Technique for virtualizing storage using stateless servers
First Claim
1. A method of virtualizing networked heterogeneous storage devices in a computing system, wherein the networked heterogeneous storage devices includes a plurality of physical file systems hosted on associated file servers, and wherein each physical file system includes a storage space in which a plurality of data files may be stored comprising:
- self discovering mapping information between a plurality of virtual file systems to the plurality of physical file systems upon startup by a virtual data store (VDS) server, comprising;
determining available physical file systems to be virtualized based on configuration information;
communicating with each available physical file system via an associated protocol gateway to determine list of subdirectories in each root directory, wherein each root directory comprises top level directories of each physical file system;
mapping each subdirectory of each physical file system to a protocol gateway object and creating mapping information; and
storing the mapping information in a directory cache by the VDS server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for virtualizing networked heterogeneous storage devices in a computing system using stateless servers is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes self discovery of mapping information between a plurality of virtual file systems to a plurality of physical file systems upon startup by a virtual data store (VDS) server. The networked heterogeneous storage devices include the plurality of physical file systems hosted on associated file servers. Further, each physical file system includes a storage space in which a plurality of data files may be stored.
35 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of virtualizing networked heterogeneous storage devices in a computing system, wherein the networked heterogeneous storage devices includes a plurality of physical file systems hosted on associated file servers, and wherein each physical file system includes a storage space in which a plurality of data files may be stored comprising:
self discovering mapping information between a plurality of virtual file systems to the plurality of physical file systems upon startup by a virtual data store (VDS) server, comprising; determining available physical file systems to be virtualized based on configuration information; communicating with each available physical file system via an associated protocol gateway to determine list of subdirectories in each root directory, wherein each root directory comprises top level directories of each physical file system; mapping each subdirectory of each physical file system to a protocol gateway object and creating mapping information; and storing the mapping information in a directory cache by the VDS server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions, that when executed by a computing platform, result in execution of a method of virtualizing networked heterogeneous storage devices in a computing system comprising:
self discovering mapping information between a plurality of virtual file systems to a plurality of physical file systems upon startup by a virtual data store (VDS) server, wherein the networked heterogeneous storage devices includes the plurality of physical file systems hosted on associated file servers, and wherein each physical file system includes a storage space in which a plurality of data files may be stored, comprising; determining available physical file systems to be virtualized based on configuration information; communicating with each available physical file system via an associated protocol gateway to determine list of subdirectories in each root directory, wherein each root directory comprises top level directories of each physical file system; mapping each subdirectory of each physical file system to a protocol gateway object and creating mapping information; and storing the mapping information in a directory cache by the VDS server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A virtual enterprise file system comprising:
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a plurality of clients; a plurality of file systems located in associated physical repositories and wherein each physical file system includes a storage space in which a plurality of data files may be stored; and a virtual data store (VDS) server hosting a VDS component, wherein the VDS component self discovers mapping information from a plurality of virtual file systems to the plurality of physical file systems upon startup, wherein the VDS component comprises; a protocol gateways layer; a presentation protocol layer; and a file virtualization layer, wherein the file virtualization layer determines available physical file systems to be virtualized based on a configuration information upon startup, wherein the file virtualization layer reviews the configuration information and determines available physical file systems to be virtualized, wherein the file virtualization layer communicates with each available physical file system via an associated gateway in the protocol gateways layer to determine list of subdirectories in each root directory, wherein each root directory comprises top level directories of each physical file system, and wherein the file virtualization layer maps each subdirectory of each physical file system to protocol gateway object and creates mapping information and stores the mapping information in a directory cache. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A virtual enterprise file system comprising:
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a plurality of clients; a plurality of file systems located in associated physical repositories and wherein each physical file system includes a storage space in which a plurality of data files may be stored; and multiple virtual data store (VDS) servers, wherein each VDS server hosts a VDS component, wherein the VDS component in one of the multiple VDS servers self discovers the mapping of the files and the folders of a plurality of virtual file systems to the files and folders on plurality of physical file systems upon startup, wherein the VDS component comprises; a protocol gateways layer; a client interface layer; and a file virtualization layer, wherein the file virtualization layer determines available physical file systems to be virtualized based on a configuration information upon startup, wherein the file virtualization layer reviews the configuration information and determines available physical file systems to be virtualized, wherein the file virtualization layer communicates with each available physical file system via an associated gateway in the protocol gateways layer to determine list of subdirectories in each root directory, wherein each root directory comprises top level directories of each physical file system, and wherein the file virtualization layer maps each subdirectory of each physical file system to protocol gateway object and creates mapping information and stores in a directory cache. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification