Patent ID: 8719444
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for initiating an administrative command on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server, the method comprising: establishing a network connection from an NAS client to the NAS server to mount on the NAS client a filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server; receiving from an administrator for the NAS server a delegated command permission associated with the administrative command, wherein the delegated command permission is associated with a first user on the NAS client, wherein the delegated command permission is presented by the NAS server to the first user using an abstraction of a pseudo file in the mounted filesystem, wherein the pseudo file gives the first user access to the administrative operation, wherein the first user invokes the delegated command permission by requesting a filesystem I/O operation that operates upon the pseudo file without executing the pseudo file, wherein the established network connection is used to convey the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file from the NAS client to the NAS server; and upon receiving notice of the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file at the NAS server, initiating the administrative command on the NAS server; wherein the established network connection is also used by the NAS client to perform file operations on data files stored in the filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server; and wherein access to the delegated command permission is controlled using filesystem security abstractions for the filesystem that are applied to the pseudo file.