Abstract: Metadata structures and related locking techniques to improve performance and scalability in a cluster file system are disclosed. In one implementation, a method includes receiving, by a server, a request for a first file, retrieving, by the server, the first file and metadata for a second file that is related to the first file, and sending, by the server in response to the retrieving and in advance of any request for the metadata for the second file, an asynchronous lock request to obtain a lock for accessing at least a portion of the metadata for the second file.

Abstract: Metadata structures and related locking techniques to improve performance and scalability in a cluster file system are disclosed. In one implementation, a method includes receiving, by a server, a request for a first file, retrieving, by the server, the first file and metadata for a second file that is related to the first file, and sending, by the server in response to the retrieving and in advance of any request for the metadata for the second file, an asynchronous lock request to obtain a lock for accessing at least a portion of the metadata for the second file.

Abstract: A cluster file system is disclosed. A plurality of disk servers, operating as a single distributed disk server layer, are connected to the one or more physical disks. Each disk server stores metadata for each of the files. A plurality of lock servers, having one or more locks for each file and associated file system metadata operates as a single centralized distributed lock server to coordinate access to the files stored by the disk server layer. A plurality of asynchronous file servers, operating as a single distributed file server layer in response to a request for a file from a user program: (i) retrieves the requested file from the disk server layer and at least one lock, associated with the retrieved file, from the lock server, and (ii) retrieves metadata for at least one file that is related to the requested files, and at least one lock, for each file that has had its metadata retrieved.

Abstract: A cluster file system is disclosed. A plurality of disk servers, operating as a single distributed disk server layer, are connected to the one or more physical disks. Each disk server stores metadata for each of the files. A plurality of lock servers, having one or more locks for each file and associated file system metadata operates as a single centralized distributed lock server to coordinate access to the files stored by the disk server layer. A plurality of asynchronous file servers, operating as a single distributed file server layer in response to a request for a file from a user program: (i) retrieves the requested file from the disk server layer and at least one lock, associated with the retrieved file, from the lock server, and (ii) retrieves metadata for at least one file that is related to the requested files, and at least one lock, for each file that has had its metadata retrieved.