Method of universal file access for a heterogeneous computing environment
First Claim
1. A method for performing offloaded file processing, the method comprising:
- accessing a request for services from a requester, the request including information from which a disk set is derived and a command involving the disk set;
automatically determining volumes, volume formats of the volumes, file systems and file system formats of the file systems residing on the disk set;
automatically determining existence and a state of a client computer associated with the disk set, the determining the state includes determining if the client computer is powered-on or powered-off; and
executing the command, the executing includes accessing the disk set using information obtained from at least one of the volumes, the file systems, the volume formats, the file system formats and the state,wherein if the client computer is determined to be existent and powered-on, then determining a mechanism for generating a snapshot of said disk set, taking a snapshot of the disk set using the mechanism, and determining a network address of the snapshot, wherein the executing the command accesses the snapshot, and if the client computer is determined to be non-existent or powered-off, then automatically determining a network address of the disk set.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An architecture and system are described that provide a unified file access service within in a managed computing environment composed of diverse networks, computing devices, and storage devices. The service provides mechanisms for remotely accessing the file systems of any managed computer or disk snapshot, independently of the computer'"'"'s current state (powered on, suspended or powered off), its location within the environment, its hardware type (virtual vs. physical), its operating system type, and its file system formats. The system isolates centralized FPAs from the details of clients, proxies and storage elements by providing a service that decomposes offloaded file system access into two steps. A FPA or a requester acting on behalf of the FPA first expresses the disk set or the computer containing the file systems it wishes to access, along with requirements and preferences about the access method. The service figures out an efficient data path satisfying the FPA'"'"'s needs; and then automatically configures a set of storage and computing resources to provide the data path. The service then replies with information about the resources and instructions for using them. The FPA then accesses the requested file systems using the returned information.
135 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for performing offloaded file processing, the method comprising:
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accessing a request for services from a requester, the request including information from which a disk set is derived and a command involving the disk set; automatically determining volumes, volume formats of the volumes, file systems and file system formats of the file systems residing on the disk set; automatically determining existence and a state of a client computer associated with the disk set, the determining the state includes determining if the client computer is powered-on or powered-off; and executing the command, the executing includes accessing the disk set using information obtained from at least one of the volumes, the file systems, the volume formats, the file system formats and the state, wherein if the client computer is determined to be existent and powered-on, then determining a mechanism for generating a snapshot of said disk set, taking a snapshot of the disk set using the mechanism, and determining a network address of the snapshot, wherein the executing the command accesses the snapshot, and if the client computer is determined to be non-existent or powered-off, then automatically determining a network address of the disk set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed on a processor implement a method for performing offloaded file processing, said method comprising:
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accessing a request for services from a requester, the request including information from which a disk set is derived and a command involving the disk set; automatically determining volumes, volume formats of the volumes, file systems and file system formats of the file systems residing on the disk set; automatically determining existence and a state of a client computer associated with the disk set, the determining the state includes determining if the client computer is powered-on or powered-off; and executing the command, the executing includes accessing the disk set using information obtained from at least one of the volumes, the file systems, the volume formats, the file system formats and the state, wherein if the client computer is determined to be existent and powered-on, then determining a mechanism for generating a snapshot of said disk set, taking a snapshot of the disk set using the mechanism, and determining a network address of the snapshot, wherein the executing the command accesses the snapshot, and if the client computer is determined to be non-existent or powered-off, then automatically determining a network address of the disk set. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed on a processor implement a method for performing offloaded file processing, said method comprising:
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a) accessing a request for services from a requester, said request comprising;
information from which a disk set is derived; and
a command involving said disk set, wherein said requester is a File Processing Application (FPA);b) transparent to said requester, automatically determining volumes and file systems residing on said disk set; c) transparent to said requester, automatically determining volume formats and file system formats used by said volumes and file systems; d) transparent to said requester, automatically determining existence and a state of a client computer associated with said disk set; e) transparent to said requester, automatically determining a hardware type of said client computer and automatically determining a hardware type of said disk set; f) transparent to said requester, automatically determining a network address of said client computer based on an identifier familiar to said requester; g) in connection with an offloaded file processing, executing said command comprising accessing said disk set using information obtained from said b)-f), wherein said determining a state of said client computer determines if said client computer is powered-on or powered-off and wherein said method further comprises; if said client computer is determined to be existent and powered-on, then transparent to said requester;
determining a mechanism for generating a snapshot of said disk set;
taking a snapshot of said disk set using said mechanism; and
determining a network address of said snapshot, wherein said executing said command accesses said snapshot; andif said client computer is determined to be non-existent or powered-off, then transparent to said requester, automatically determining a network address of said disk set. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37)
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Specification