Independent storage architecture

Details Independent storage architecture Independent storage architecture

2000-10-31

2004-09-21

Corrielus, Jean M. (Department: 2172)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Database design

Data structure types

C707S793000, C707S793000, C709S217000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06795824

ABSTRACT:

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to the following applications: (1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/662,368 filed Sep. 13, 2000, and entitled “File Consistency Protocols and Methods for Carrying out the Protocols”; (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/648,807 filed Oct. 6, 2000, and entitled “N-Way Data Mirroring System and Methods for Using The Same”. Each of these related applications is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to computer storage, and more particularly to computer storage systems and methods that are independent of consumer file systems, server file systems, specific bus and network protocols, drivers, I/O bus and/or other transport components or architectures which are typically found in a computing environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, more and more reliance is being placed on computers to create, edit, modify, and store important documents. With this reliance, comes the need for increased versatility in the ability to store and retrieve data. There are several techniques available today for facilitating computer storage, and as will be seen, more versatility in computer information storage is needed.
FIG. 1A
is a block diagram showing a conventional local storage system
100
.
The local storage system
100
includes a user computer
102
and a storage device
112
coupled to the user computer
102
via a peripheral interconnect
114
. The user computer
102
has executed thereon an application
104
, an operating system (O/S) having a local file system
106
, a driver
108
for an input/output (I/O) device
110
that controls the storage device(s)
112
.
To store and retrieve data for the storage device
112
, the application
104
typically transmits a request to the local file system
106
, which in turn passes the file system request to the device driver
108
. The device driver
108
converts the file system request into a block-level I/O request that is then passed from I/O device
110
over the peripheral interconnect
114
to the storage device
112
.
The I/O request then completes and the completion result is passed back up through the I/O device
110
, driver
108
, and local file system
106
. The data is either placed into system memory, for a disk READ operation, or placed on the storage device
112
for a disk WRITE command.
To provide increased flexibility the network file system (NFS) has been used to store data remotely from a user computer.
FIG. 1B
is a block diagram showing a prior art network file system
150
. The network file system
150
includes a user computer
102
and a storage computer
130
coupled to the user computer
102
via a network
116
. Using the conventional NFS
150
a user can store data on a remote server
130
that is executing the same or a compatible O/S as the user computer
102
.
To accomplish remote NFS storage, the user computer
102
includes an application
104
, a network file system
120
, protocols
122
, a network driver
124
, and a network interface card (NIC)
126
coupled to the network
116
via transport
128
. The storage computer
130
includes a corresponding NIC
126
, network driver
124
, protocols
122
, and file system
120
. In addition, the server
130
includes a device driver
108
, and an I/O device
110
coupled to a storage device
112
via a peripheral interconnect
114
.
In the conventional NFS
150
, the network file system
120
replaces the local file system
106
of
FIG. 1A
, and is typically layered on TCP/IP or UDP/IP protocols
112
. To store and retrieve data using NFS
150
, the application
104
typically transmits a file system request to the network file system
120
, through the protocol stacks
122
to the network driver
124
. The network driver
124
then transmits the request from the NIC
126
of the user computer
102
to the NIC
126
of the storage computer
130
via the network
116
and transport connections
128
.
When received by the NIC
126
on the storage computer
130
, the request is passed through the network driver
124
and protocol stacks to the file system
120
, which in turn passes the file system request to the device driver
108
of the storage computer
130
. The device driver
108
then converts the file system request into a block-level I/O request that is passed from I/O device
110
to the storage device
112
via the peripheral interconnect
114
.
When the I/O request completes, the result is passed back up through the I/O software layers of both the storage computer
130
and the user computer
102
using the network
116
. The data is then either placed into the memory of the user computer for a READ operation, or placed on the storage device
112
for a WRITE command.
A problem with the conventional network file system
150
is that generally both the user computer
102
and the storage computer
130
need to execute the same O/S and file system
120
. Thus, if the user computer
102
is executing on WINDOWS NT, the storage computer
130
also needs to execute WINDOWS NT for the network file storage system
150
to operate properly.
Thus, if the storage computer
130
is used with a plurality of user computers
102
, all the user computers
102
generally must execute the same O/S and file system
120
as is executed on the storage computer
130
. However, it is not always desirable to use a particular O/S for a particular application. Hence, different users often operate under different O/S's, and therefore may not be able to share the storage system
150
of a remote computer in this way.
In view of the forgoing, there is a need for a storage system that is capable of operation independent of the operating systems' limitations and which allows the storage not to be hosted by another computer system. The storage system should be capable of storing data remotely and capable of operating independently of any particular consumer computers' O/S. Further, the storage system should be capable of operating with reduced user configuration or networking knowledge, such that the user generally does not need to learn how to use a configure complex networked file and storage systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly speaking, the present invention fills the needs described above by providing a storage system capable of providing data storage independent of a consumer computer architecture, independent of the transport, and independent of various network operating system environments. In one embodiment, a computer storage method for providing file storage access independent of protocol, driver and transport architectures is disclosed. Initially, a file system request is received by a software transport abstraction, where the file system request is configured in a first format based on a first operating system. The file system request is communicated to a file system translator via a communication channel, and the file system configures the file system request into a second format based on a second operating system utilizing the file system translator. The file request is then executed.
Another computer storage method that provides data storage independent of an underlying transport architecture is disclosed in another embodiment of the present invention. Initially, a file system request is received from a requesting computer, where the file system request is configured in a first format based on a first operating system. The file system request is then configured into a second format based on a second operating system utilizing a file system translator. The file system request is then executed, read or write performed, and a result is obtained. The completion result is then communicated back to the requesting computer via a communication channel. (Completion result may be success, failure or success with exception.)
In a further embodiment, an independent computer storage system is disclosed. The independent computer storage system includes an independent storage driver that is capable of

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