Patent ID: 7689715

Claim:
A computer implemented method for implementing a global name space service for a distributed file system, said method comprising: receiving a file system unique identifier corresponding to a particular file; receiving a human-readable name corresponding to said particular file; binding said human-readable name to said file system unique identifier; wherein said binding creates a mapping between said human-readable name and said file system unique identifier; and creating a mapping file including a table having a plurality of entries, each including a given human-readable name and a file system unique identifier corresponding to said given human-readable name; wherein said given human-readable name comprises a pathname; and wherein in response to receiving a given pathname including one or more pathname components: accessing a first mapping file using a computer, wherein the first mapping file corresponds to a root component of said pathname, wherein the first mapping file provides a first file system unique identifier corresponding to a first component of said pathname and wherein the first mapping file is organized in a hierarchy based upon a first set of one or more possible components of the pathname; and accessing a second mapping file using a computer, wherein the second mapping file corresponds to said first component of said pathname using said first file system unique identifier, wherein the second mapping file provides a second file system unique identifier corresponding to a second component of said pathname and wherein the second mapping file is organized in a hierarchy based upon a second set of one or more possible components of the pathname.