Method for accessing distributed file system

• US 7,284,041 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2005
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakatani, Yoji, Iwasaki, Masaaki, Enko, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bhatia; Ajay M
• Application Number:
  US11/201,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20050267982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 711117-146
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• 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: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

In order to access a distributed file system (DFS) of the present invention using a conventional protocol such as the one for an NFS or a CIFS without making a modification on a client side, a gateway unit for receiving a conventional protocol and performing processing in conformity the protocol is provided for a DFS server. The gateway unit emulates a directory structure in a file system such as the NFS or CIFS. When the DFS is a write-once read-many file system, update processing is converted into processing for creating a new generation file, and reference processing is converted into access to a latest generation file in a generation-managed file group. The gateway unit then accesses a DFS file via a DFS processing unit.

Claims

1. A gateway apparatus coupled to a client computer and a file server via a network comprising:

a first interface, coupled to the client computer via the network, which receives a first type file access request from the client computer based on a first type protocol;

a second interface, coupled to the file server via the network, which outputs a second type file access request to the file server based on a second type protocol, the second type protocol being used between the file server and a second client computer which is adapted to use the second type protocol;

a processing unit coupled to the first interface and the second interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit,

wherein the first type file access request specifies a path name indicating a directory including a file to be accessed and a file name indicating the file, the file name being a first type of unique identifier in the directory,

wherein the second type file access request specifies a file ID which is a second type of unique identifier in the file server and indicates the file, the file ID being used between the file server and the second client computer for accessing the file,

wherein the memory stores information of a correspondence between a set of path name and file name of the first type protocol and file ID of the second type protocol,

wherein, when the first interface receives a first command of the first type file access request from the client computer, the first command specifies a first set of a first path name and a first file name related to a first file, the processing unit sends a second command of the second type file access request to the file server via the second interface, the second command indicates the file server to create a second file which includes update data of the first file and which is assigned to a second file ID of the second type protocol in the file server if the first file already exists in the file server and is assigned to a first file ID, which is different from the second file ID, and

wherein the processing unit recognizes a completion of updating of the first file indicated by the first command of the first type file access request if contents of the first file are not updated within a predetermined period of time.

2. A gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first interface is configured to receive the first type file access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

3. A gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the contents of the first file are not updated if the first interface does not receive updating data related to the first command from the computer for a predetermined time.

4. A gateway apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the memory stores information of the predetermined period of time.

5. A gateway apparatus coupled to a client computer and a file server via a network comprising:

a first interface, coupled to the client computer via the network, which receives a first type file access request from the client computer based on a first type protocol;

a second interface, coupled to the file server via the network, which outputs a second type file access request to the file server based on a second type protocol, the second type protocol being used between the file server and a second client computer which is adapted to use the second type protocol;

a processing unit coupled to the first interface and the second interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit,

wherein the first type file access request specifies a path name indicating a directory including a file to be accessed and a file name indicating the file, the file name being a first type of unique identifier in the directory,

wherein the second type file access request specifies a file ID which is a second type of unique identifier in the file server and indicates the file, the file ID being used between the file server and the second client computer for accessing the file,

wherein the memory stores information of a correspondence between a set of path name and file name of the first type protocol and file ID of the second type protocol,

wherein, when the first interface receives a first command of the first type file access request from the client computer, the first command specifies a first set of a first path name and a first file name related to a first file, the processing unit sends a second command of the second type file access request to the file server via the second interface, the second command indicates the file server to create a second file which includes update data of the first file and which is assigned to a second file ID of the second type protocol in the file server if the first file already exists in the file server and is assigned to a first file ID, which is different from the second file ID,

wherein the first command includes a plurality of write commands, and

wherein the processing unit recognizes a completion of updating of the first file indicated by the first command of the first type file access request if the first interface does not receive one of the plurality of write commands within a predetermined time interval.

6. A gateway apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first interface is configured to receive the first type file access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

7. A gateway apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the memory stores information of the predetermined time interval.

8. A gateway apparatus coupled to a client computer and a file server via a network comprising:

a first interface, coupled to the client computer via the network, which receives a first type file access request from the client computer based on a first type protocol;

a second interface, coupled to the file server via the network, which outputs a second type file access request to the file server based on a second type protocol, the second type protocol being used between the file server and a second client computer which is adapted to use the second type protocol;

a processing unit coupled to the first interface and second interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit,

wherein the first type file access request specifies a path name indicating a directory including a file to be accessed and a file name indicating the file, the file name being a first type of unique identifier in the directory,

wherein the second type file access request specifies a file ID which is a second type of unique identifier in the file server and indicates the file, the file ID being used between the file server and the second client computer for accessing the file,

wherein the memory stores information of a correspondence between a set of path name and file name of the first type protocol and file ID of the second type protocol,

wherein, when the first interface receives a first command of the first type file access request from the client computer, the first command specifies a first set of a first path name and a first file name related to a first file, the processing unit recognizes a completion of updating of the first file indicated by the first command of the first type file access request if contents of the first file are not updated within a predetermined period of time and sends a second command of the second type file access request to the file server via the second interface, the second command indicates the file server to complete to create a second file which includes update data of the first file and which is assigned to a second file ID of the second type protocol in the file server if the first file already exists in the file server and is assigned to a first file ID, which is different from the second file ID.

9. A gateway apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first interface is configured to receive the first type file access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

10. A gateway apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the contents of the first file are not updated if the first interface does not receive updating data related to the first command from the computer for a predetermined time.

11. A gateway apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the memory stores information of the predetermined period of time.

12. A gateway apparatus coupled to a client computer and a file server via a network comprising:

an interface, coupled to the client computer and the file server via the network, which receives a first type access request from the client computer in accordance with a first type protocol and outputs a second type access request to the file server in accordance with a second type protocol;

a processing unit coupled to the interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit,

wherein a read request of the first type protocol uses a set of a path name and a file name, the file name being a first type of unique identifier in a directory which is indicated by the path name,

wherein a read request of the second type protocol uses a file ID which is a second type of unique identifier in the file server,

wherein the memory stores information of correspondence between the set of the path name and the file name of the first type protocol and the file ID of the second type protocol, and

wherein, if the interface receives a first write request of the first type access request from the client computer, the first write request specifies a first set of a first path name and a first file name related to a first contents and instructs to update the first contents by an update data, the first contents is assigned to a first file ID of the second type protocol in the file server, the processing unit issues a second write request of the second type access request to the file server via the interface, the second write request indicates the file server to store a second contents in the file server which includes the update data for the first contents, the second contents is assigned to a second file ID, which is different from the first file ID, of the second type protocol.

13. A gateway apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the first write request includes a plurality of write commands, and

wherein the processing unit recognizes a completion of updating of the first contents indicated by the first write request of the first type access request if the interface does not receive at least one of the plurality of write commands within a predetermined time interval.

14. The gateway apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein, if the interface receives a third write request of the first type access request from the client computer, the third write request specifies the first set of the first path name and the first file name related to the first contents and instructs to store the first contents, the processing unit issues a fourth write request of the second type access request to the file server via the interface, the fourth write request indicates the file server to store the first contents which is assigned to the first file ID.

15. The gateway apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein, after the second contents is stored in the file server, if the interface receives a first read request of the first type access request from the client computer, the first read request specifies the first set of the first path name and the first file name, the processing unit issues a second read request of the second type access request which specifies the second ID assigned to the second contents and which indicates the file server to send the second contents including the update data to the gateway apparatus.

16. The gateway apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the interface includes a first interface receiving the first type access request from the client computer in accordance with the first type protocol and a second interface issuing the second type access request to the file server in accordance with the second type protocol.

17. The gateway apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the interface is configured to receive the first type access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

18. The gateway apparatus according to claim 16

wherein the first interface is configured to receive the first type access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

19. The gateway apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the processing unit modifies the information to include relationship information among the first set of the first path name and the first file name, the first file ID and the second file ID and stores the modified information into the memory.

20. A gateway apparatus coupled to a client computer and a server providing data of a file comprising:

an interface, coupled to the client computer and the server, which receives a first type access request from the client computer in accordance with a first type protocol and outputs a second type access request to the server in accordance with

a second type protocol;

a processing unit coupled to the interface; and

a memory coupled to the processing unit,

wherein the memory stores information of correspondence between a set of a path name and a file name, which is a first type of unique identifier in a directory indicated by the path name, of the first type protocol and an ID, which is a second type of unique identifier in the server, of the second type protocol, and

wherein, if the interface receives a first write request of the first type access request from the client computer, the first write request specifies a first set of a first path name and a first file name related to a first contents and instructs to update the first contents by an update data, the first contents is assigned to a first ID of the second type protocol in the server, the processing unit issues a second write request of the second type access request to the server via the interface, the second write request indicates the server to store a second contents in the server which includes the update data for the first contents, the second contents is assigned to a second ID, which is different from the first ID, of the second type protocol by the server.

21. A gateway apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the first write request includes a plurality of write commands, and

wherein the processing unit recognizes a completion of updating of the first contents indicated by the first write request of the first type access request if the interface does not receive at least one of the plurality of write commands within a predetermined time interval.

22. The gateway apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein, if the interface receives a third write request of the first type access request from the client computer, the third write request specifies the first set of the first path name and the first file name related to the first contents and instructs to store the first contents, the processing unit issues a fourth write request of the second type access request to the server via the interface, the fourth write request indicates the server to store the first contents which is assigned to the first ID.

23. The gateway apparatus according to claim 22,

wherein, after the second contents is stored in the server, if the interface receives a first read request of the first type access request from the client computer, the first read request specifies the first set of the first path name and the first file name, the processing unit issues a second read request of the second type access request which specifies the second ID assigned to the second contents and which indicates the server to send the second contents including the update data to the gateway apparatus.

24. The gateway apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the interface includes a first interface receiving the first type access request from the client computer in accordance with the first type protocol and a second interface issuing the second type access request to the server in accordance with the second type protocol.

25. The gateway apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the interface is configured to receive the first type access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

26. The gateway apparatus according to claim 24,

wherein the first interface is configured to receive the first type access request according to NFS and/or CIFS.

27. The gateway apparatus according to claim 20,

wherein the processing unit modifies the information to include relationship information among the first set of the first path name and the first file name, the first ID and the second ID and stores the modified information into the memory.