File distribution system in which partial files are arranged according to various allocation rules associated with a plurality of file types

• US 7,620,698 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2007
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sonoda, Koji, Iwasaki, Masaaki, Hara, Junichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Quang N.
• Application Number:
  US11/951,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20080098086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 709/105, 709/203, 709/220, 709/236, 709/218, 709/224, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 707/8, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems

Abstract

In a distributed file system, when a user requests a computer to create a distributed file, a management computer acquires a list of computers complying with an allocation rule selected by the user from allocation rules taking the performance, security level, reliability level and utility rate into consideration. When the user requests the computer to access the distributed file, on the other hand, the partial files and the server information are collected from each computer. Each computer evaluates the allocation of the partial files based on the selected allocation rule and the server information from each computer, and if required, selects a destination computer and instructs the partial files to be moved to the destination computer.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of first computers, wherein a subset of said first computers store portions of a first file;

at least one second computer configured to use the first file; and

a management computer operatively coupled to the plurality of first computers and to the second computer, wherein;

each of the plurality of first computers is configured to send computer property information about itself for holding a corresponding one of the portions of the first file, to the management computer,

the management computer is configured to manage a plurality of the computer property information of the plurality of first computers,

the second computer is configured to store a plurality of allocation rules associated with a plurality of file types,

for one of the computers in said subset of said first computers, the second computer is further configured to receive another computer property information and a first portion, which is one of the portions, of the first file therefrom, and to compare the received other computer property information to one or more allocation rules which correspond to the file type of the first portion of the first file, and

for each remaining computer in said subset of said first computers, if the computer property information thereof does not match any of said one or more allocation rules, then the second computer;

specifies a second portion, which is one of the portions, of the first file stored in said each remaining computer as a partial file to be moved;

obtains a list of computers from among said subset of said first computers whose computer property information match said one or more allocation rules; and

instructs said each remaining computer to move its portion of the first file to one of the computers in the list of computers.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computer property information comprises one or more of performance information, security level information, reliability level information, and utility rate information.

3. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the second computer selects a criterion comprising one or more of performance information, security level information, reliability level information, and utility rate information and removes any first computers from the subset whose computer property information does not meet the criterion.

4. The computer system of claim 2, wherein the second computer determines whether the list contains any first computers greater in number than the partial files to be moved, and if greater, then the second computer binds said one or more allocation rules and the list.

5. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of first computers, wherein a subset of said first computers store portions of a first file;

at least one second computer configured to use the first file; and

a management computer operatively coupled to the plurality of first computers and to the second computer, wherein;

each of the plurality of first computers is configured to send computer property information about itself to the management computer, the computer property information including performance information, security level information, reliability level information, and utility rate information,

the management computer is configured to manage the computer property information of each of the plurality of first computers,

the second computer is configured to store a plurality of allocation rules associated with a plurality of file types,

for each computer in the subset of said first computers, the second computer is further configured to;

receive computer property information and a first portion of the first file from said each computer in the subset;

to compare the received computer property information to one or more allocation rules which correspond to the file type of the first portion of the first file; and

if the computer property information of said each computer in the subset does not match any of said one or more allocation rules, then the second computer instructs said each computer in the subset to move its portion of the first file to another one of the computers in the subset of said first computers, wherein

when the number of first computers is not greater than the number of partial files to be moved, then the second computer removes the lowest priority allocation rule, and if any remaining allocation rule has a priority of 1, then the second computer determines if any first computers comply with the remaining allocation rules, and if not then the second computer informs a user and determines a list of first computers.