US 2004/0205143 A1 · Network storage virtualization method and system

Abstract

There is provided a network storage system where the network storages are connected to clients. The system is resistive to faults and enables to access using the standard protocol such as the NFS. And moreover, the clients can access without consciousness on the interface even when the process is executed in any network storage. In order to attain the object, when a client has issued an access request to a first network storage (A01), the first network storage transfers the received request to a directory server storing file management information (A02). The directory server selects a second network storage to process the request and transfers this request to the second network storage (A03). The second network storage processes such request and transmits a packet to the client to suggest as if the process has been executed in the first network storage as a response result (A04).

Claims29

Dependent claims

A network storage virtualization method for accessing to network storage storing file data from a client, wherein;

a directory server is provided to store file management information;
when an access request is issued to the network storage from the client, comprising the steps of:
(1) receiving a request from the client with a first network storage;
(2) transferring the received request to the directory server from the first network storage;
(3) selecting a second network storage as the network storage for processing the request by the directory server based on the file management information;
(4) transferring the request to the selected second network storage from the directory server;
(5) processing the request on the second network storage;
and
(6) transmitting a result of the process of the request to the client as a response of the request, from the second network storage.

6 more elements

A network storage virtualization method for accessing to a network storage storing file data from a client, wherein

a directory server is provided to store file management information;
file management information stored in the directory server is divided and is also stored in a plurality of the network storages;
and
when an access request is issued to the network storage from the client, comprising the steps of:
(10) receiving a request from the client by a first network storage;
(11) selecting the directory server or second network storage for transferring the request by the first network storage;
(12) transferring the request to the selected directory server or second network storage by the first network storage;
(13) selecting, when the directory server is selected, a third network storage to process the request by the directory server based on the file management information or
selecting, when the second network storage is selected, the third network storage to process the request by the second network storage based on the file management information which is divided and stored;
(14) transferring the request to the third network storage by the selected directory server or the second network storage;
(15) processing the request by the third network storage;
and
(16) transmitting a result of the request processed by the third network storage to the client as a response of the request.

10 more elements

A network storage virtualization method for accessing to network storage storing file data from a client, wherein a directory server is provided to store file management information;

when the client issues an access request to the network storage;
comprising the steps of:
(20) receiving a request from the client by a first network storage;
(21) inquiring for a network storage to process the received request to the directory server from the first network storage;
(22) selecting a second network storage as the network storage to process the request based on the file management information by the directory server;
(23) notifying that the second network storage is selected to the first network storage by the directory server;
(24) transferring the request to the selected second network storage based on the notification from the first network storage;
(25) processing the request in the second network storage;
and
(26) transmitting a result of processing the request to the client as a response of the request from the second network storage.

7 more elements

A network storage system for accessing to a network storage storing file data from a client, wherein a directory server is provided to store file management information, file management information stored in the directory server is divided and stored in a plurality of the network storages, when the client has issued an access request to the network storage, comprising the steps of:

selecting the directory server or a second network storage to transfer the request by a first network storage having received the request and transferring the request to any one of the directory server or the second network storage therefrom;
selecting a third network storage to process the request based on the file management information by the directory server or the second network storage server having received the request and transferring the request to the third network storage;
processing the request in the third network storage;
and
transmitting a result of processing the request to the client as a response of the request from the third network storage having processed the request.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Network storage virtualization method and system

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Network storage virtualization method and system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims29