Managing network attached storage

A method for managing network attached storage, the method comprising:

• detecting a frequency of access from a client to a data item on a first server in the network attached storage, a global namespace of the network attached storage indicating an access address for accessing the data item, the access address including a first address of the data item in the first server;
• in response to the frequency being higher than a predetermined threshold, copying the data item from the first server to a second server in the network attached storage, the second server being proximate to the client, thereby forming a data image on the second server;
• and
• updating the global namespace to add to the access address a second address of the data image in the second server
• wherein detecting frequency of access from a client to a data item that is in a first server in the network attached storage comprises:
• monitoring metadata associated with the access, the metadata at least comprising:
• a client ID, a timestamp and a data item ID;
• and
• calculating the frequency based on the metadata;
• wherein the second server is a server selected based on network topology of the network attached storage system and is proximate to the client;
• in response to a second client's second access to the data item on the first server, looking up the first address and the second address in the access address;
• synchronizing the data item with the data image in accordance with an operation in the second access based on the first address and the second address;
• wherein synchronizing the data item with the data image in accordance with an operation in the second access based on the first address and the second address comprises:
• in response to the operation being a write operation, monitoring a timestamp of the write operation;
• and
• executing the write operation with respect to the data item and the data image according to the timestamp.