Patent ID: 6266785
Filing Date: 2001-07-24
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A computing apparatus, comprising:processing logic;a file system cache memory coupled to said processing logic;a layered driver operating system implemented by said processing logic;a network adapter mechanism coupled to said processing logic to permit said computing apparatus to communicate with another computing apparatus;a file system filter driver, included within said layered driver operating system, that is capable of performing a software implemented switch between a first mode in which data storage is achieved using a network file system transfer and a second mode in which data storage is achieved using a local file system transfer;a mechanism for receiving a successful memory write confirmation signal from another computing apparatus;failure detecting logic that detects failure in another computing apparatus that owns a network file system through which data from said computing apparatus is stored in said first mode of operation; andfail-over invoking logic that in response to detection of a failure by said failure detecting logic, causes said filter driver to switch from network file system transfers to local file system transfers; andwherein in the absence of a successful write confirmation signal received by said receiving mechanism, said failure detecting logic generates a failure signal and in response thereto said fail-over invoking logic writes file system cache memory data for which a confirmation signal was not received to a physical storage media associated with said computing apparatus.