Patent ID: 7617321
Filing Date: 2009-11-10
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for implementing a data storage network distributed file system without requiring direct access to user data from a metadata manager, comprising: establishing one or more metadata storage volumes that are accessible by said metadata manager on a single homogeneous type of one or more data storage devices; storing all distributed file system metadata on said one or more metadata storage volumes on said single homogeneous type of one or more data storage devices; establishing one or more user data storage volumes that are accessible by one or more storage manager servers on one or more types of data storage device; said metadata manager only accessing said one or more metadata storage volumes in said data storage network, and not directly accessing said one or more user data storage volumes; generating administrative requests from said metadata manager to a proxy in one of said storage manager servers for metadata manager access to said one or more user data volumes in said data storage network for performing administrative actions specified by a data storage network administrator or administration program, said administrative requests involving said metadata manager requesting manipulation of data stored on said one or more user data volumes on its own behalf in support of said administrative actions; and accessing said one or more user data volumes from said storage manager server in response to said requests to said proxy.