Patent ID: 8832154
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: in a network storage server system, storing a plurality of data objects which are sub-volume level data objects; in the network storage server system, providing a layer of indirection between storage locations of the data objects and at least one of in the network storage server system, receiving from one of a plurality of storage clients a request that includes a path name of a particular data object of the plurality of data objects; using the path name to look up an entry in the path namespace; and retrieving from said entry in the path namespace the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object; locating the particular data object by using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the first mapping structure, wherein the first mapping structure is a multilevel hierarchical structure, and wherein using the location-independent object identifier of the particular data object to look up a location identifier of the particular data object in the multilevel hierarchical structure comprises: