System for emulating a virtual boundary of a file system for data management at a fileset granularity

• US 8,255,364 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Burnett, Rodney Carlton, Haswell, Jonathan M., Renu, Tewari
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US12/204,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610, 707/640, 707/642, 707/643, 707/644, 707/654, 707/655, 707/661, 707/674, 707/999.01, 707/999.201, 707/999.205, 711/100, 709/213
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/184 implemented as replicated file system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A file system boundary emulation system emulates a virtual boundary of a filesystem within an existing file system for data management at a fileset granularity, within the framework of a wide area filesystem federation. The system dynamically assigns a fileset ID to the file that belongs to that fileset. The system comprises a fileset defined by the virtual boundary of the file. The virtual boundary is less than and contained within the file system. The fileset identifies the file via the file ID and the fileset ID. The system maps the file ID to the fileset ID. The filesets are dynamically created and removed based on administrative instructions. Filesets are used for fine grained data management and namespace control in a filesystem federation.

Claims

1. A computer program product having program codes stored on a computer-usable medium for emulating a virtual boundary of a file system for data management at a fileset granularity, wherein a file includes a file ID and a file system ID, the computer program product comprising:

a program code for dynamically assigning a fileset ID associated with a file in the file system;

a program code for assigning a unique file server ID to the fileset;

a program code for creating a backup replica of the fileset;

a program code for determining candidate locations for the backup replica by a ranking function;

a program code for defining the fileset as a virtual boundary of the file system;

wherein the virtual boundary of the fileset is smaller than, and contained within, the file system; and

a program code for identifying the file by the file ID and the fileset ID rather than by the file ID and the file system ID.

2. The computer program product of claim of claim 1, further comprising a program code for mapping the file ID to the fileset ID.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising a program code for assigning a unique fileset ID to each of a plurality of filesets contained in the file system.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising a program code for maintaining a mapping between the fileset ID and a file ID of a fileset root of each of the filesets.

5. The computer program product of claim 3, further comprising a program code for identifying a virtual boundary of the filesets;

and

wherein the virtual boundary of the filesets is smaller than, and contained within the file system.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising of a program code for placing the fileset ID in a unique file handle.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising a program code for providing the file handle to a client, to identify the file system and to reflect the crossing of the virtual boundary.

8. A processor implemented system for emulating a virtual boundary of a file system for data management at a fileset granularity, wherein a file includes a file ID and a file system ID, the system comprising:

an augmented file server configured to dynamically assign a fileset ID associated with a file in the file system;

an administration server configured to define the fileset as a virtual boundary of the file system,

wherein the administration server is configured to assign a unique file server ID to the fileset,

wherein the administration server is configured to create a backup replica of the fileset,

wherein the virtual boundary of the fileset is smaller than, and contained within the file system; and

wherein the augmented file server is configured to identify the file by the file ID and the fileset ID rather than by the file ID and the file system ID;

and a data management server configured to determine candidate locations for the backup replica by a ranking function.

9. The system of claim of claim 8, further comprising a fileset kernel services module configured to map the file ID to the fileset ID.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a data management server configured to assign a unique fileset ID to each of a plurality of filesets contained in the file system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the fileset kernel services module is configured to maintain a mapping between the fileset ID and a file ID of a fileset root of each of the filesets.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising an administration server configured to identify a virtual boundary of the filesets;

and

wherein the virtual boundary of the filesets is smaller than, and contained within, the file system.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the augmented file server is configured to place the fileset ID in a unique file handle; and

the augmented file server is configured to provide the file handle to a client, to identify the file system and to reflect the crossing of the virtual boundary, wherein the file handle is expired after a generation number assigned to the fileset and embedded in the file handle is no longer current.