Large file support for a network file server
US7831641B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 26, 2004 |
| Grant date | Nov 9, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 26, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L69/329
- WIPO fieldDigital communication
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A NAS switch provides large file support to a file server in a decentralized storage network such as a NAS (Network Attached Storage) storage network. For example, files greater than 2-GB can be stored on a 32-bit commodity file server. The NAS switch sits in the data path of a client on the front end and a commodity NAS file server on the back end. A segmentation module in the NAS switch stores large files as separate data chunks in the file server. To do so, the segmentation module stores a directory file handle, which points to a directory containing the data chunks, in place of the large file. The segmentation module can also store a large file/chunk directory association in a migration cache. A reconstruction module processes client requests concerning large files by issuing requests to specific data chunks. For example, in a read operation, the reconstruction module calculates chunk numbers to determine which file to read and offsets to determine which byte to read within a chunk.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.