Systems and methods for facilitating access to private files using a cloud storage system
First Claim
1. In a cloud storage system, a method for providing access to objects associated with a particular client, said method comprising:
- establishing a connection with a user associated with said client over a network;
providing a client namespace associated with said client to said user, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from said cloud storage system;
receiving a request from said user to access an object stored on said private storage system; and
providing information to said user to facilitate access to said object stored on said private storage system by said user; and
whereinsaid step of providing said client namespace to said user includesproviding a first portion of said client namespace to said user based on objects stored on said cloud storage system andproviding information to said user to enable said user to retrieve a second portion of said client namespace from said private storage system, thereby also providing at least a portion of said information to facilitate access to said object on said private storage system by said user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for providing access to objects associated with a particular client in a cloud storage system is disclosed. The method includes the steps of establishing a connection with a user, providing a client namespace associated with the client to the user, where the client namespace represents objects stored on the cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from the cloud storage system, receiving a request from the user to access an object stored on the private storage system, and providing information to the user to facilitate access to the object stored on the private storage system by said user. Other systems and methods are also disclosed. Important advantages of the present invention are facilitated by separating the logic for user access (control plane) from the actual storage (Storage plane). Private file system access can still be managed from the cloud, while keeping the client data private.
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Citations
59 Claims
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1. In a cloud storage system, a method for providing access to objects associated with a particular client, said method comprising:
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establishing a connection with a user associated with said client over a network; providing a client namespace associated with said client to said user, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from said cloud storage system; receiving a request from said user to access an object stored on said private storage system; and providing information to said user to facilitate access to said object stored on said private storage system by said user; and
whereinsaid step of providing said client namespace to said user includes providing a first portion of said client namespace to said user based on objects stored on said cloud storage system and providing information to said user to enable said user to retrieve a second portion of said client namespace from said private storage system, thereby also providing at least a portion of said information to facilitate access to said object on said private storage system by said user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory, electronically-readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform a method for providing access to objects associated with a particular client, said code being operative to cause said electronic device to:
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establish a connection with a user associated with said client over a network; provide a client namespace associated with said client to said user, said client namespace representing objects stored on a cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from said cloud storage system; receive a request from said user to access an object stored on said private storage system; and provide information to said user to facilitate access to said object stored on said private storage system by said user; and
whereinto provide said client namespace to said user includes, said code is further operative to cause said electronic device to provide a first portion of said client namespace to said user based on objects stored on said cloud storage system and provide information to said user to enable said user to retrieve a second portion of said client namespace from said private storage system, thereby also providing at least a portion of said information to facilitate access to said object on said private storage system by said user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A cloud storage system for providing access to objects associated with a particular client, said cloud storage system comprising:
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memory for storing data and code; at least one processing unit for executing said code, said code including a namespace module operative to provide a client namespace associated with said client, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from said cloud storage system and provide information to facilitate access to one of said objects stored on said private storage system; and at least one network interface operative to establish a network connection with a user associated with said client, provide said client namespace to said user, receive a request from said user to access an object stored on said private storage system, and provide said information to facilitate access to said object to said user. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A cloud storage system for providing access to objects associated with a particular client, said cloud storage system comprising:
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memory for storing data and code; at least one processing unit for executing said code; means for providing a client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on a private storage system apart from said cloud storage system; means for providing information to facilitate access to one of said objects stored on said private storage system; and at least one network interface operative to establish a network connection with a user associated with said client, provide said client namespace to said user, receive a request from said user to access an object stored on said private storage system, and provide said information to facilitate access to said object to said user.
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35. A method for providing access to files associated with a particular client, said method comprising:
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identifying a client file system to be accessed remotely, said client file system being stored on at least one client storage system; synchronizing a first portion of said client file system with a cloud storage system located remotely from said client storage system; retaining a second portion of said client file system on said client storage system as a private file system but not on said cloud storage system; providing access information to said cloud storage system to enable a remote user to directly access said private file system; establishing a connection with a local user associated with said client; establishing a second connection with said cloud storage system; accessing a client namespace associated with said client via said second connection, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on said at least one client storage system; and requesting access to one of said objects of said client namespace on behalf of said local user. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A non-transitory, electronically-readable storage medium having code embodied therein for causing an electronic device to perform a method for providing access to files associated with a particular client, said code causing said electronic device to:
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identify a client file system to be accessed remotely, said client file system being stored on at least one client storage system; synchronize a first portion of said client file system with a cloud storage system located remotely from said client storage system; retain a second portion of said client file system on said client storage system as a private file system but not on said cloud storage system; provide access information to said cloud storage system to enable a remote user to directly access said private file system; establish a connection with a local user associated with said client; establish a second connection with said cloud storage system; access a client namespace associated with said client via said second connection, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on said at least one client storage system; and request access to one of said objects of said client namespace on behalf of said local user. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A client storage system for providing access to files associated with a particular client, said system comprising:
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a network interface operative to establish a connection with a local user associated with said client and establish a second connection with a cloud storage system; a storage device for storing data and code, said data including a client file system to be accessed remotely, said client file system including a first portion synchronized with said cloud storage system and a second portion retained in said storage device as a private file system but not on said cloud storage system, said cloud storage system being located remotely from said client storage system; and at least one processing unit operative to execute said code, said code including a synchronizer operative to synchronize said first portion of said client file system with said cloud storage system and a storage connect appliance operative to provide access information to said cloud storage system to enable a remote user to directly access said private file system, access a client namespace associated with said client via said second connection, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on said at least one client storage system, and request access to one of said objects of said client namespace on behalf of said local user. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A client storage system for providing access to files associated with a particular client, said system comprising:
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a network interface operative to establish a connection with a local user associated with said client and establish a second connection with a cloud storage system; a storage device for storing data and code, said data including a client file system to be accessed remotely, said client file system including a first portion synchronized with said cloud storage system and a second portion retained in said memory but not on said cloud storage system, said cloud storage system being located remotely from said client storage system; means for providing access information to said cloud storage system to enable a remote user to directly access said private file system; means for accessing a client namespace associated with said client via said second connection, said client namespace representing objects stored on said cloud storage system and objects stored on said at least one client storage system; and means for requesting access to one of said objects of said client namespace on behalf of said local user.
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Specification