from said client to said virtualization controller, said file list request being used to request a file list from a virtual directory of said virtual network storage; transferring file list requests corresponding to said received file list request to each of said plurality of network storages after converting a source address and a target address of said received file list request for access to each of directories of said plurality of network storages, said directories corresponding to said virtual directory, said converted source address being an address of said virtualization controller, said converted target address being an address of said plurality of network storages; receiving file lists from said plurality of network storages in response to said transferred file list requests, said file lists being different from one other; determining whether or not each of said received file lists is successful; combining successful file lists selected from among successful responses into a combined successful file list; sending said combined successful file list as determined in said determining step from said virtualization controller to said client; receiving a request generated by said client according to said combined successful file list sent to said client; determining a network storage to which said received request is to be transferred according to said combined successful file list received from said network storage; transferring said request to said determined network storage; receiving a response from said network storage in response to said transferred request, and transferring said received response to said client. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A method of a virtualization controller coupled to a client and, a plurality of network storages, and forming a virtual network storage by using said plurality of network storages so that accesses to said plurality of network storages are done just lake accesses to one network storage, said method comprising the steps of:
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detecting an operation state of each of a plurality of network storages; generating an entry that includes error information for each detected error; receiving a file list request from a client to said virtualization controller, said file list request being used to request a file list from a virtual directory of said virtual network storage; transferring file list requests corresponding to said received file list request to each of said plurality of network storages after converting a source address end a target address of said received file list request for access to each of directories of said plurality of network storages, said directories corresponding to said virtual directory, said converted source address being an address of said virtualization controller, said converted target address being an address of said plurality of network storages; receiving file lists from said plurality of network storages in response to said transferred file list requests, said file lists being different from one other; generating a combined file list in response to said file list request by combining the file lists from network storages operating normally among said plurality of network storages anal the entry information that includes said generated error information; sending said generated combined file list from said virtualization controller to said client; receiving a request generated by said client according to said combined file list sent to said client; determining a network storage to which said received request is to be transferred according to said combined file list received from said network storage; transferring said request to said determined network storage; receiving a response from said network storage in response to said transferred request; and transferring said received response to said client.
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Specification