Data management method

• US 7,979,478 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2008
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Utsunomiya, Naoki, Hiraiwa, Yuri, Nasu, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones; Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khoshnoodi; Fariborz
• Application Number:
  US12/329,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/821, 707/822, 707/823, 707/825, 707/826, 707/828
• US Class Current: 707/821
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation

Abstract

A data storage or management method is provided which allows both a content object-based access and a file-based access. A first request for storing a content object in accordance with the processing of an application program executed in a host is sent to an object archive control functionality executed in the host, an intermediate server, or a storage apparatus. The object archive control functionality generates an object identifier corresponding to the content object received in response to the first request, a directory name corresponding to the object identifier, and a plurality of file names corresponding to a plurality of fields contained in the content object. The storage apparatus stores a directory having the directory name and the plurality of files having the plurality of file names in accordance with the second request.

Claims

1. An application data storing method on an information processing system, the method comprising:

sending a first request to store a content object including a first field containing a content data generated by the processing of an application program executed in a first computer and a second field containing an attribute information of the content data;

generating an object identifier corresponding to the content object received in response to the first request, a directory name corresponding to the object identifier in accordance with a predetermined rule, a first file name corresponding to an identification information of the first field in accordance with the predetermined rule, and a second file name corresponding to an identification information of the second field in accordance with the predetermined rule;

sending a second request to create a directory having the directory name, a first file in the directory having the first file name and in which the content data of the first field is included, a second file in the directory having the second file name and in which the attribute information of the second field is included, and a field list file in the directory related to the content object and in which a correspondence between the identification information of the first field and the first file name and a correspondence between the identification information of the second field and the second file name are included;

sending the object identifier to the first computer for the application program to designate for reference or update of the content data;

in the directory, storing the first file, the second file, and the field list file in response to the second request;

sending a third request with designation of the object identifier for editing the content object in accordance with the processing of the application program executed in the first computer;

specifying the directory name and the field list file in accordance with the object identifier received in response to the first request and the rule;

sending a fourth request to specify the first file name and the second file name in accordance with the field list file to read out data stored in the first file and the second file; and

sending the data stored in the first file and the second file in response to the fourth request.

2. An application data storing method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined rule includes a rule wherein the field name of the field contained in the content object is used as a file name and a rule wherein an object identifier of the content object is used as a directory name.

3. An application data storing method according to claim 1, wherein the first file, the second file, and the field list file are stored in a storage system.

4. An application data storing method according to claim 3, further comprising:

sending, to a storage system, a third request with designation of the first file name or the second file name in accordance with the processing of a file application executed in a second computer; and

by the storage system, sending a designated file which is one of the first file and the second file to the second computer in response to the third request.

5. An application data storing method according to claim 4, further comprising:

by the storage system, storing a third file generated by the second computer in the storage system.

6. An application data storing method according to claim 5, wherein the first file, the second file, and the field list file, stored in the storage system, are stored in a file system in which the third file is stored.

7. A storage medium having stored therein an application data storing program upon being executed causes an information processing system to perform the steps of:

sending a first request to store a content object including a first field containing a content data generated by the processing of an application program executed in a first computer and a second field containing an attribute information of the content data;

generating an object identifier corresponding to the content object received in response to the first request, a directory name corresponding to the object identifier in accordance with a predetermined rule, a first file name corresponding to an identification information of the first field in accordance with the predetermined rule, and a second file name corresponding to an identification information of the second field in accordance with the predetermined rule;

sending a second request to create a directory having the directory name, a first file in the directory having the first file name and in which the content data of the first field is included, a second file in the directory having the second file name and in which the attribute information of the second field is included, and a field list file in the directory related to the content object and in which a correspondence between the identification information of the first field and the first file name and a correspondence between the identification information of the second field and the second file name are included;

sending the object identifier to the first computer for the application program to designate for reference or update of the content data;

in the directory, storing the first file, the second file, and the field list file in response to the second request;

sending a third request with designation of the object identifier for editing the content object in accordance with the processing of the application program executed in the first computer;

specifying the directory name and the field list file in accordance with the object identifier received in response to the first request and the rule;

sending a fourth request to specify the first file name and the second file name in accordance with the field list file to read out data stored in the first file and the second file; and

sending the data stored in the first file and the second file in response to the fourth request.

8. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined rule includes a rule wherein the field name of the field contained in the content object is used as a file name and a rule wherein an object identifier of the content object is used as a directory name.

9. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the first file, the second file, and the field list file are stored in a storage system.

10. A storage medium according to claim 9, further comprising:

sending, to a storage system, a third request with designation of the first file name or the second file name in accordance with the processing of a file application executed in a second computer; and

by the storage system, sending a designated file which is one of the first file and the second file to the second computer in response to the third request.

11. A storage medium according to claim 10, further comprising:

by the storage system, storing a third file generated by the second computer in the storage system.

12. A storage medium according to claim 11, wherein the first file, the second file, and the field list file, stored in the storage system, are stored in a file system in which the third file is stored.

13. An information processing system comprising:

a first computer;

a first storage system; and

a second storage system,

wherein an application program executed in the first computer sends a first request to store a content object including a first field containing a content data generated by the processing of the application program and a second field containing an attribute information of the content data,

wherein the first storage system, in response to the first request, generates an object identifier corresponding to the content object of the first request, a directory name corresponding to the object identifier in accordance with a predetermined rule, a first file name corresponding to an identification information of the first field in accordance with the predetermined rule, and a second file name corresponding to an identification information of the second field in accordance with the predetermined rule;

wherein the first storage system sends to the second storage system a second request to create a directory having the directory name, a first file in the directory having the first file name and in which the content data of the first field is included, a second file in the directory having the second file name and in which the attribute information of the second field is included, and a field list file in the directory related to the content object and in which a correspondence between the identification information of the first field and the first file name and a correspondence between the identification information of the second field and the second file name are included;

wherein the first storage system sends the object identifier to the first computer for the application program to designate for reference or update of the content data;

wherein the second storage system, in response to the second request, stores in the directory the first file, the second file, and the field list file;

wherein the application program executed in the first computer sends a third request with designation of the object identifier for editing the content object in accordance with the processing of the application program;

wherein the first storage system specifies the directory name and the field list file in accordance with the object identifier received in response to the first request and the rule;

wherein the first storage system sends a fourth request to the second storage system to specify the first file name and the second file name in accordance with the field list file to read out data stored in the first file and the second file; and

wherein the second storage system sends the data stored in the first file and the second file in response to the fourth request.

14. A storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined rule includes a rule wherein the field name of the field contained in the content object is used as a file name and a rule wherein an object identifier of the content object is used as a directory name.

15. An information processing system according to claim 13, wherein the first file, the second file, and the field list file are stored in a storage volume of the second storage system.

16. An information processing system according to claim 15,

wherein a second computer sends, to the second storage system, a third request with designation of the first file name or the second file name in accordance with the processing of a file application executed in the second computer;

and

by the second storage system, sending a designated file which is one of the first file and the second file to the second computer in response to the third request.

17. An information processing system according to claim 16, further comprising:

by the second storage system, storing a third file generated by the second computer in the storage system.

18. An information processing system according to claim 17, wherein the first file, the second file, and the field list file, stored in the second storage system, are stored in a file system in which the third file is stored.