Method, system, and program for returning a file requested through a network connection

A method for interfacing an application program with a storage management system in a computer system, comprising:

• establishing a network connection with the application program using a network protocol;
• receiving a request from the application program for a program in a storage device accessible to the computer system, wherein the program is capable of being accessed through a file system and wherein the program will allow the application program to interface with the storage management system;
• determining whether network addresses of the computer in which the application program is executing and the computer including the file system are the same;
• and
• transmitting the requested program to the application program via a method that is a member of the set of methods consisting of:
• (i) a network connection using the network protocol and (ii) directly to the application program through the file system, wherein the application program executes the requested program to provide an interface with the storage management system to perform storage management operations on the computer system, and wherein the transmitting depends on the determining.

A method for interfacing an application program with a storage management system in a computer system, comprising:

• establishing a network connection with the application program using a network protocol;
• receiving a request from the application program for a program in a storage device accessible to the computer system, wherein the program is capable of being accessed through a file system and wherein the program will allow the application program to interface with the storage management system;
• determining a network address of the computer in which the application program is executing and the computer including the file system;
• determining whether the network addresses of the application program and the computer are the same, wherein the program is transmitted through the network connection to the application program after determining that the network addresses of the application program and the computer are different and wherein the program file is provided to the application program through the file system after determining that the network addresses of the application program and the computer system are the same;
• and
• transmitting the requested program to the application program via a method that is a member of the set of methods consisting of:
• (i) a network connection using the network protocol and (ii) directly to the application program through the file system, wherein the application program executes the requested program to provide an interface with the storage management system to perform storage management operations on the computer system.

A system for processing a file request from an application program, comprising:

• a computer system;
• a storage device accessible to the computer system including a file that is capable of being accessed through a file system;
• program logic executed by the computer system, comprising:
• (i) means for establishing a network connection with the application program using a network protocol;
• (ii) means for receiving a request for the file from the application program via the network connection;
• (iii) means for determining whether the application program is executing in the computer system including the file system;
• (iv) means for transmitting the file over the network connection to the application program after determining that the application program is not executing in the computer system;
• (v) means for providing the application program the file through the file system after determining that the application program is executing in the computer system.

An article of manufacture for processing a file request from an application program, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

• providing a file in a storage device accessible to a computer system, wherein the file is capable of being accessed through a file system;
• establishing a network connection with the application program using a network protocol;
• receiving a request for the file from the application program via the network connection;
• determining whether the application program is executing in the computer system including the file system;
• transmitting the file over the network connection to the application program after determining that the application program is not executing in the computer system;
• providing the application program the file through the file system after determining that the application program is executing in the computer system.

An article of manufacture for interfacing an application program with a storage management system in a computer system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

• establishing a network connection with the application program using a network protocol;
• receiving a request from the application program for a program in a storage device accessible to the computer system, wherein the program is capable of being accessed through a file system and wherein the program will allow the application program to interface with the storage management system;
• determining whether network addresses of the computer in which the application program is executing and the computer including the file system are the same;
• and
• transmitting the requested program to the application program via a method that is a member of the set of methods consisting of:
• (i) a network connection using the network protocol and (ii) directly to the application program through the file system, wherein the application program executes the requested program to provide an interface with the storage management system to perform storage management operations on the computer system, and wherein the transmitting depends on the determining.

An article of manufacture for interfacing an application program with a storage management system in a computer system, the article of manufacture comprising a computer usable media including at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer to perform:

• establishing a network connection with the application program using a network protocol;
• receiving a request from the application program for a program in a storage device accessible to the computer system, wherein the program is capable of being accessed through a file system and wherein the program will allow the application program to interface with the storage management system;
• determining a network address of the computer in which the application program is executing and the computer including the file system;
• determining whether the network addresses of the application program and the computer are the same, wherein the program is transmitted through the network connection to the application program after determining that the network addresses of the application program and the computer are different and wherein the program file is provided to the application program through the file system after determining that the network addresses of the application program and the computer system are the same;
• and
• transmitting the requested program to the application program via a method that is a member of the set of methods consisting of:
• (i) a network connection using the network protocol and (ii) directly to the application program through the file system, wherein the application program executes the requested program to provide an interface with the storage management system to perform storage management operations on the computer system.