Method for redirection of host data access to multiple non-host file systems or data stores

• US 8,001,242 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2002
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mild, Wilhelm, Graul, Karsten, Franzki, Ingo, Schmidbauer, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US10/139,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,389 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/217, 709/219, 709/227, 709/231, 709/238, 709/245, 709/225, 710/1, 710/22, 710/48, 710/52, 710/56, 711/112, 711/136, 711/154, 340/7.21, 340/7.29, 340/7.51, 707/1, 707/4, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

The present invention discloses a system and method for automatic redirection of record-based data access to host files to multiple non-host file systems having non-record-based access comprising a redirector engine, a redirector server and at least one handler. The redirector engine, located on the host side, gets automatic control for each request of a host application (e.g., a read/write request), interprets a property list containing information on whether and how redirection for that request should be processed, makes a redirect decision based on information received from the property list, and establishes a communication with its assigned redirector server. The redirector server, located on a non-host system, handles communication with the redirector engine and the handler, performs data conversions if required and passes control to the handler assigned in the property list. The handler component converts the initial request into a request specific to the non-host file system, controls the execution of the request, and returns the result to the redirector engine. A main advantage of the present invention is that heterogeneous systems using different file systems can work on the same data store without any modification of the host applications themselves. A synchronization of data between the host system and non-host systems can be selected very easily by setting the appropriate parameter in the property list. The data can be stored in different file systems or data stores simultaneously. Finally, the host program is able to access data in different file system, in different encoding formats at the same time in real time.

Claims

1. A method for automatic redirection of a record-based data access via a request for host data stored on a host computer system having a host operating system to a non-record-based data access to non-host data stored on a remote non-host computer system, said host computer system having a host application which generates requests for host data and a record-based access component for accessing said host data, said method comprising the a process performed on said host computer system comprising:

intercepting said request for said host data from said host application of said host computer system to said record-based access component of said host computer system;

accessing an entry in a property list stored on said host computer system, said entry corresponding to the host data being requested and specifying a manner of handling a request for said host data, said entry in said property list specifying whether to redirect said request to said remote non-host computer system,

wherein the property list includes a host catalogue field and a filename field specifying for which host catalogue and filename a redirection of the record-based data access takes place, and

wherein the property list further includes an owner field specifying whether the redirection should be used as a synchronization tool; and

based on an indication by said entry in said property list to redirect said request to said remote non-host computer system, redirecting said request in real time to said remote non-host computer system for processing as a non-record-based data access to said non-host data stored on said remote non-host computer system;

if the owner field specifies a virtual storage access method (VSAM), processing said request to obtain synchronization between said host and said non-host data based on the accessed entry in the property list; and

if the owner field indicates a redirection, processing said request using said non-host data without synchronization with said host data based on the accessed entry in the property list;

wherein the property list includes a host catalogue field and a filename field specifying for which host catalogue and filename a redirection of the record-based data access takes place;

wherein said remote non-host computing system has a different operating system from said host operating system and said non-host data is stored on said remote non-host computer system separately from said host data on said host computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said entry in said property list indicates which of a plurality of non-host computer systems to redirect said request to.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a result of said non-record-based data access from said remote non-host computer system; and

returning said result to said host application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing on said remote non-host computer system:

receiving said request for host data from said host computer system;

processing said request for host data in real time as a non-record-based data access to data stored on said remote non-host computer system; and

returning a result of said non-record-based data access to said host computer system.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing on said host computer system:

receiving said result to said host application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to an indication by said entry in said property list to update record-based data on said host computer system, updating record-based data on said host computer system in real time to synchronize said record-based data with non-record-based data on said remote non-host computer system that has been updated in response to said request.

7. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, containing software code that when executed by a host computer system causes the host computer system to perform a method for automatic redirection of a record-based data access via a request for host data stored on the host computer system, said host computer system having a host application which generates requests for host data and a record-based access component for accessing said host data, said method comprising the a process performed on said host computer system comprising:

intercepting said request for said host data from said host application of said host computer system to said record-based access component of said host computer system;

accessing an entry in a property list stored on said host computer system, said entry corresponding to the host data being requested and specifying a manner of handling a request for said host data, said entry in said property list specifying whether to redirect said request to said remote non-host computer system,

wherein the property list includes a host catalogue field and a filename field specifying for which host catalogue and filename a redirection of the record-based data access takes place, and

wherein the property list further includes an owner field specifying whether the redirection should be used as a synchronization tool; and

based on an indication by said entry in said property list to redirect said request to said remote non-host computer system, redirecting said request in real time to said remote non-host computer system for processing as a non-record-based data access to said non-host data stored on said remote non-host computer system;

if the owner field specifies a virtual storage access method (VSAM), processing said request to obtain synchronization between said host and said non-host data based on the accessed entry in the property list; and

if the owner field indicates a redirection, processing said request using said non-host data without synchronization with said host data based on the accessed entry in the property list;

wherein the property list includes a host catalogue field and a filename field specifying for which host catalogue and filename a redirection of the record-based data access takes place;

wherein said remote non-host computing system has a different operating system from said host operating system and said non-host data is stored on said remote non-host computer system separately from said host data on said host computer system.

8. A system for automatic redirection of a record-based data access via a request for host data stored on a host computer system having a host operating system to a non-record-based data access to non-host data stored on a remote non-host computer system, said host computer system having a host application which generates requests for host data and a record-based access component for accessing said host data, said system comprising:

a computer processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by the processor performs a method comprising;

intercepting a said request for said host data from said host application of said host computer system to said record-based access component of said host computer system;

accessing an entry in a property list stored on said host computer system, said entry corresponding to the host data being requested and specifying a manner of handling a request for said host data, said entry in said property list specifying whether to redirect said request to said remote non-host computer system,

wherein the property list includes a host catalogue field and a filename field specifying for which host catalogue and filename a redirection of the record-based data access takes place, and

wherein the property list further includes an owner field specifying whether the redirection should be used as a synchronization tool; and

based on an indication by said entry in said property list to redirect said request to said remote non-host computer system, redirecting said request in real time to said remote non-host computer system for processing as a non-record-based data access to said non-host data stored on said remote non-host computer system;

if the owner field specifies a virtual storage access method (VSAM), processing said request to obtain synchronization between said host and said non-host data based on the accessed entry in the property list; and

if the owner field indicates a redirection, processing said request using said non-host data without synchronization with said host data based on the accessed entry in the property list;

wherein the property list includes a host catalogue field and a filename field specifying for which host catalogue and filename a redirection of the record-based data access takes place;

wherein said remote non-host computing system has a different operating system from said host operating system and said non-host data is stored on said remote non-host computer system separately from said host data on said host computer system.