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 a file in a data network, the data network including a client and a server and data storage, the data storage including data storage locations for storing data of the file, the data network having an Internet Protocol (IP) data link between the client and the server, and the data network having a high-speed data link between the client and the data storage, the high-speed data link bypassing the server, said method comprising:
- (a) the server managing metadata of the file;
(b) the client using a file access protocol over the IP data link to obtain metadata of the file from the server, the metadata including block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file; and
(c) the client using the block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file to produce a data access command for accessing the data storage locations for storing data of the file, and the client using a high-speed data block access protocol over the high-speed data link to send the data access command to the data storage to access the data storage locations for storing data of the file.
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.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of accessing a file in a data network, the data network including a client and a server and data storage, the data storage including data storage locations for storing data of the file, the data network having an Internet Protocol (IP) data link between the client and the server, and the data network having a high-speed data link between the client and the data storage, the high-speed data link bypassing the server, said method comprising:
-
(a) the server managing metadata of the file; (b) the client using a file access protocol over the IP data link to obtain metadata of the file from the server, the metadata including block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file; and (c) the client using the block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file to produce a data access command for accessing the data storage locations for storing data of the file, and the client using a high-speed data block access protocol over the high-speed data link to send the data access command to the data storage to access the data storage locations for storing data of the file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A data network comprising:
-
a client; a server and an Internet Protocol (IP) data link coupling the server to the client; and data storage and a high-speed data link coupling the data storage to the client, the data storage including data storage locations for storing data of a file, the high-speed data link bypassing the server; the server being programmed for managing metadata of the file; the client and the server being programmed for the client to use a file access protocol over the IP data link to obtain metadata of the file from the server, the metadata including block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file; the client further being programmed for using the block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file to produce at least one data access command for accessing the data storage locations for storing data of the file, and the client being programmed for using a high-speed data block access protocol over the high-speed data link to send the data access command to the data storage to access the data storage locations for storing data of the file. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A data network comprising:
-
a client; a server and an Internet Protocol (IP) data link coupling the server to the client; and a cached disk array, and a high-speed data link coupling the cached disk array to the client, the cached disk array having data storage locations for storing data of a file, the high-speed data link bypassing the server; the server being programmed for managing metadata of the file; the client and the server being programmed for the client to use a file access protocol over the IP data link to obtain metadata of the file from the server, the metadata including block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file; the client further being programmed for using the block numbers specifying the data storage locations for storing data of the file to produce at least one data access command for accessing the data storage locations for storing data of the file, and the client being programmed for using a high-speed data block access protocol over the high-speed data link to send the data access command to the cached disk array to access the data storage locations for storing data of the file. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification