File-sharing system and method of using file-sharing system to generate single logical directory structure

• US 7,987,206 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2008
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Higaki, Seiichi, Murotani, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu; Kuen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, TUAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/007,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20080320051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1827 Management specifically adapted to NAS management of storage area networks [SAN] G06F3/067

Abstract

The file sharing system is able to provide a client with a single logical directory and reproduce the single logical directory in a remote site when the local site has stopped in use of a remote copy that is made between the local site and remote site. The first site provides the client with a logical directory that is constituted across respective nodes in the first site. The remote copy is executed between the first and second sites, and the data of both sites are synchronized. For the generation of the logical directory and the management of the remote copy, a common management table is used, and the management table is held by all of the nodes. In cases where the first site stops due to a fault, the second site utilizes information related to the remote copy in the management table to construct the logical directory and reproduces the logical directory to the second site.

Claims

1. A file sharing system having a first site and a second site, wherein a plurality of first file sharing devices in the first site are connected to a plurality of second file sharing devices in the second site to enable mutual communication via a first communication path, the system comprising:

a logical directory supply section, operated by a computer device, uses first management information for managing an associated relationship between a single logical directory structure that is generated across the plurality of first file sharing devices using a global name space (GNS) and a first directory structure of each first file sharing device, and supplies the single logical directory structure that is formed by virtually integrating the first directory structures of each first file sharing device to a client device, wherein the first management information includes directory names of the first directory structures, responsibility information for specifying the first file sharing devices responsible for the first directory structures and a first storage position for indicating the first storage position of the data managed by the first file sharing devices;

a copy control section, operated by a computer device, uses second management information for managing an associated relationship between the first storage positions of data managed by the plurality of first file sharing devices and second storage positions of the data managed by the plurality of second file sharing devices, and transmits and copies copy target data from the data stored in the plurality of first file sharing devices to the plurality of second file sharing devices, wherein the plurality of second file sharing devices include the data from the plurality of first file sharing devices, and wherein the second management information includes the first storage position and the second storage position of the data managed by the second file sharing devices and copy destination information, wherein the copy destination information specifies the second file sharing devices that are associated with the first file sharing devices; and

a reproduction section, operated by a computer device, which reproduces the single logical directory structure by virtually integrating a second directory structure of the plurality of second file sharing devices using the first management information and the second management information and by using the copy destination information which includes the same information as the responsibility information, on a condition that a fault occurs at the first site;

wherein the first management information and the second management information are stored in a common management table that includes respective directory names of the first directory structures, the responsibility information for specifying the plurality of first file sharing devices that are each responsible for the respective directory names, the first storage position information indicating the storage position of the data managed by the plurality of first file sharing devices, the copy destination device information for specifying the plurality of second file sharing devices that correspond with the plurality of first file sharing devices, and the second storage position information indicating the storage positions of the data managed by the second file sharing devices, and wherein the reproduction section reproduces the single logical directory structure of the plurality of first file sharing devices by treating the copy destination device information as the responsibility information where a fault occurs at the first site.

2. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the structure of volume used by the plurality of first file sharing devices to input and output data and the structure of the volume used by the plurality of second file sharing devices to input and output data are different.

3. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the copy control section transmits and copies the copy target data from the plurality of first file sharing devices to the plurality of second file sharing device via the first communication path.

4. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first file sharing devices store and manage data in a first volume provided by a first storage device in the first site;

the plurality of second file sharing devices store and manages data in a second volume provided by a second storage device in the second site;

the first storage device and the second storage device are connected to enable mutual communication via a second communication path that provides data communication in block units; and

the copy control section transfers and copies the copy target data from the first volume to the second volume via the second communication path.

5. The file sharing system according to claim 4, wherein the second volume stores copy source volume identification information for identifying the first volume as a copy source with the second volume;

and

the reproduction section reproduces the single logical directory structure that is formed by virtually integrating the second directory structure by using the copy source volume identification information, the first management information, and the second management information.

6. The file sharing system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first file sharing devices and the plurality of second file sharing devices hold the first management information and the second management information, and on a condition that either the first site or the second site under goes a change to the single logical directory structure or a copy-related structure, differential information related to the structural change is reported to the plurality of first file sharing devices and the second file sharing device, and the differential information is reflected in the first management information or the second management information held by the plurality of first file sharing devices and the plurality of second file sharing devices.

7. A method of generating a single logical directory structure by using a file sharing system, the file sharing system having a first site including a plurality of first file sharing devices, operated by a computer device, a second site including a plurality of second file sharing devices, operated by a computer device, the plurality of first file sharing devices and the plurality of second file sharing devices are connected via a first communication path to enable mutual communication, the method comprising the steps of:

setting first management information for managing associated relationships between the single logical directory structure which is generated across the plurality of first file sharing devices using a global name space (GNS) and a first directory structure that the plurality of first file sharing devices comprise;

providing a client device, operated by a computer device, with the single logical directory structure that is formed by using the first management information to virtually integrate the first directory structures, wherein the first management information includes directory names of the first directory structures, responsibility information for specifying the first file sharing devices responsible for the first directory structures and a first storage position for indicating the first storage position of the data managed by the first file sharing devices;

setting second management information for managing associated relationships between the first storage positions of the data managed by the plurality of first file sharing devices and the second storage positions of the data managed by the plurality of second file sharing devices;

transmitting and copying copy target data among the data that are stored in the plurality of first file sharing devices to the plurality of second file sharing devices that are associated with the plurality of first file sharing devices by using the second management information, wherein the second management information includes the first storage position and the second storage position of the data managed by the second file sharing devices and copy destination information, wherein the copy destination information specifies the second file sharing devices that are associated with the first file sharing devices;

detecting whether a fault has occurred in the first site; and

reproducing the single logical directory structure by virtually integrating the second directory structure of the plurality of second file sharing devices using the first management information and the second management information and by using the copy destination information which includes the same information as the responsibility information on a condition that a fault occurs at the first site.

8. A file sharing system having a first site and a second site, wherein (1) the first site comprises:

(1-1) a plurality of first file sharing devices, operated by a computer device, each having a first directory structure;

(1-2) a first storage device, operated by a computer device, which is connected via a first intra-site communication network to the plurality of first file sharing devices, and which supplies a first volume to the plurality of first file sharing devices; and

(1-3) a master device, operated by a computer device, that issues a predetermined report to the plurality of first file sharing devices; and

(2) the second site comprises;

(2-1) a plurality of second file sharing devices, operated by a computer device, each having a second directory structure;

(2-2) a second storage device, operated by a computer device, which is connected via a second intra-site communication network to the plurality of second file sharing devices, and which supplies a second volume to the plurality of second file sharing devices; and

(2-3) a submaster device, operated by a computer device, that issues a predetermined report to the plurality of second file sharing devices;

(3) the plurality of first file sharing devices and the plurality of second file sharing devices are connected via a first communication path, and the first storage device and the second storage device are connected via a second communication path that is provides data communication in block units;

(4) the plurality of first file sharing devices, the plurality of second file sharing devices, the master device, and the submaster device each hold a management table, and the management table includes directory names that correspond to node names of the first directory structure, responsibility information for specifying the plurality of first file sharing devices responsible for each of the directory names, first storage position information indicating the first storage positions of the data managed by the plurality of first file sharing devices, copy destination device information for specifying the plurality of second file sharing devices corresponding to the plurality of first file sharing devices, and second storage position information indicating the second storage positions of the data managed by the plurality of second file sharing devices;

(5) the master device generates a single logical directory structure that is generated across the plurality of first file sharing devices using a global name space (GNS) and the management table and supplies the single logical directory structure to a client device, wherein the management table includes first management information including directory names of the first directory structures, responsibility information for specifying the first file sharing devices responsible for the first directory structures and a first storage position for indicating the first storage position of the data managed by the first file sharing devices and second management information including the first storage position and the second storage position of the data managed by the second file sharing devices and copy destination information, wherein the copy destination information specifies the second file sharing devices that are associated with the first file sharing devices;

(6) the plurality of first file sharing devices transmit data that are stored in the first volume to the respective second file sharing devices via the first communication path by using the management table and storing the data in the second volume; and

(7) the submaster device reproduces the single logical directory structure by virtually integrating a second directory structure of the plurality of second file sharing devices using the first management information and the second management information and by using the copy destination information in the management table, which includes the same information as the responsibility information, on a condition that a fault occurs at the first site.