STORING AN OBJECT IN A DISTRIBUTED STORAGE SYSTEM

• US 20140365541A1
• Filed: 06/11/2013
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Darcy, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 10,963,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems

Abstract

A method and system for storing an object in a distributed storage system are provided. An example system includes an object name identifier that receives a request to save an object having an initial object name within a file system space and determines, based on a set of regular expressions, whether the initial object name is a temporary object name. The example system also includes a converter that, when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, transforms, based on the set of regular expressions, the initial object name into a permanent object name. The example system further includes a selector that applies a function to the permanent object name and selects, based on a result of the function applied to the permanent object name, a server of a plurality of servers. The object is sent to the selected server for storage.

Claims

1. A system for storing an object in a distributed storage system, the system comprising:

an object name identifier that receives a request to save an object having an initial object name within a file system space and determines, based on a set of regular expressions, whether the initial object name is a temporary object name;

an object name converter that, when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, transforms, based on the set of regular expressions, the initial object name into a permanent object name;

a storage selector that applies a function to the permanent object name and selects, based on a result of the function applied to the permanent object name, a server of a plurality of servers; and

an object manager that sends the object to the selected server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the object manager sends a request to save the object to the selected server, and the request causes the selected server to save the object.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the object manager receives a request to access the object and sends a request for the object to the selected server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the storage selector reapplies the function to the permanent object name, and the object manager selects, based on a result of reapplying the function to the permanent object name, the selected server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the object name identifier enables a user to update one or more regular expressions of the set of regular expressions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operator applies a hashing function to the permanent object name.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of a file, document, directory, device file, link, and socket.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, the object name converter identifies, based on the set of regular expressions, a pattern indicating temporariness in the initial object name and strips the identified pattern from the initial object name to determine the permanent object name.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the pattern includes a period and a random number.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the pattern includes a prefix or suffix in the temporary object name.

11. A method of storing an object in a distributed storage system, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a request to save an object having an initial object name within a file system space;

determining, based on a set of regular expressions, whether the initial object name is a temporary object name;

when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, transforming, based on the set of regular expressions, the initial object name into a permanent object name;

applying a function to the permanent object name;

selecting, based on a result of the function applied to the permanent object name, a server of a plurality of servers; and

sending the object to the selected server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sending includes sending a request to save the object to the selected server, and the request causes the selected server to save the object.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving a request to access the object having the permanent object name;

reapplying the function to the permanent object name;

selecting, based on a result of reapplying the function to the permanent object name, a second server of the plurality of servers; and

sending a request for the object to the second selected server.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the object from the second selected server.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling a user to update one or more regular expressions of the set of regular expressions.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the applying a function includes applying a hash function.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the object is selected from the group consisting of a file, document, directory, device file, link, and socket.

18. The method of claim 11, further including:

when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, identifying, based on the set of regular expressions, a pattern indicating temporariness in the initial object name,

wherein the transforming includes stripping the identified pattern from the initial object name.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the identifying a pattern includes identifying a prefix or suffix in the temporary object name.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions that when executed by one or more processors is adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request to save an object having an initial object name within a file system space;

determining, based on a set of regular expressions, whether the initial object name is a temporary object name;

when the initial object name is determined to be a temporary object name, transforming, based on the set of regular expressions, the initial object name into a permanent object name;

applying a function to the permanent object name;

selecting, based on a result of the function applied to the permanent object name, a server of a plurality of servers; and

sending the object to the selected server.