Abstract: A system and method for performing policy-based storage management using data related to access frequency and file attribute accumulation. A switch device provides transparency for transactions between a client and a storage network. The transparency allows objects (e.g., files or directories) to be moved (e.g., migrated) on the storage network without affecting a reference to the object used by the client (e.g., a file handle). A monitoring module generates accumulation data associated with the transactions for use in policy-based management. The accumulation data can describe uses of the file such as how often certain files are accessed, modifications to files such as creations of new directories or files, and other uses.

Abstract: Systems and methods to customize a namespace using a synthetic namespace. A NAS switch provides file migrations in a NAS storage network that are transparent to the clients. The NAS switch file handles are used to customize a namespace. More specifically, a synthetic namespace is generated from one or more file location tables that map the switch file handles to NAS file handles. The NAS file handles are independent of a physical export containing the objects referred to by the NAS file handles. In one example, the synthetic namespace presents a home directory corresponding to a location of a user.

Abstract: The present invention provides selective migration in a storage network in accordance with a policy. The policy can include rules that establish which objects are migrated from a source file server to a destination file server based on file attributes (e.g., file type, file size, last access time, frequency of access). For example, large multimedia files that consume I/O bandwidth on expensive or critical file servers, without adding much value to enterprise productivity, can be migrated to a commodity or less critical file server.