Patent ID: 7657529
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of providing shared objects and node-specific objects in a cluster file system, said method comprising: installing a particular shared object in said cluster file system; at a point in time after said installation, providing to said particular shared object an attribute that indicates any object created in said particular shared object after said point in time is designated as node-specific while any object existing in said particular shared object prior to said point in time maintains designation as shared, wherein any object designated as shared in said particular shared object is available to a plurality of nodes; and when a node in the plurality of nodes causes a file system operation that is node-specific to be performed by accessing said particular shared object, performing said file system operation in an alternate directory corresponding to said node, wherein said alternate directory supports a node-specific object that is available solely to the corresponding node of said nodes; and using a pointer associated with said particular shared object to access alternate directory location information for the alternate directory, said alternate directory location information stored in a table having alternate directory location information for each node and wherein said performing said file system operation in said alternate directory includes creating said alternate directory for said node and updating said table with a location of said alternate directory if said alternate directory information for said node indicates that said alternate directory has not been created.