Self-optimizing network attached storage for multiple geographic locations

A system comprising:

• a plurality of file migration control tables, each of which is configured to be accessible by one of a plurality of geographically diffuse network attached file servers, said tables to including an entry designating a root device and at least one time-decaying access control parameter for a file stored locally to one of said servers;
• a request received by a first server from a second, geographically remote server for access to an authoritative copy of a file stored by said first server;
• a first migration controller configured to be operable by said first server, adapted to update said time-decaying access control parameter to reflect said remote server's request, compute a relative access measurement comparing requests from said remote server to requests received from users of said first server, and to, responsive to determination that said relative access measurement exceeds a threshold, initiate migration said authoritative file copy to be stored by said second server;
• and
• a second migration controller configured to be operable by said second, remote requesting server, adapted to receive and store said authoritative file, thereby completing said migration.

A device comprising:

• a computer-readable medium;
• and
• one or more software program products encoded in or on said computer-readable medium and adapted to cause a plurality of geographically diffuse network attached servers to perform the steps of:
• (a) store a file migration control table which include an entry designating a root device, and at least one time-decaying access control parameter for a file stored locally to one of said servers;
• (b) receive by a first server a request from a second, geographically remote server for access to an authoritative copy of a file stored by said first server;
• (c) update by said first server said time-decaying access control parameter to reflect said remote server's request;
• (d) compute by a server a relative access measurement comparing requests from said remote server to requests received from users of said first server;
• and
• (e) responsive to determination that said relative access measurement exceeds a threshold, migrate said authoritative file copy to be stored by said second server.