Hitachi Data Systems Engineering UK Limited

Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Vantara Corporation

James Gibbs

Zahra Tabaaloute

Daniel Picken

Richard Powell

Timothy Warner

Mitsuo Hayasaka

Yuko Matsui

Christopher J Aston

Simon Crosland

Jonathan Smith

Ray Brown

Chris Aston

Jon Smith

Joseph Smith

Michael Benson

Jonathan Teh

Hieu Hanh Le

Mike Benson

In a distributed storage of data objects in a cluster system, a data object is distributed across a group of node apparatuses in units of data blocks. For each child object, the metadata structure of the respective child object is stored to one of the node apparatuses of the group of node apparatuses for managing locations of data blocks of the data object and includes a root metadata node and one or more direct metadata nodes, optionally further including one or more indirect metadata nodes; and the metadata structure of the parent object is distributed across the plural node apparatuses of the group of node apparatuses for managing locations of child objects of the data object and includes, on each node apparatus of the group of node apparatuses, a root metadata node and one or more direct metadata nodes, optionally further including one or more indirect metadata nodes.

Data storage system and process for providing distributed storage in a scalable cluster system and computer program for such data storage system

A data de-duplication in a distributed storage of data objects in a cluster system, in which plural data objects are distributed across a group of node apparatuses and stored in units of data blocks. Each metadata structure including a root metadata node and one or more direct metadata nodes, and optionally including one or more indirect metadata nodes; and a metadata object is stored for managing de-duplicated data blocks based on a metadata structure of the metadata object wherein at least one direct metadata node of the metadata structure of the metadata object includes a block reference pointing to a de-duplicated data block being associated with two or more data objects. Preferably, each of the metadata structures of the two or more data objects being associated with the de-duplicated data block includes a respective direct metadata node including an object reference to the metadata structure of the metadata object.

Data storage system, process, and computer program for de-duplication of distributed data in a scalable cluster system

Object-level replication of cloned objects from a source file system to a target file system in a data storage system maintains relationships between related objects including shared data blocks so that storage requirements in the target file system match storage requirements of the source file system. Specialized processing may be used to scan an indirection object that refers to other file system objects such that objects requiring replication can be identified on an incremental basis based on checkpoint numbers. Checkpoints in the target file system are managed so that checkpoint number requirements for replicated clone objects are enforced in the target file system.

Object-level replication of cloned objects in a data storage system

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for data migration of a first file system in a data storage system comprising a plurality of client computers, a first file system managing unitfor managing the first file system and being connected to the plurality of client computers, and a second file system managing unitfor managing a second file system and being connected to the first file system managing unit, the second file system comprising a plurality of data files and the first file system comprising a plurality of external link objects, each external link object of the first file system being associated with a respective data file of the second file system for enabling client access to the respective data file of the second file system.

Method and apparatus for migration of a virtualized file system, data storage system for migration of a virtualized file system, and file server for use in a data storage system

The method performed by the apparatus includes interconnecting a first file system managing unitbetween the plurality of client computersand the second file system managing unit, creating a first directory /root in a first file system managed by the first file system managing unit, associating a first directory /root of the second file system with the first directory /root of the first file system, enabling on-demand virtualization of the second file system by the first file system managing unitbased on client requests received from the client computersat the first file system managing unitand based on the association between the first directory of the first file system and the first directory of the second file system, and enabling indirect client access to the second file system through the first file system.

Method and apparatus for virtualization of a file system, data storage system for virtualization of a file system, and file server for use in a data storage system

The method and an apparatus provides a virtualized file system enabling indirect access to a second file system in a data storage system comprising a plurality of client computersand a second file system managing unitfor managing the second file system and enabling client access to the second file system, the method comprising interconnecting a first file system managing unitbetween the plurality of client computersand the second file system managing unit, creating a directory /root in a first file system managed by the first file system managing unit, a directory /root of the second file system with the directory /root of the first file system, enabling on-demand virtualization of the second file system by the first file system managing unitbased on client requests received from the client computersat the first file system managing unit

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Wokingham, United Kingdom

James Gibbs