Abstract: Accordingly a method and interface allows an attribute data base used by an Information Manager to be quickly populated and accurately maintained. A single Bulk Attribute Retrieval Request triggers the primary storage device to collect object attribute information. The method allows for selective collection of objects and attributes by providing filters and attribute lists in the Requests. The Request may be used to provide an incremental scan with appropriate time stamp filtering. In addition, the size of the results can be controlled by the IM by eliminating attributes that are not of interest to the IM. The Request is advantageously issued over a FileMover interface, which is an HTTP connection, and encoded in XML, allowing the IM to easily customize the Request as desired.

Abstract: A protected file is retained in secondary storage for a retention period, and a corresponding stub file is retained in primary storage for the retention period. The stub file retains attributes of the file indicating a location of the file data in the secondary storage and indicting that the stub file is to be retained for the retention period. A system administrator may instruct a primary file server that a secondary file server supports retention based protection and it is desired to protect stub files corresponding to protected files that are migrated to the secondary file server. The primary file server may request the secondary file server to return a protection status of the file after migration. This enables automatic policy-based migration to both file level retention (FLR) and non-FLR retention protected secondary storage from diverse applications accessing FLR or non-FLR files in the primary storage.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for selecting a data path over which to exchange information between a client device and a storage system by making a selection between a file system server (NAS) data path type (a first data path type) and a direct (SAN) data path type (a second data path type) based on one or more adjustable path selection factors and/or information regarding components of the computer system. For example, a data path may be selected based on a likelihood that requested information will be in a cache of a file system server and/or any other suitable path selection factor.

Abstract: A hierarchical storage system is constructed from file servers and a policy engine server by building upon a file migration service. Offline attributes are added to file system inodes in a primary file server, file system parameters are added in the primary server, an offline read access method field is added to a connection database, and the primary file server is programmed to use these attributes and parameters for selecting a particular method (such as a partial read migration or a pass through read method) for read access to an offline file. In this fashion, the primary file server is provided with flexibility for selecting a particular one of a number of migration methods depending on various conditions, in order to improve the trade-off between the cost of storage and delay in file access.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for selecting a data path over which to exchange information between a client device and a storage system by making a selection between a file system server (NAS) data path type (a first data path type) and a direct (SAN) data path type (a second data path type) based on one or more adjustable path selection factors and/or information regarding components of the computer system. For example, a data path may be selected based on a type of an input/output operation to be executed (i.e., whether the operation is a read operation or write operation) and/or any other suitable path selection factor.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for selecting a data path over which to exchange information between a client device and a storage system by making a selection between a file system server (NAS) data path type (a first data path type) and a direct (SAN) data path type (a second data path type) based on one or more adjustable path selection factors and/or information regarding components of the computer system. For example, a data path may be selected based on one or more performance characteristics of a computer system in which a path selection module is acting and/or any other suitable path selection factor.

Abstract: A read-write snapshot copy facility is constructed from a hierarchical storage management facility. The read-write snapshot copy file system initially comprises stub files pointing to the files in a read-only snapshot copy file system. When an application writes to a file in the read-write snapshot copy, the read-write snapshot copy facility migrates a copy of the file to replace the stub file, and then writes to the migrated file. Because the read-write snapshot copy facility references the files in the read-only snapshot file system in a network namespace using standard protocols such as NFS or CIFS, the read-write snapshot copy facility permits referencing of distributed read-only snapshot file systems in an open (heterogeneous) network environment, and the read-write snapshot copy is scalable by linking the read-write snapshot copy facility to multiple file servers containing read-only snapshot file systems.

Abstract: A hierarchical storage system includes file servers and a policy engine server. Offline attributes are added to file system inodes in a primary file server, file system parameters are added in the primary server, offline read and write access method fields are added to a connection database, and the primary file server uses these attributes and parameters for selecting a particular read method or write method for access to an offline file or section of an offline file. The write methods follow a “write recall full” policy, a “pass-through write” policy, a “pass-through multi-version” policy, or a “directory write pass-through” policy. The pass-through multi-version policy results in a new offline version of a file each time that a client opens and writes to a multi-version file. The directory write pass-through policy results in a new offline file when a file is created within a write pass-through directory.

Abstract: A hierarchical storage system includes file servers and a policy engine server. Offline attributes are added to file system inodes in a primary file server, file system parameters are added in the primary server, offline read and write access method fields are added to a connection database, and the primary file server uses these attributes and parameters for selecting a particular read method or write method for access to an offline file or section of an offline file. The write methods follow a “write recall full” policy, a “pass-through write” policy, a “pass-through multi-version” policy, or a “directory write pass-through” policy. The pass-through multi-version policy results in a new offline version of a file each time that a client opens and writes to a multi-version file. The directory write pass-through policy results in a new offline file when a file is created within a write pass-through directory.

Abstract: Accordingly a method and interface allows an attribute data base used by an Information Manager to be quickly populated and accurately maintained. A single Bulk Attribute Retrieval Request triggers the primary storage device to collect object attribute information. The method allows for selective collection of objects and attributes by providing filters and attribute lists in the Requests. The Request may be used to provide an incremental scan with appropriate time stamp filtering. In addition, the size of the results can be controlled by the IM by eliminating attributes that are not of interest to the IM. The Request is advantageously issued over a FileMover interface, which is an HTTP connection, and encoded in XML, allowing the IM to easily customize the Request as desired.

Abstract: A protected file is retained in secondary storage for a retention period, and a corresponding stub file is retained in primary storage for the retention period. The stub file retains attributes of the file indicating a location of the file data in the secondary storage and indicting that the stub file is to be retained for the retention period. A system administrator may instruct a primary file server that a secondary file server supports retention based protection and it is desired to protect stub files corresponding to protected files that are migrated to the secondary file server. The primary file server may request the secondary file server to return a protection status of the file after migration. This enables automatic policy-based migration to both file level retention (FLR) and non-FLR retention protected secondary storage from diverse applications accessing FLR or non-FLR files in the primary storage.

Abstract: An intelligent network client has the capability of accessing a first network server in accordance with a first high-level file access protocol, and responding to a redirection reply from the first network server by accessing a second network server in accordance with a second high-level file access protocol. For example, the intelligent network client can be redirected from a CIFS/DFS server to a NFS server, and from an NFSv4 server to a CIFS server. Once redirected, the intelligent network client performs a directory mounting operation so that a subsequent client access to the same directory goes directly to the second network server. For example, the first network server is a namespace server for translating pathnames in a client-server network namespace into pathnames in a NAS network namespace, and the second network server is a file server in the NAS network namespace.

Abstract: A namespace server translates client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a NAS network namespace. The namespace server also translates between different file access protocols. If a client supports redirection and is requesting access to a file in a file server that supports the client's redirection, then the namespace server may redirect the client to the NAS network pathname of the file. Otherwise, the namespace server forwards a translated client request to the file server, and returns a reply from the file server to the client. A file server may redirect a redirection-capable client's access back to the namespace server for access to a share, directory, or file that is offline for migration, or for a deletion or name change that would require a change in translation information in the namespace server.

Abstract: A namespace server translates client requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a client-server namespace into requests for access to files referenced by pathnames in a backend NAS network namespace. The namespace server also translates between different file access protocols. The namespace server may change the translation of a client-server network pathname from an old backend NAS network pathname to a new backend NAS network pathname for file migration without disruption to client access during file migration for load balancing or for a more appropriate service level. Client access can also be routed automatically and transparently to replicas in case of server or site failures. The namespace server may create the appearance of a virtual file system that contains multiple physical servers, a virtual share that contains physical shares from different servers, directories that contain files on different servers, and files that contain data from files on different servers.

Abstract: A hierarchical storage system is constructed from file servers and a policy engine server by building upon a file migration service. Offline attributes are added to file system inodes in a primary file server, file system parameters are added in the primary server, an offline read access method field is added to a connection database, and the primary file server is programmed to use these attributes and parameters for selecting a particular method (such as a partial read migration or a pass through read method) for read access to an offline file. In this fashion, the primary file server is provided with flexibility for selecting a particular one of a number of migration methods depending on various conditions, in order to improve the trade-off between the cost of storage and delay in file access.

Abstract: A read-write snapshot copy facility is constructed from a hierarchical storage management facility. The read-write snapshot copy file system initially comprises stub files pointing to the files in a read-only snapshot copy file system. When an application writes to a file in the read-write snapshot copy, the read-write snapshot copy facility migrates a copy of the file to replace the stub file, and then writes to the migrated file. Because the read-write snapshot copy facility references the files in the read-only snapshot file system in a network namespace using standard protocols such as NFS or CIFS, the read-write snapshot copy facility permits referencing of distributed read-only snapshot file systems in an open (heterogeneous) network environment, and the read-write snapshot copy is scalable by linking the read-write snapshot copy facility to multiple file servers containing read-only snapshot file systems.