US 8,301,597 B1 · System and method for network file system server replication using reverse path lookup

Abstract

The system and method described herein may use reverse path lookup to build mappings between file handles that represent network file system objects and full path names associated therewith and distinguish hard links between different file system objects having the same identifier with different parents or file names. The mappings and information distinguishing the hard links may then be cached to enable replicating changes to the file system. For example, a server may search the cached information using a file handle associated with a changed file system object to obtain the file name and full path name associated therewith. The server may then send the file name and full path name and metadata describing how the file system object was changed to a replica host, which may then replicate the change to the file system object.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for replicating a network file system using reverse path lookup, comprising:

a master file system;
a master host having one or more processors configured to:
receive a request to apply one or more changes to the master file system and a file handle that represents an object associated with the one or more changes to the master file system from a client computer;
interpret the file handle to determine the object that the file handle represents, apply the one or more changes to the object within the master file system, and determine a full path name that the object has within the master file system based on a parent that the object has within the master file system;
build a mapping between an inode number that identifies the object within the master file system and the full path name associated with the object;
and
transmit the mapping and metadata that describes the one or more changes to the master file system to a replica host configured to replicate the one or more changes using the mapping and the metadata.

4 more elements

A method for replicating a network file system using reverse path lookup, comprising:

receiving, at a master host, a request to apply one or more changes to a master file system from a client computer, wherein the request includes a file handle that represents an object associated with the one or more changes to the master file system;
interpreting the file handle to determine the object that the file handle represents at the master host, wherein the master host interprets the file handle to apply the one or more changes to the object within the master file system and determine a full path name that the object has within the master file system based on a parent that the object has within the master file system;
building, at the master host, a mapping between an inode number that identifies the object within the master file system and the full path name associated the object;
and
transmitting the mapping and metadata that describes the one or more changes to the master file system from the master host to a replica host, wherein the replica host replicates the one or more changes using the transmitted mapping and the transmitted metadata.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for network file system server replication using reverse path lookup

Life of this patent

System and method for network file system server replication using reverse path lookup

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20