Systems, methods, and apparatus for matching a connection request with a network interface adapted for use with a dispersed data storage network

• US 8,478,865 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Storage, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cleversafe Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Quigley, John, Gladwin, S. Christopher, Mark, Zachary J., Leggette, Wesley, Motwani, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US12/648,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/224, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities

Abstract

A gateway module translates access requests from client computers into commands for a plurality of slice servers storing data for a dispersed data storage network. The gateway program maintains a plurality of gateway modules, each providing a different access protocol to the dispersed data storage network, and each also maintaining one or more virtual storage vaults.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

a network port operable to couple to a network;

memory for storing at least a portion of a gateway program; and

a central processing unit operable to execute the gateway program by;

receiving a data access message via the network port;

determining a client side data access protocol by;

identifying a user account associated with the data access message;

querying a registry for gateway configuration information corresponding to the user account; and

interpreting the gateway configuration information to determine the client slice data access protocol;

enabling a gateway module to translate protocol of the data access message between the client side data access protocol and a dispersed data storage network (DDSN) data access protocol to produce a translated data access message; and

facilitating conveyance of the translated data access message between a client computer and a plurality of slice servers.

2. The computer of claim 1 wherein the client side data access protocol comprises one or more of a block access protocol, a file access protocol, a simple object access protocol, and a named object access protocol.

3. The computer of claim 1 wherein the gateway modules is further associated with one or more virtual DDSN vaults.

10. The computer of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit determines the client side data access protocol by at least one of:

identifying the user account associated, querying the registry for the gateway configuration information, and interpreting the gateway configuration information; and

interpreting a field within the data access message to identify the client side data access protocol.

11. The computer of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit is further operable to execute the gateway program by:

receiving a plurality of data access messages via the network port, wherein the plurality of data access messages includes the data access message;

determining a corresponding client side data access protocol for each of the plurality of data access messages to produce a plurality of client side data protocols;

enabling a plurality of gateway modules, wherein each of the plurality of gateway modules translates protocol for one of the plurality of data access messages between a corresponding one of the plurality of client side data access protocols and the DDSN data access protocol to produce a plurality of translated data access messages; and

facilitating conveyance of the plurality of translated data access messages between at least one client computer and the plurality of slice servers.

12. The computer of claim 1, wherein the network port comprises:

a plurality of ports for receiving the plurality of data access messages.

4. A method for execution by a computer, the method comprises:

receiving a data access message via a network port;

determining a client side data access protocol by;

identifying a user account associated with the data access message;

querying a registry for gateway configuration information corresponding to the user account; and

interpreting the gateway configuration information to determine the client slice data access protocol;

enabling a gateway module to translate protocol of the data access message between the client side data access protocol and a dispersed data storage network (DDSN) data access protocol to produce a translated data access message; and

facilitating conveyance of the translated data access message between a client computer and a plurality of slice servers.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the client side data access protocol comprises one or more of a block access protocol, a file access protocol, a simple object access protocol, and a named object access protocol.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the gateway modules is further associated with one or more virtual DDSN vaults.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the client side data access protocol comprises at least one of:

identifying the user account associated, querying the registry for the gateway configuration information, and interpreting the gateway configuration information; and

interpreting a field within the data access message to identify the client side data access protocol.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the executing the gateway program further comprises:

receiving a plurality of data access messages via a network port, wherein the plurality of data access messages includes the data access message;

determining a corresponding client side data access protocol for each of the plurality of data access messages to produce a plurality of client side data protocols;

enabling a plurality of gateway modules, wherein each of the plurality of gateway modules translates protocol for one of the plurality of data access messages between a corresponding one of the plurality of client side data access protocols and the DDSN data access protocol to produce a plurality of translated data access messages; and

facilitating conveyance of the plurality of translated data access messages between at least one client computer and the plurality of slice servers.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the network port comprises:

a plurality of ports for receiving the plurality of data access messages.

13. A computer comprises:

a network port operable to couple to a network; and

a central processing unit operable to;

receive a memory access request that is formatted in accordance with a data access protocol;

determine the data access protocol by;

identifying a user account associated with the memory access request;

querying a registry for gateway configuration information from the registry for the user account; and

interpreting the gateway configuration information to determine the data access protocol;

evoke a data access protocol translation function to convert the memory access request from the data access protocol into a dispersed data storage network (DDSN) memory access request formatted in accordance with a DDSN data access protocol; and

output the DSN memory access request to a plurality of slice servers.

14. The computer of claim 13, wherein the data access protocol comprises one or more of a block access protocol, a file access protocol, a simple object access protocol, and a named object access protocol.

15. The computer of claim 13, wherein the central processing unit determines the client side data access protocol by at least one of:

identifying the user account associated, querying the registry for the gateway configuration information, and interpreting the gateway configuration information; and

interpreting a field within the memory access request to identify the data access protocol.

16. The computer of claim 13, wherein the central processing unit is further operable to:

receive a plurality of memory access requests that includes the memory access request, wherein each of the plurality of memory access requests is formatted in accordance with a corresponding one of a plurality of data access protocols;

evoke a plurality of data access protocol translation functions to convert the plurality of memory access requests from the corresponding ones of the plurality of data access protocols into a plurality of DDSN memory access requests that is formatted in accordance with the DDSN data access protocol; and

output the plurality of DSN memory access requests to the plurality of slice servers.

17. The computer of claim 16, wherein the network port comprises:

a plurality of ports for receiving the plurality of memory access requests.