# US 2017/0286447 A1 · Method and Computer System for Sharing Objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0286447 A1 - Document ID: US20170286447A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/507,684 - Filed: 2014-10-30 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-30 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Applicants: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Hieuhanh LE; Masanori TAKATA; Yoji NAKATANI; Hitoshi ARAI; Hitoshi KAMEI; Akiyoshi TSUCHIYA; Atsushi SUTOH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170286447A1 ## CPC - G06F 16/1774: {Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files} - G06F 16/122: {using management policies (point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185)} - G06F 16/182: Distributed file systems - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A computer system for sharing objects comprises multiple front-end nodes and a back-end node for providing a namespace shared by the front-end nodes. A first front-end node that is any one of the front-end nodes manages local-lock counts for each of objects managed by the first front-end node. The local-lock count is the number of locks taken by operations to the objects including the directory and sub-objects thereof. Every time receiving a request for processing a target object from a client, the front-end node requests the back-end node to lock a parent directory of the target object if the parent directory has not been locked by the back-end node. The front-end node sends a response of the received request to the client regardless of whether or not the parent directory has been unlocked by the back-end node. If the local-lock count of the parent directory is zero, the first front-end node requests the back-end node to unlock the parent directory. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer system for sharing objects including at least directories, the computer system comprising: multiple front-end nodes that are coupled to clients; and a back-end node being configured to provide a namespace shared by the multiple front-end nodes, a first front-end node that is any one of the multiple front-end nodes, being configured to manage local-lock counts for each of directories managed by the first front-end node, the local-lock count being the number of locks taken by operations to the objects including the directory and sub-objects thereof, the first front-end node being configured to, every time receiving a request for processing a target object from a client that is coupled to the first front-end node, request the back-end node to lock a parent directory of the target object if the parent directory has not been locked by the back-end node, the first front-end node being configured to send a response of the received request to the client regardless of whether or not the parent directory has been unlocked by the back-end node, and the first front-end node being configured to, if the local-lock count of the parent directory is zero, request the back-end node to unlock the parent directory. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first front-end node is configured to, when completing migration of the processed target directory to the back-end node, decrement the local-lock counts of the processed target directory and the parent directory thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the first front-end node is configured to, when at least one of the local-lock counts of the processed target directory and the parent directory has become zero, request the back-end node to unlock the directory whose local-lock count has become zero. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first front-end node is configured to, when requesting the back-end node to lock a directory, increment the local-lock count of the directory, and the first front-end node is configured to, when processing the target directory, increment the local-lock count of the parent directory of the target directory. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first front-end node is configured to manage the local-lock counts using management information stored in the first front-end node, the management information includes a link name, global-lock status and the local-lock count for each of directories managed by the first front-end node, the link name is the name of the link to the directory managed by the back-end node from the first front-end node, the global-lock status is the status indicating where whether or not the corresponded directory has been locked by the back-end node, and the first front-end node is configured to determine whether or not the parent directory has been locked by the back-end node, based on the management information. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the received request for processing the target object is a creation request for creating the target directory, and the first front-end node is configured to increment the local-lock count of a directory newly created in response to the creation request, as well as the local-lock count of the parent directory of the directory newly created. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the received request for processing the target object is a deletion request for deleting the target object. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the received request for processing the target object is a rename request for renaming the target object. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the received request for processing the target object is a move request for moving the target object, and the first front-end node is configured to increment the local-lock counts of a source directory and a destination directory, the source directory is the parent directory of the target object before the move thereof, and the destination directory is the parent directory of the target directory after the move thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first front-end node is configured to create locking information indicating all objects which are targets locked, and send the back-end node a locking request to lock the all objects, the locking request being associated with the locking information. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first front-end node is configured to create unlocking information indicating all objects which are targets unlocked, and send the back-end node an unlocking request to unlock the all objects, the unlocking request being associated with the unlocking information. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the first front-end node is configured to migrate not only the updated object but also the parent directory thereof to the back-end node, and the first front-end node is configured not to migrate the parent directory of the updated object to the back-end node when the local-lock count of the parent directory of the updated object has not become zero, and the first front-end node is configured to migrate the parent directory of the updated object to the back-end node when the local-lock count of the parent directory of the updated object has become zero. ### Claim 13 A computer for sharing objects another computer that is coupled to storage apparatus for providing a shared namespace to store the objects including at least directories, the computer comprising: an interface that is coupled to the storage apparatus and a client; a memory being configured to store management information including local-lock counts for each of directories, the local-lock count being the number of locks taken by operations to the objects including the directory and sub-objects thereof; and a processor that is coupled to the interface and the memory, the processor being configured to, every time receiving a request for processing a target object from the client, request the storage apparatus to lock a parent directory of the target object if the parent directory has not been locked by the storage apparatus, the processor being configured to send a response of the received request to the client regardless of whether or not the parent directory has been unlocked by the storage apparatus, and the processor being configured to, if the local-lock count of the parent directory is zero, request the storage apparatus to unlock the parent directory. ### Claim 14 A method for sharing, by multiple front-end nodes that are coupled to clients, objects including at least directories managed in a namespace provided to the multiple front-end nodes by a back-end node, the method comprising: managing, by a first front-end node that is any one of the multiple front-end nodes, local-lock counts for each of directories managed by the first front-end node, the local-lock count being the number of locks taken by operations to the objects including the directory and sub-objects thereof, every time receiving a request for processing a target object from a client that is coupled to the first front-end node, requesting, by the first front-end node, the back-end node to lock a parent directory of the target object if the parent directory has not been locked by the back-end node, sending, by the first front-end node, a response of the received request to the client regardless of whether or not the parent directory has been unlocked by the back-end node, and requesting, by the first front-end node, the back-end node to unlock the parent directory, if the local-lock count of the parent directory is zero.