Method and system for responding to file system requests
First Claim
1. A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed comprising:
- D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer;
a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which are connected to each of the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element based on the file system request'"'"'s ID, the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests;
N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, each network element having a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N +D is greater than or equal to 4, which receives the requests and causes either the first or second switching element of the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function, the switching fabric connected between the disk elements and the network elements; and
a remote procedure call mechanism which forms a unique connection between a network element and a disk element through either the first or second switching element of the switch fabric at a certain priority through which requests and responses between the disk element and network element flow, the remote procedure call mechanism comprising a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a single network element with a single disk element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function. A method for responding to file system requests. The method includes the steps of receiving file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed at network elements. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V. Then there is the step of routing the requests to a switching fabric connected to the network elements based on the file system request'"'"'s ID according to the mapping function to disk elements connected to the switching fabric.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed comprising:
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D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer; a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which are connected to each of the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element based on the file system request'"'"'s ID, the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests; N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, each network element having a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N +D is greater than or equal to 4, which receives the requests and causes either the first or second switching element of the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function, the switching fabric connected between the disk elements and the network elements; and a remote procedure call mechanism which forms a unique connection between a network element and a disk element through either the first or second switching element of the switch fabric at a certain priority through which requests and responses between the disk element and network element flow, the remote procedure call mechanism comprising a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a single network element with a single disk element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for responding to file system requests comprising the steps of:
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receiving file system requests having file IDs comprising V. a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed at network elements, each having a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V; and routing the requests to a switching fabric connected between the network elements and disk elements having a first switching element and second switching element, each of which is connected to each network element through unique connections to the network elements based on the file system request'"'"'s ID according to the mapping function and through the respective connections to disk elements connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric with the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests, and a remote procedure call mechanism comprising a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a single network element with a single disk element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed comprising:
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D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer; a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element connected to each of the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element based on the file system request'"'"'s ID, the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests; N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, each network element having a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 4, wherein network elements and disk elements can be added dynamically, the switching fabric connected between the disk elements and the network elements; and a remote procedure call mechanism which forms a unique connection between a network element and a disk element through either the first and second switching element of switch fabric at a certain priority through which requests and responses between the disk element and network element flow, the remote procedure call mechanism comprising a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a single network element with a single disk element.
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26. A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed comprising:
- D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer;
a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element connected to each of the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element based on the file system request'"'"'s ID, the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests; N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, each network element having a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 4, wherein each network element has a network port through which requests are received by the respective network element wherein all the network elements and disk elements together appear as a single system that can respond to any request at any network port of any network element, the switching fabric connected between the disk elements and the network elements; and a remote procedure call mechanism which forms a unique connection between a network element and a disk element through either the first or second switching element of the switch fabric at a certain priority through which requests and responses between the disk element and network element flow, the remote procedure call mechanism comprising a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a single network element with a single disk element.
- D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer;
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27. A system for responding to file system requests comprising:
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a plurality of network elements which receives the requests; at least a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which in communication with the network elements which route the requests based on the file system request'"'"'s ID, the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests; a plurality of disk elements in which files are stored and which respond to the requests in communication with the first and second switching elements, the switching fabric connected between the disk elements and the network elements; and a remote procedure call mechanism which forms a unique connection between a network element and a disk element through either the first or second switching elements of the switch fabric at a certain priority through which requests and responses between the disk element and network element flow, the remote procedure call mechanism comprising a plurality of connections, each connection connecting a single network element with a single disk element. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A method for responding to file system requests comprising the steps of:
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forming unique connections with a remote procedure call mechanism between a network element of a plurality of network elements and a disk element of a plurality of disk elements through either a first switching element or second switching elements of a switch fabric connected between the network elements and the disk elements at a certain priority through which requests and responses between the disk element and network element flow, each switching element in communication with each network element and each disk element; receiving each request at the network element; routing each request with either the first or second switching element in communication with the network elements based on the file system request'"'"'s ID, the switching fabric processing higher priority requests before lower priority requests; and responding to each request with the disk element in which files are stored in communication with the switching element. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification