Patent ID: 8489636
Filing Date: 2013-07-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer system providing concurrent access to data stored in accordance with a file system, the computer system comprising: a plurality of computers, wherein each of the computers accesses data in accordance with the file system, wherein at least one of the computers is a server supporting the running of virtual machines; a data storage unit networked to each of the plurality of computers and storing data in accordance with the file system, wherein the file system enables a file that represents a virtual disk of a virtual machine capable of being run on the server and is stored in the data storage unit to be accessible by each of the plurality of computers, without utilizing a file server that is acting on behalf of any of the plurality of computers to manage access to the file system, by storing within the data storage unit an owner field in association with the file, the owner field accessible by the plurality of computers to determine whether one of the plurality of computers currently has exclusive access to the file.