Patent ID: 7805568
Filing Date: 2010-09-28
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for reading data in a file comprising the steps of: receiving an NFS (network file system) read request for data in the file that crosses strip boundaries at a network element of a plurality of network elements; determining by the network element which VFS (virtual file system) in each disk element stores at least one strip containing the data, where at least two disk elements each have at least one strip containing the data, each disk element having a different strip of the data, the data crosses strip boundaries, where the network elements and the disk elements are in a single global name space and where data in each VFS is implemented as an array of inodes; sending a file read request from the network element to at least the two disk elements of a plurality of servers storing a strip of the data; obtaining current attributes associated with the file by each of the two disk element; reading the strip of the file from each of the two disk elements having the strips with the data that crosses strip boundaries to produce a result from each of the two disk elements; and generating a response in regard to the file read request by combining the results from each of the two disk elements.