Netapp, Inc.

Spinnaker Networks, Inc.

Network Appliance, Inc.

Richard N Sanzi, Jr

Michael Kazar

Daniel S Nydick

Fred Gohh

Ronald P Bianchini, Jr

Benjamin Speiser

Richard Parvin Jernigan, Iv

Robert Wyckoff Hyer, Jr

Andrew G Reynolds

David Jeffrey Graham

Tom Hicks

Michael Robin Eisler

Benjamin T H Cox

Michael L Kazar

A system and method caches and distributes meta-data for one or more data containers stored on a plurality of volumes configured as a striped volume set (SVS) and served by a plurality of nodes interconnected as a cluster. The SVS comprises one meta-data volume (MDV) configured to store a canonical copy of certain meta-data, including access control lists and directories, associated with all data containers stored on the SVS, and one or more data volumes (DV) configured to store, at least, data content of those containers. In addition, for each data container stored on the SVS, one volume is designated a container attribute volume (CAV) and, as such, is configured to store ('cache') a canonical copy of certain, rapidly-changing attribute meta-data, including time stamps and container length, associated with that container.

System and method for multi-tiered meta-data caching and distribution in a clustered computer environment

A system and method for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system and method also include D disk elements, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer, a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element, and N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3.

Method and system for responding to file system requests

A file level (NAS) server receives NAS protocol data access requests and stores a new NAS data to the storage layer in the data blocks, and stores pointers in indirect blocks to identify the new NAS data. A block level (SAN) server receives SAN block based data access requests and stores a new SAN data to the storage layer in the data blocks and stores pointers in indirect blocks to identify the new SAN data. A management layer performs management operations on both the NAS data and the SAN data by using the plurality of indirect blocks. The plurality of indirect blocks provide same management operations for the NAS data and the SAN data.

Mechanism for handling file level and block level remote file accesses using the same server

A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric having a first switching element and a second switching element, each of which are connected to each of the D disk elements. The system includes N network elements, each of which is connected to each of the switching elements of the switching fabric, where N is greater than or equal to 2 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 4.

A system and method for offloading network processes from main processors of a storage system and performing them on parallel processing modules. Embodiments of the present invention improve performance of a clustered storage system by performing certain network processes in an accelerator module of a storage system node. The accelerator module receives multi-protocol protocol data units (PDUs) from a network interface, performs protocol operations on the PDUs to form file system requests and passes the file system requests to a local D-module. If a file system request is directed to a non-local D-module in the cluster, the accelerator module repackages the request for transmission to the appropriate D-module and passes it back to the network without using local D-module processing resources or passing data over the system bus.

Method and apparatus for offloading network processes in a computer storage system

A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function.

An apparatus for handling file level and block level remote file accesses. The apparatus includes a block level server. The apparatus includes a file level server. The apparatus includes a storage layer implementing an inode layer performing inode operations, and storing data accessed by the file level and block level servers. The apparatus includes a management layer connected to the storage layer underlying the block and file level servers, which performs data management operations upon the underlying data. A method of handling file level and block level network file accesses. The method includes the steps of performing management operations by a management layer for a block level server and a file level server. Then there is the step of performing the servers' data accessing and updating operations using a vnode layer implemented on top of an inode layer. Then there is the step of storing data from the block level server or the file level server in a storage layer connected to the management layer.

A system for responding to file system requests including a plurality of network elements with at least a network element of the plurality of network elements receiving the requests. The system includes a plurality of switching elements in communication with the network elements which route the requests. The system includes a plurality of disk elements in which files are stored and which respond to the requests in communication with the switching elements, the network element insures each request from the network element is only executed once, the network element retransmits each request for which the network element does not receive an acknowledgment from the switching elements. A method for responding to file system requests.

An apparatus for data storage includes a cluster of NFS servers. Each server has network ports for incoming file system requests and cluster traffic between servers. The apparatus includes a plurality of storage arrays in communication with the servers. The servers utilize a striped file system for storing data. A method for data storage. A method for establishing storage for a file. A method for removing a file from storage. A method for reading data in a file. A method for writing data in a file.

Method and apparatus for data storage using striping specification identification

A storage system architecture comprises one or more volumes distributed across a plurality of nodes interconnected as a cluster. The volumes are organized as a striped volume set (SVS) and configured to store content of data containers served by the cluster in response to multi-protocol data access requests issued by clients. Each node of the cluster includes (i) a storage server adapted to service a volume of the SVS and (ii) a multi-protocol engine adapted to redirect the data access requests to any storage server of the cluster. Notably, the content of each data container is apportioned among the volumes of the SVS to thereby improve the efficiency of storage service provided by the cluster.

Storage system architecture for striping data container content across volumes of a cluster

A system for responding to file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed. The system includes D disk elements in which files are stored, where D is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer. The system includes a switching fabric connected to the D disk elements to route requests to a corresponding disk element. The system includes N network elements connected to the switching fabric. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V, where N is greater than or equal to 1 and is an integer and N+D is greater than or equal to 3, which receives the requests and causes the switching fabric to route the requests by their file ID according to the mapping function. A method for responding to file system requests. The method includes the steps of receiving file system requests having file IDs comprising V, a volume identifier specifying the file system being accessed, and R, an integer, specifying the file within the file system being accessed at network elements. Each network element has a mapping function that for every value of V, specifies one or more elements from the set D that store the data specified by volume V. Then there is the step of routing the requests to a switching fabric connected to the network elements based on the file system request's ID according to the mapping function to disk elements connected to the switching fabric.

A system and method for authenticating an unauthenticated file level protocol using a sidecar authentication mechanism. A client transmits an authentication ticket, UID and list of network addresses to an authentication daemon of a storage system. The authentication daemon verifies the user identity and generates a file system credential that is stored in a cache indexed by an authentication tuple. Received data access operations from a client are compared to authentication tuples by UID and network address and the file system utilizes the stored credential for processing the data access operation.

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Wexford, PA, United States of America

Richard N Sanzi, Jr