Patent ID: 7840618
Filing Date: 2010-11-23
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. In a wide area network having a central file manager and proxy nodes with the central file manager storing files of system data and metadata and the proxy nodes being assigned as one of a home node and a redirector node, the central file manager assigning home nodes ownership of respective ones of the files and the redirector nodes being proxy nodes that are not home nodes, a method for assigning and selecting the proxy nodes over the wide area network comprising the steps of: partitioning a file system's namespace tree into closely related sets of the files; assigning the sets of files to proxy nodes as home nodes such that a request from a client behind the proxy nodes is satisfied by a local said proxy node with high probability, said assigning creating a lookup table, with a limited size, of the files and their respective home nodes by: updating the lookup table each time it is modified by successive assigning steps.