Multiple facility operating system architecture

• US 5,485,579 A
• Filed: 04/08/1994
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Auspex Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Hitz, David, Lau, James, Harris, Guy, Schwartz, Allan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kulik, Paul V.
• Application Number:
  US08/225,356
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 395/700, 395/650, 395/800, 395/200, 395/600, 395/425, 395/200.02, 395/200.12, 395/200.20, 395/200.07
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

This is achieved in a computer system employing a multiple facility operating system architecture. The computer system includes a plurality of processor units for implementing a predetermined set of peer-level facilities wherein each peer-level facility includes a plurality of related functions and a communications bus for interconnecting the processor units. Each of the processor units includes a central processor and the stored program that, upon execution, provides for the implementation of a predetermined peer-level facility of the predetermined set of peer-level facilities, and for performing a multi-tasking interface function. The multi-tasking interface function is responsive to control messages for selecting for execution functions of the predetermined peer-level facility and that is responsive to the predetermined peer-level facility for providing control messages to request or to respond to the performance of functions of another peer-level facility of the computer system. The multi-tasking interface functions of each of the plurality of processor units communicate among one another via the network bus.

Claims

1. A server system architecture providing for the transfer of server data in response to client requests, said architecture comprising:

a) host processor means for executing an operating system, said operating system including a plurality of components including an operating system kernel portion, a first messaging component and first instantiations of a communications component, a filesystem component, and a storage access component;

b) communications processor means for executing a communications control program, said communications control program including a first subset of said operating system including a second messaging component and a second instantiation of said communications component;

c) filesystem processor means for executing a filesystem control program, said filesystem control program including a second subset of said operating system including a third messaging component and a second instantiation of said filesystem component; and

d) storage processor means for executing a storage access control program, said storage access control program including a third subset of said operating system including a fourth messaging component and a second instantiation of said storage access component,

where said first, second and third subsets of said operating system are exclusive of said operating system kernel portion and where said second, third and fourth messaging components each include means for sending and receiving messages with another of said second, third and fourth messaging components.

2. The architecture of claim 1 wherein said communications control program is responsive to a predetermined client request, wherein said second instantiation of said communications component includes means for resolving said predetermined client request into a predetermined filesystem request, said second instantiation of said communications component being coupled to said second messaging component to transfer said predetermined filesystem request, said filesystem component being coupled to said third messaging component to transfer said predetermined filesystem request, said second messaging component being coupled to said third messaging component to provide a first predetermined message identifying said predetermined filesystem request.

3. The architecture of claim 2 wherein said second instantiation of said filesystem component includes means for resolving said predetermined filesystem request into a predetermined storage access request, said storage access component being coupled to said fourth messaging component to receive said predetermined storage access request, said third messaging component being coupled to said fourth messaging component to provide a second predetermined message identifying said predetermined storage access request.

4. The architecture of claim 3 wherein said predetermined storage access request identifies predetermined data, said architecture further comprising memory means for storing data, said filesystem component providing for the allocation of a predetermined data space within said memory means for storing said predetermined data, said storage access component providing for the transfer of data with respect to said predetermined data space in response to said predetermined storage access request.

5. The architecture of claim 4 wherein said communications component provides for the transfer of data with respect to said predetermined data space in response to said predetermined filesystem request.

6. A network file server responsive to client request received via a network, said network file server comprising:

a) host processor means for executing an operating system, said operating system including an operating system kernel portion, a first messaging portion, and first instantiations of a first network communications portion and a first filesystem portion, said operating system kernel portion being coupled to said first instantiation of said first network communications portion through a first interface, to said first instantiation of said first filesystem portion through a second interface;

b) network processor means for executing a peer-level facility including a second communications portion and a second messaging portion, said second network communications portion being a second instantiation of said first network communications portion and said second messaging portion being coupled to and providing a third interface to said second network communications portion substantially equivalent to said first interface, said network communications portion, in response to a client request, generating and providing a filesystem request to said third interface, said second messaging means including means, responsive to said filesystem request, for sending a filesystem request message; and

c) filesystem processor means for executing a peer-level facility including a second filesystem portion and a third messaging portion, said second filesystem portion being a second instantiation of said first filesystem portion and said third messaging portion being coupled to and providing a fourth interface to said second filesystem portion substantially equivalent to said second interface, said third messaging portion including means for receiving said filesystem request message autonomously with respect to said host means.

7. The network file server of claim 6 further comprising means, coupled to said network processor means, for storing data, said third messaging portion, in response to said filesystem request message, providing said filesystem request to said fourth interface, said filesystem portion including means for transferring data to or from said storing means in response to said filesystem request.

8. A network file server comprising:

a) storage interface means for processing data storage requests to provide for the transfer of data with respect to a rotating disk data storage medium;

b) filesystem interface means for processing filesystem requests to provide said data storage requests to said storage interface means;

c) network interface means for processing data packets transferred through a local area network to provide said filesystem requests to said filesystem interface means and to provide for the transfer of data with respect to said local area network; and

d) means for coupling said storage interface means, said filesystem interface means, and said network interface means, said coupling means providing a direct data transfer path between said storage interface means and said network interface means, and said coupling means providing a direct filesystem request transfer path between said network interface means and said filesystem interface means and a direct data storage request path between said filesystem interface means and said storage interface means.

9. A network file server comprising:

a) storage interface means for processing data storage requests to provide for the transfer of data with respect to a rotating disk data storage medium;

b) filesystem interface means for processing filesystem requests to provide said data storage requests to said storage interface means;

c) network interface means for processing data packets transferred through a local area network to provide said filesystem requests to said filesystem interface means and to provide for the transfer of data with respect to said local area network; and

d) means for coupling said storage interface means, said filesystem interface means, and said network interface means,

said coupling means providing a direct data transfer path between said storage interface means and said network interface means, and

said coupling means providing a direct filesystem request transfer path between said network interface means and said filesystem interface means and a direct data storage request path between said filesystem interface means and said storage interface means,

said direct data transfer path including a data buffer coupled between said storage interface means and said network interface means through which said storage interface means and said network interface means directly exchange data transferred to and from said local area network, said direct filesystem request transfer path including a first command path coupled directly between said network interface means and said filesystem interface means to pass filesystem commands requesting the transfer of data between said storage interface means and said network interface means, said direct data storage request path including a second command path coupled directly between said filesystem interface means and said storage interface means to pass storage system commands requesting the transfer of data between said storage interface means and said network interface means.

10. A network file server system couplable to a network for the exchange of network requests including first and second network request types, the set of first and second network request types corresponding to a set of network requests that a network operating system can responsively perform, the network operating system including a plurality of facilities that conventionally participate in performing the set of network requests, said network file server system comprising:

a) storage means, including a storage facility of a network operating system, for transferring data with respect to a data storage medium in response to a storage request;

b) filesystem means, including a filesystem facility of a network operating system, for generating storage requests in response to file requests;

c) network means, including a network facility of said network operating system, for exchanging said first and second types of network requests with a network, said network facility including means for generating file requests in response to network requests of said first set of network requests, said network means providing said file requests exclusively to said filesystem means.

11. A network file server system couplable to a network for the exchange of network requests, said network file server system comprising:

a) storage means, including a storage facility of a network operating system, for transferring data with respect to a data storage medium in response to a storage request;

b) filesystem means, including a filesystem facility of said network operating system, for generating storage requests in response to file requests;

c) network means, including a network facility of said network operating system, for generating file requests in response to network requests;

d) host means, including a host facility of said network operating system, for executing an operating system, and

e) communication means for coupling said storage, filesystem, network and host facilities to enable the transfer of a first set of said storage and file requests between said storage, filesystem, and network facilities and exclusive of the transfer of said first set of storage and file requests to or from said host facility, and to enable the transfer of a second set of said storage and file requests between said network, host filesystem and storage facilities.

12. A network file server system couplable to a network for the exchange of network requests, said network file server system comprising:

a) storage means, including a storage facility of a network operating system, for transferring data with respect to a data storage medium in response to a storage request;

b) filesystem means, including a filesystem facility of said network operating system, for generating storage requests in response to file requests;

c) network means, including a network facility of said network operating system, for generating file requests in response to network requests;

d) host means, including a host facility of said network operating system, for executing an operating system; and

e) bus means, responsive to said storage, filesystem, network and host means, for selectively transferring said network, file and storage requests between predetermined combinations of said storage, filesystem, network and host facilities, a first selectable transfer combination including said network, filesystem and storage facilities and excluding said host facility,

whereby said storage, filesystem and network facilities directly communicate with one another and selectively communicate with said host facility in response to network requests of a predetermined type.

13. A network file server system couplable to a network for the exchange of network requests, said network file server system comprising:

a) storage means, including a storage facility of a network operating system, for transferring data with respect to a data storage medium in response to a storage request;

b) filesystem means, including a filesystem facility of said network operating system, for generating storage requests in response to file requests;

c) network means, including a network facility of said network operating system, for generating file requests in response to network requests;

d) host means, including a host facility of said network operating system, for executing an operating system, and

e) a transfer path coupling said storage, filesystem and network means, said transfer path providing for the transfer of storage requests, file requests and data among said storage, filesystem and network facilities to enable said storage, filesystem and network means to operate autonomously relative to said host facility in responding to network requests.

14. A method for performing a network file server function through a partial operating system including a network facility coupled to a local area network, a filesystem facility and a storage facility coupled to a data storage disk, and request and data transfer paths intercoupling said network, filesystem and storage facilities, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a network filesystem request from said local area network by said network facility;

b) communicating said network filesystem request directly to said filesystem facility via a first request transfer path;

c) processing said network filesystem request by said filesystem facility to communicate a data storage request directly to said storage facility via a second request transfer path;

d) processing said data storage request by said storage facility to retrieve data from said data storage disk and to directly transfer said data to said network facility via a data transfer path; and

e) transferring said data received by said network facility to said local area network.

16. The method of claim 14 or 15 wherein the direct transfers of said requests and said data are characterized as being performed in the absence of a step of transferring said requests and said data through a host facility.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the direct transfer of said data from said storage facility to said network facility comprises the steps of:

a) transferring said data to a memory buffer by said storage facility; and

b) transferring said data from said memory buffer by said network facility.

19. The method of claim 14, 15, 17 or 18 wherein the step of processing said network filesystem request by said filesystem facility excludes a step of processing said network filesystem request through a virtual filesystem.

15. A method for performing a network file server function through a partial operating system including a network facility coupled to a local area network, a filesystem facility and a storage facility coupled to a data storage disk, and request and data transfer paths intercoupling said network, filesystem and storage facilities, said method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a network filesystem request and data from said local area network by said network facility;

b) communicating said network filesystem request directly to said filesystem facility via a first request transfer path;

c) processing said network filesystem request by said filesystem facility to communicate a data storage request directly to said storage facility via a second request transfer path;

d) transferring said data received by said network facility directly to said storage facility via a data transfer path; and

e) processing said data storage request by said storage facility to receive and transfer said data to said data storage disk.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the direct transfer of said data from said network facility to said storage facility comprises the steps of:

a) transferring said data to a memory buffer by said network facility; and

b) transferring said data from said memory buffer by said storage facility.