System and method for administering a filer having a plurality of virtual filers
First Claim
1. A system, stored on a computer readable medium, that enables a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the system comprising:
- a physical server administrator configured to administer common physical aspects of the server;
a virtual server administrator configured to administer logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers;
an operating system of the server adapted to designate roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; and
the operating system is further configured to read the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server, and to determine that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address;
wherein;
if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers; and
if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method enables a server, such as a filer, configured with a plurality of virtual servers, such as virtual filers, to provide two types of administrators for administering the filer. A physical filer (pfiler) administrator manages or administers common physical aspects of the filer, such as hardware resources of the filer and software objects that represent those resources. In contrast, a virtual filer (vfiler) administrator administers logical aspects of a vfiler, such as access control for logical storage resources belonging to the vfiler. The system provides full administrative capability authority to the pfiler administrator to administer the filer platform, including the ability to create and administer vfilers, whereas only a subset of administrative capabilities is provided to each vfiler administrator to facilitate its administrative function on behalf of a client.
57 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A system, stored on a computer readable medium, that enables a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the system comprising:
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a physical server administrator configured to administer common physical aspects of the server; a virtual server administrator configured to administer logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers; an operating system of the server adapted to designate roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; and the operating system is further configured to read the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server, and to determine that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for enabling a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the method comprising the steps of:
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administering common physical aspects of the server with a physical server administrator; administering logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator; designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using an operating system of the server, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server; and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus, stored on a computer readable medium, for enabling a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the apparatus comprising:
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means for administering common physical aspects of the server with a physical server administrator; means for administering logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator; means for designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using an operating system of the server, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; and means for reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server; and
determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address;wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A computer readable medium containing executable program instructions for enabling a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the executable program instructions comprising program instructions for:
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administering common physical aspects of the server with a physical server administrator; administering logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator; designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using an operating system of the server, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server; and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A system, stored on a computer readable medium, that enables a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the system comprising:
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a physical server administrator configured to administer common physical aspects of the server; a virtual server administrator configured to administer logical aspects of a virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers; an operating system of the server adapted to designate roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; and the operating system is further configured to read the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server, and to determine that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server.
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26. A method for administering a server to manage a plurality of virtual servers, the method comprising the steps of:
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administering common physical aspects of the server with a physical server administrator; administering logical aspects of a virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator; designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using an operating system of the server, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server; and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server.
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27. A server, the server supporting a plurality of virtual servers, comprising:
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a processor; a memory; means for administering common physical aspects of the server with a physical server administrator; means for administering logical aspects of a virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator; means for designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using an operating system of the server, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; and means for reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more of virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more of virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server.
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28. A computer readable media, comprising:
said computer readable media containing instructions for execution on a processor for the practice of a method for administering a server configured with a plurality of virtual servers, the method having the steps of; administering common physical aspects of the server with a physical server administrator; administering logical aspects of a virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator; designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using an operating system of the server, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the server; reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the server; and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; wherein; if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the virtual server of the plurality of virtual servers; and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the sever and executing the request by the server.
Specification