System for managing access and storage of worm files without sending parameters for associated file access

• US 7,836,023 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakatani, Yoji, Ikezawa, Mitsuru, Nakano, Takahiro, Shitomi, Hidehisa, Ishii, Yohsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Michael
• Application Number:
  US11/777,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204, 707/661
• US Class Current: 707/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/181 providing write once read many [WORM] semantics
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A storage system, including: a client that issues a file write request or a file read request; an archive server that is connected to the client via a network, and processes the request issued from the client; a storage device that is connected to the archive server, and records files; and a disk drive connected to the client. The arrangement utilizes an archived date management table and archive dates to conduct operations.

Claims

1. A storage system, comprising:

a client including at least one client process and an archive client library;

an archive server that is connected to the client via a network, and that processes a request issued from the client, wherein;

the archive server stores a file information table storing a file identification of a file and an archived date of the file stored in a storage device that is connected to the archive server, and

the archive client library, when it processes a first file read request, stores the archived date of a first file requested and a process identifier of a client process that requested the first file read request, in an archived date management table;

the archive client library, when receiving a second file read request from client process, containing a file name of a second file relating to the first file obtained from the archive server, without designating the archived date of the second file;

obtains the archived date of the first file, stored in the archived date management table, based on the process identifier corresponding to the second file,

appends the obtained archived date to the second file read request, and

sends the second file read request to the archive server; and

the archive server, when receiving the second file read request;

identifies a latest archived file having the file name of the second file, that was recorded before the obtained archived date, referring to the file information table,

obtains the identified second file from the storage device, and

sends the obtained second file to the client process.

2. The storage system according to the claim 1, wherein

the client process sends the first file read request containing at least one of a first file identifier and a combination of a first file name and archived date to the archive server;

when the archive server receives the first file read request sent from the client process, refers to the file information table, identifies the first file based on at least one of the file identifier and a combination of the first file name and the file archived date contained in the first file read request,

obtains the identified first file from the storage device, and

sends the obtained first file to the client process;

the archive client library;

extracts the archived date from the first file sent from the archive server, obtains a process identifier of the client process that requested the first file;

stores a combination of the extracted archived date and the obtained process identifier in the archived date management table.

3. The storage system according to claim 1, wherein a link in the first file is set to request the second file.

4. The storage system according to claim 3, wherein

the first file and the second file are configured as a WORM (Write Once Read Many) file.

5. A storage system, comprising:

a client including at least one client process and an archive client library;

an archive server that is connected to the client via a network, and that processes a request issued from the client, wherein;

the archive server, when processing a first file read request, stores a file archived date of a first file requested and a connection identifier contained in the first file read request, in an archived date management table;

the client process;

sends to the archive server a second file read request containing a file name of a second file relating to the first file obtained from the archive server, without designating the archived date of the second file, and

the archive server;

when receiving the second file read request sent from the client process, obtains the file name and connection identifier of the second file read request;

obtains the archived date of the first file, that corresponds to the obtained connection identifier, that is stored in the archived date management table, based on the process identifier corresponding to the second file,

appends the obtained archived date to the received second file read request,

identifies a latest archived file having the file name of the second file, that was recorded before the appended archived date, from among the files stored in a storage device,

obtains the identified second file from the storage device, and

sends the obtained second file to the client process.

6. The storage system according to the claim 5, wherein

the client process sends the first file read request containing at least one of a first file identifier and a combination of a first file name and an archived date to the archive server;

when the archive server receives the first file read request sent from the client process, referring to a file information table, identifies the first file, based on the at least one of the file identifier and the combination of the first file name and the archived date contained in the first file read request,

extracts a file archived date and the connection identifier of the identified first file;

stores a combination of the extracted archived date and the obtained connection identifier in the date management table;

obtains the identified first file from the storage device, and

sends the obtained first file to the client process.