US 8,046,555 B2 · Method of mirroring data between clustered NAS systems

Abstract

Data of a global file system spread over multiple local NAS systems may be consolidated as a copy into a single remote NAS system. When remote copy is set up, the local NAS systems replace referrals within the global file system with directories and send these in place of the referrals to the remote NAS system. Then, other local NAS systems referred to by the referrals send files and directories under the directories replacing the referrals on the remote NAS system. Alternatively, to split copy data of a locally-stored global file system amongst multiple remote NAS systems, the local NAS system replaces specified directories with referrals, and sends the referrals with the data to one of the remote NAS systems. Then, the local NAS system sends files and directories under the directories replaced with referrals to one or more other remote NAS systems as referred to by the referrals.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of splitting a copy stored in a plurality of storage systems in a system,

the system comprising:
a first storage system storing a data,
a second storage system;
a third storage system;
and
a management computer containing a management information managing the first, second and third storage systems forming the system,
the method comprising the steps of:
sending a first instruction from the management computer to the first storage system instructing the first storage system to copy the data to the second storage system,
checking if the data contains a referral information targeting to the third storage system,
sending a first part of the data, except for a second part of the data to which the third storage system is targeted, to the second storage system from the first storage system,
sending, from the first storage system to the second storage system, a referral information instead of the second part of the data, if the data contains the referral information, and
sending, from the first storage system to the third storage system, the second part of the data to which the third storage system is targeted.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of mirroring data between clustered NAS systems

Life of this patent

Method of mirroring data between clustered NAS systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18