File server node with non-volatile memory processing module coupled to cluster file server node

• US 9,542,310 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Vantara, LLC (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Data Systems Engineering Uk Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Barrall, Geoffrey S., Benham, Simon L., Willis, Trevor E., Aston, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Yicun
• Application Number:
  US14/078,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Apparatus includes a file server node having (i) a first interface operable to communicate with a network and receiving a network request via network, (ii) a non-volatile memory operable to temporarily store a request related to the network request received by the first interface, (iii) a second interface operable to be coupled to the storage device for storing the request, and (iv) a non-volatile memory processing module, coupled to the first interface, the non-volatile memory and the second interface, and operable to be coupled to another file server node, so that the request can be sent to the non-volatile memory, the second interface and the another file server node after the non-volatile memory processing module receives the file system request.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a storage device; and

a file server node comprising

(i) a first interface being configured to communicate with a network and receiving a network request via the network,

(ii) a non-volatile memory being configured to store a request related to the network request received by the first interface,

(iii) a second interface being configured to be coupled to the storage device for storing the request, and

(iv) a non-volatile memory processing module, coupled to the first interface, the non-volatile memory and the second interface, and being configured to be coupled to another file server node, so that the non-volatile memory processing module is configured to perform each of sending the request to the non-volatile memory, sending the request to the second interface and sending the request to the another file server node after the non-volatile memory processing module receives the request.

2. The apparatus according to the claim 1 wherein:

the non-volatile memory processing module is operable to send the request to the non-volatile memory for being stored in the non-volatile memory, to the second interface for being stored in the storage device and to the another file server node for being stored in another non-volatile memory in the another file server node after receiving the file system request from a processor managing at least the non-volatile memory processing module.

3. The apparatus according to the claim 1 wherein:

the non-volatile memory processing module includes a programmable logic device.

4. The apparatus according to the claim 1 wherein:

the non-volatile memory processing module includes a field programmable gate array.

5. The apparatus according to the claim 1 wherein:

an acknowledgement of the network request is send back via the network after the non-volatile memory processing module sends the request to the non-volatile memory, the second interface, and the another file server node.

6. The apparatus according to the claim 1 further comprising:

a file system module, in the file server node, and comprising the non-volatile memory and the non-volatile memory processing module.

7. The apparatus according to the claim 1 further comprising:

a file system module, in the file server node, and coupling the first interface and the second interface, and being operable to comprise the non-volatile memory and the non-volatile memory processing module.

8. The apparatus according to the claim 1 further comprising:

a metadata cache, coupling the non-volatile memory processing module, and being operable to store management information of an object of a file system managed by the file server node.

9. The apparatus according to the claim 1 further comprising:

an object store module, in the file server node, and coupling the non-volatile memory processing module, and being operable to manage management information of an object of a file system, managed by the file server node.

10. The apparatus according to the claim 1 further comprising:

a data store module, in the file server node, and coupling the non-volatile memory processing module, and being operable to manage management information of a file system managed by the file server node.

11. The apparatus according to the claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of data paths, in the file server node, and coupling between a file system module and the second interface, the file system module comprising the non-volatile memory and the non-volatile memory processing module, and the second interface,

a first data path of the plurality of data paths being operable to be used for transferring data from the file system module to the second interface, and

a second data path of the plurality of data paths being operable to be used for transferring data from the second interface to the file system module.

12. A file server node comprising:

a first interface being operable to communicate with a network and receiving a network request via the network,

a non-volatile memory being configured to store a request related to the network request received by the first interface,

a second interface being configured to communicate with a storage device for storing the request, and

a non-volatile memory processing module coupled to the first interface, the non-volatile memory and the second interface, and being configured to be coupled to another file server node, so that the non-volatile memory processing module is configured to perform each of sending the request to the non-volatile memory, sending the request to the second interface, and sending the request to the another file server node after the non-volatile memory processing module receives the request.

13. The file server node according to the claim 12 wherein:

the non-volatile memory processing module is operable to send the request to the non-volatile memory for being stored in the non-volatile memory, to the second interface, for being stored in the storage device and to the another file server node for being stored in another non-volatile memory in the another file server node.

14. The file server node according to the claim 12 wherein:

the non-volatile memory processing module includes a programmable logic device.

15. The file server node according to the claim 12 wherein:

the non-volatile memory processing module includes a field programmable gate array.

16. The file server node according to the claim 12 wherein:

an acknowledgement of the network request is send back via the network after the non-volatile memory processing module sends the request to the non-volatile memory, the second interface, and the another file server node.

17. The file server node according to the claim 12 further comprising:

a file system module comprising the non-volatile memory and the non-volatile memory processing module.

18. The file server node according to the claim 12 further comprising:

a file system module coupling the first interface and the second interface, and comprising the non-volatile memory and the non-volatile memory processing module.

19. The file server node according to the claim 12 further comprising:

a metadata cache, coupling the non-volatile memory processing module, and being operable to store management information of an object of a file system managed by the file server node.

20. The file server node according to the claim 12 further comprising:

a data store module, coupling the non-volatile memory processing module, and being operable to manage management information of data of a file system managed by the file server node.

21. The file server node according to the claim 12 further comprising:

an object store module, coupling the non-volatile memory processing module, and being operable to manage management information of an object of a file system, managed by the file server node, by using a metadata cache.

22. The file server node according to the claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of data paths, coupling between a file system module and the second interface, the file system module comprising the non-volatile memory and the non-volatile memory processing module, and the second interface,

a first data path of the plurality of data paths being operable to be used for transferring data from the file system module to the second interface, and

a second data path of the plurality of data paths being operable to be used for transferring data from the second interface to the file system module.