Backup system, file server and backup method

• US 7,546,325 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakatani, Yoji, Nakano, Takahiro, Kamei, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson; Greta L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilcox; James J
• Application Number:
  US11/373,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20070179999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments

Abstract

When any file sharing server among a plurality of file sharing servers configuring a virtual file system receives a backup requests from a backup server, the file sharing server that received the backup request searches a file sharing server managing the files to be backed up among the plurality of file sharing servers, and transfers the backup request to the searched file sharing server. The file sharing server that received the transfer of the backup request transfers the backup data to the media server via a connection server.

Claims

1. A backup system, comprising:

a virtual file system configured from a plurality of file server computers for providing a file sharing service to a client via a Global Name Space (GNS) integrating local name spaces of file systems respectively managed by the plurality of file server computers;

a backup server computer for managing the backup of said virtual file system;

a media server computer for storing backup data of said virtual file system in an external storage; and

a connection server computer which is connected to each of said plurality of file server computers for establishing with said media server computer a backup channel via which a backup is performed in a communication procedure based on a Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP),

wherein each of said plurality of file server computers acquires GNS information, with respect to each of the plurality of files managed by said virtual file system, including a global path of said each file, information for specifying a file server computer managing said each file, and a local path of said each file,

when a file server computer among the plurality of file server computers configuring said virtual file system receives from said backup server computer a backup request designating files to be backed up with a global path, the file server computer that received said backup request searches, based on the global path designated by the backup request and said GNS information, for a file server computer managing files to be backed up among said plurality of file server computers,

if the file server computer that received said backup request is the file server computer that had been searched for, the file server computer sends the files to be backed up to said connection server computer based on the local path of the files to be backed up,

if another file server computer is the file server computer that had been searched for, the file server computer that received said backup request issues a backup request of the files to be backed up together with the local path to said another file server, said another file server computer then sends the files to be backed up to said connection server computer based on the local path of the files to be backed up, and said connection server computer then transfers data of said files to be backed up to said media server computer using a communication means based on the NDMP,

said file server computer that received a backup request from said backup server computer requests the establishment of said backup channel to said connection server,

said file server computer retains connection server computer address information showing a network address of said connection server, connects to said connection server computer based on said connection server computer address information, and requests the establishment of said backup channel to said media server,

each of said local name spaces is known within a corresponding one of the file server computers and remains unknown to the client and to the backup server, and

the connection server computer receives backup data from the file server computer managing the files to be backed, without disconnecting said backup channel with said media server.

2. The backup system according to claim 1, wherein

when any file server computer among the plurality of file server computers configuring said virtual file system receives a restoration request from said backup server, the file server computer that received said restoration request searches for a file server computer managing files of a restoration target among said plurality of file server computers, and transfers said restoration request to the searched file server;

and wherein the file server computer that received the transfer of said restoration request transfers said restoration data to said media server computer via said connection server.

3. A file server computer configuring a virtual file system configured from a plurality of file server computers for receiving a file access from a client via a Global Name Space (GNS) integrating local name spaces of file systems respectively managed by the plurality of file server computers connected via a network, comprising:

a network interface connected to said network;

a processor connected to said network interface; and

a memory connected to said processor, wherein,

said processor acquires GNS information, with respect to each of the plurality of files managed by said virtual file system, including a global path of said each file, information for specifying a file server computer managing said each file, and a local path of said each file,

when said processor receives a backup request designating files to be backed up with a global path from a backup server computer managing the backup of said virtual file system, said processor searches, based on the global path designated by the backup request and said GNS information, for a file server computer managing the files to be backed up among said plurality of file server computers, and transfers said backup request to the searched file server,

if the file server computer that received said backup request is the file server computer that had been searched for, said processor sends the files to be backed up by the file server computer to a media server computer via a connection server computer which is connected to each of said plurality of file server computers for establishing with said media server computer a backup channel via which a backup is performed in a communication procedure based on a Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) thereby storing backup data of said virtual file system in an external storage, and

if another file server computer is the file server computer that had been searched for, said processor issues a backup request of the files to be backed up together with the local path to said another file server computer to make said another file server computer send the files to be backed up to said connection server computer based on the local path of the files to be backed up, and to make the connection server computer transfer data of said files to be backed up to said media server computer using a communication means based on the NDMP,

each of said local name spaces is known within a corresponding one of the file server computers and remains unknown to the client and to the backup server,

the connection server computer receives backup data from the file server computer managing the files to be backed, without disconnecting said backup channel with said media server, and

after receiving from said processor the backup request of the files to be backed up together with the local oath. said another file server computer sends the files to be backed up to said connection server computer based on the local oath of the files to be backed up, and the connection server computer transfers data of said files to be backed up to said media server computer using a communication means based on the NDMP.

4. The file server computer according to claim 3, wherein said memory stores connection server computer address information showing a network address of said connection server;

and

said processor connects to said connection server computer based on said connection server computer address information, and requests the establishment of said backup channel to said media server.

5. A backup method, comprising the steps of:

configuring a virtual file system from a plurality of file server computers;

by a processor in a file server computer of the virtual file system, receiving a file access from a client via a Global Name Space (GNS) integrating local name spaces of file systems respectively managed by the plurality of file server computers network connected via a network, and receiving a backup request from a backup server computer managing the backup of said virtual file system;

acquiring by a processor in each of said plurality of file server computers GNS information, with respect to each of the plurality of files managed by said virtual file system, including a global path of said each file, information for specifying a file server computer managing said each file, and a local path of said each file;

by the processor in the file server computer that received from said backup server computer said backup request designating files to be backed up with a global path, searching, based on the global path designated by the backup request and said GNS information, for a file server computer managing files to be backed up among said plurality of file server computers;

if the file server computer that received said backup request is the file server computer that had been searched for, by the processor therein, sending the files to be backed up by the file server computer to a media server computer via a connection server computer which is connected to each of said plurality of file server computers for establishing with said media server computer a backup channel via which a backup is performed in a communication procedure based on a Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) thereby storing backup data of said virtual file system in an external storage; and

if another file server computer is the file server computer that had been searched for, issuing by the processor in the file server computer that received said backup request a backup request of the files to be backed up together with the local path to said another file server, then sending by another processor in said another file server computer the files to be backed up to said connection server computer based on the local path of the files to be backed up, and then transferring by a processor in said connection server computer data of said files to be backed up to said media server computer using a communication means based on the NDMP,

wherein each of said local name spaces is known within a corresponding one of the file server computers and remains unknown to the client and to the backup server, and

the processor in the connection server computer receives backup data from the processor in the file server computer managing the files to be backed, without disconnecting said backup channel with said media server.