Method, system, and program for maintaining a namespace of filesets accessible to clients over a network

• US 7,392,261 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Correl, Stephen F., Young, Jason Christopher, Clark, Thomas Keith, Seeger, James John
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stevens; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/851,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20050273451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/1, 707/10
• US Class Current: 707/821
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program maintaining information on a namespace comprised of filesets shared by clients over a network. Zone information is maintained on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client system, at least one fileset, and at least one storage pool. For one zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client system. Clients are provided information on filesets included in a namespace, wherein each of a plurality of clients receive information on the at least one fileset associated with the client in the at least one zone including the client.

Claims

1. A method maintaining information on a namespace comprised of filesets shared by clients over a network, comprising:

maintaining zone information on at least one zone, wherein each zone associates at least one client, at least one of the filesets in the namespace, and at least one storage pool, wherein for each zone, the associated at least one fileset and at least one storage pool are accessible to the at least one client associated in the zone;

receiving a request from one of the clients for filesets accessible to the client in the namespace;

determining from the zone information at least one zone associating the requesting client with at least one fileset and at least one storage pool;

providing the requesting client with the information on the at least one fileset indicated in the determined at least one zone associating the client;

receiving one rule identifying a condition and storage pools in which to store files if the condition is satisfied;

determining whether the storage pools identified in the received rule are included in multiple zones; and

rejecting the received rule in response to determining that a specified fileset in the condition is not included in one zone including the storage pools identified in the received rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one client associated with multiple zones is enabled to access the filesets and storage pools in the associated zones.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each client is restricted to performing operations with respect to file sets and storage pools in the at least one zone including the client.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule condition indicates at least one client, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one client indicated in the rule condition is included in the determined multiple zones; and

failing the received rule in response to determining that the at least one client is not included in one of the determined multiple zones.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition indicates at least one of a fileset, file class, or client, wherein the condition is satisfied if a request to create a file satisfies the condition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a service class associates a service level with storage pools and zones, wherein multiple storage pools and zones are capable of being associated with one service level.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a request to create a file from one client;

determining a rule specifying one service class that is applicable to the received request;

determining at least one storage pool included in the specified service class that is in a zone applicable to the client that initiated the request; and

creating the requested file in an area of the determined at least one storage pool.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone information is maintained by a metadata server in communication with the clients and wherein the metadata server provides the clients information on the filesets included in the namespace that the clients are enabled to access, wherein the metadata server further performs:

receiving a request from one client to create a file;

determining whether one rule applies to the file create request indicating at least one storage pool in which to create the file; and

creating the file in a location in the at least one storage pool indicated in the rule in response to determining that one rule applies.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage pool comprises at least one storage device, wherein each storage device is restricted to being included in one storage pool.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the zone information is used to verify client connectivity to storage pools during client discovery, wherein the client is enabled to only access storage pools in zones including the client performing discovery.