System and method for administering a filer having a plurality of virtual filers
First Claim
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1. A method for operating a data storage system, comprising:
- executing an operating system on a computer;
storing data by the computer on a plurality of data storage devices;
executing a physical server administrator by the operating system;
establishing a plurality of virtual servers by the physical server administrator;
administering common physical aspects of the plurality of virtual servers by the physical server administrator, including assignment of one or more selected data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices to a selected virtual server;
administering logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator, including specifying quotas for its one or more selected data storage devices;
designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using the operating system, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the computer;
reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the computer, and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; and
if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers, and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the computer and executing the request by the physical server administrator.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for operating a computer data storage system is disclosed. A computer data storage system is administered by a physical server administrator. The physical server administrator administers the computer data storage system with a full administrative capability. The physical server administrator creates one or more virtual servers, each virtual server administrated by a virtual server administrator. Each virtual server administrator has a designated subset of the full administrative capability for administrating the virtual server.
30 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for operating a data storage system, comprising:
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executing an operating system on a computer; storing data by the computer on a plurality of data storage devices; executing a physical server administrator by the operating system; establishing a plurality of virtual servers by the physical server administrator; administering common physical aspects of the plurality of virtual servers by the physical server administrator, including assignment of one or more selected data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices to a selected virtual server; administering logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator, including specifying quotas for its one or more selected data storage devices; designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using the operating system, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the computer; reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the computer, and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; and if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers, and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the computer and executing the request by the physical server administrator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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10. A data storage system, comprising:
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a computer to execute an operating system; a plurality of data storage devices connected to the computer, and the computer to store data on the plurality of data storage devices; a physical server administrator executed by the operating system; a plurality of virtual servers established by the physical server administrator; common physical aspects of the plurality of virtual servers administrated by the physical server administrator, including assignment of one or more selected data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices to a selected virtual server; logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers administrated by a virtual server administrator, including specifying quotas for its one or more selected data storage devices; a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the computer; the operating system assigning roles designated to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the computer, and the operating system to determine that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; and if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers, and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the computer and executing the request by the physical server administrator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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19. A computer readable persistent physical storage media, comprising:
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said computer readable media containing instructions for execution on a processor for the practice of a method of operating a data storage system, the method, executing an operating system on a computer; storing data by the computer on a plurality of data storage devices; executing a physical server administrator by the operating system; establishing a plurality of virtual servers by the physical server administrator; administering common physical aspects of the plurality of virtual servers by the physical server administrator, including assignment of one or more selected data storage devices of the plurality of data storage devices to a selected virtual server; administering logical aspects of one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers with a virtual server administrator, including specifying quotas for its one or more selected data storage devices; designating roles to the physical server administrator and the virtual server administrator using the operating system, each designated role defined by a set of capabilities, the roles of the virtual server administrator and the physical server administrator distinguished by a destination IP address of a request for a service received at a network interface that is bound to an IPspace of the computer; reading the destination IP address of the request received at the network interface of the computer, and determining that the request is a command for either the virtual server administrator or the physical server administrator based on the destination IP address; and if the request is a command for the virtual server administrator, directing the request to the one or more virtual servers of the plurality of virtual servers and executing the request by the one or more virtual servers, and if the request is a command for the physical server administrator, directing the request to the computer and executing the request by the physical server administrator.
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Specification