Parallel I/O network file server architecture

• US 5,931,918 A
• Filed: 07/30/1997
• Issued: 08/03/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Network Appliance Incorporated (NetApp, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Auspex Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Blightman, Stephen E., Pitts, William M., Boucher, Laurence B., Row, Edward John
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Application Number:
  US08/902,790
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 395/680, 395/682, 395/684
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1858 Parallel file systems, i.e. file systems supporting multiple processors
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/133 Protocols for remote procedure calls [RPC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A file server architecture is disclosed, comprising as separate processors, a network controller unit, a file controller unit and a storage processor unit. These units incorporate their own processors, and operate in parallel with a local Unix host processor. All networks are connected to the network controller unit, which performs all protocol processing up through the NFS layer. The virtual file system is implemented in the file control unit, and the storage processor provides high-speed multiplexed access to an array of mass storage devices. The file controller unit control file information caching through its own local cache buffer, and controls disk data caching through a large system memory which is accessible on a bus by any of the processors.

Claims

1. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server including a first unit comprising:

means for decoding file system requests from said network;

means for performing procedures for satisfying said file system requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and

means for encoding any file system reply messages for return transmission on said network,

said first unit lacking means in said first unit for executing any programs which make calls to any general purpose operating system.

2. A network file server according to claim 1, further including a second unit comprising means for executing programs which make calls to a general purpose operating system.

3. A network file server according to claim 1, wherein said file system requests from said network comprise NFS requests.

4. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server including a first unit comprising:

means for decoding file system requests from said network;

means for performing procedures for satisfying said file system requests, including accessing said mass storage device if required; and

means for encoding any file system reply messages for return transmission on said network,

said first unit lacking means to execute any user-provided application programs on said first unit.

5. A network file server according to claim 4, further including a second unit running a user-provided application program.

6. A network file server according to claim 4, wherein said file system requests from said network comprise NFS requests.

7. A network file server for use with a data network and a mass storage device, said network file server comprising:

a network control module, including a network interface coupled to receive file system requests from said network;

a file system control module, including a mass storage device interface coupled to said mass storage device; and

a communication path coupled directly between said network control module and said file system control module, said communication path carrying file retrieval requests prepared by said network control module in response to received file system requests to retrieve specified retrieval data from said mass storage device,

said file system control module retrieving said specified retrieval data from said mass storage device in response to said file retrieval requests and returning said specified retrieval data to said network control module,

and said network control module preparing reply messages containing said specified retrieval data from said file system control module for return transmission on said network.

8. A network file server according to claim 7, wherein said file system control module returns said specified retrieval data directly to said network control module.

9. A network file server according to claim 7, wherein said network control module further prepares file storage requests in response to received file system requests to store specified storage data on said mass storage device, said network control module communicating said file storage requests to said file system control module,

and wherein said file system control module further stores said specified storage data on said mass storage device in response to said file storage requests.

10. A network file server according to claim 9, wherein said file storage requests are communicated to said file system control module via said communication path.

11. A network file server according to claim 7, wherein said received file system requests to retrieve specified retrieval data comprise NFS requests.

12. A method for processing requests from a data network, for use by a network file server including a network control module coupled to receive file system requests from said network and a file system control module coupled to said mass storage device, comprising the steps of:

said network control module preparing file retrieval requests in response to received file system requests to retrieve specified retrieval data from said mass storage device;

said network control module communicating said file retrieval requests directly to said file system control module;

said file system control module retrieving said specified retrieval data from said mass storage device in response to said file retrieval requests and returning said specified retrieval data to said network control module; and

said network control module preparing reply messages containing said specified retrieval data from said file system control module for return transmission on said network.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein said file system control module returns said specified retrieval data directly to said network control module.

14. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

said network control module preparing file storage requests in response to received file system requests to store specified storage data on said mass storage device

said network control module communicating said file storage requests to said file system control module;

and said file system control module storing said specified storage data on said mass storage device in response to said file storage requests.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein said file storage requests are communicated directly to said file system control module.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein said received file system requests to retrieve specified retrieval data comprise NFS requests.