Method of universal file access for a heterogeneous computing environment

A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed on a processor implement a method for performing offloaded file processing, said method comprising:

• accessing a request for services from a requester, the request including information from which a disk set is derived and a command involving the disk set;
• automatically determining volumes, volume formats of the volumes, file systems and file system formats of the file systems residing on the disk set;
• automatically determining existence and a state of a client computer associated with the disk set, the determining the state includes determining if the client computer is powered-on or powered-off;
• and
• executing the command, the executing includes accessing the disk set using information obtained from at least one of the volumes, the file systems, the volume formats, the file system formats and the state,
• wherein if the client computer is determined to be existent and powered-on, then determining a mechanism for generating a snapshot of said disk set, taking a snapshot of the disk set using the mechanism, and determining a network address of the snapshot, wherein the executing the command accesses the snapshot, and if the client computer is determined to be non-existent or powered-off, then automatically determining a network address of the disk set.

A computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed on a processor implement a method for performing offloaded file processing, said method comprising:

• a) accessing a request for services from a requester, said request comprising:
• information from which a disk set is derived;
• and a command involving said disk set, wherein said requester is a File Processing Application (FPA);
• b) transparent to said requester, automatically determining volumes and file systems residing on said disk set;
• c) transparent to said requester, automatically determining volume formats and file system formats used by said volumes and file systems;
• d) transparent to said requester, automatically determining existence and a state of a client computer associated with said disk set;
• e) transparent to said requester, automatically determining a hardware type of said client computer and automatically determining a hardware type of said disk set;
• f) transparent to said requester, automatically determining a network address of said client computer based on an identifier familiar to said requester;
• g) in connection with an offloaded file processing, executing said command comprising accessing said disk set using information obtained from said b)-f),
• wherein said determining a state of said client computer determines if said client computer is powered-on or powered-off and wherein said method further comprises:
• if said client computer is determined to be existent and powered-on, then transparent to said requester:
• determining a mechanism for generating a snapshot of said disk set;
• taking a snapshot of said disk set using said mechanism;
• and determining a network address of said snapshot, wherein said executing said command accesses said snapshot;
• and
• if said client computer is determined to be non-existent or powered-off, then transparent to said requester, automatically determining a network address of said disk set.