Patent ID: 7886016

Claim:
A system of distributed file storage, comprising: a plurality of servers providing distributed file storage to a plurality of client computers; the servers organized into a plurality of groups, wherein the servers in each group are neighbors and communicate with each other, and wherein at least some of the servers have neighbors from more than one group and a number of servers in any group is less than the total number of servers in the system of distributed file storage; server-side software to enable delivery of files from the servers to clients; and a common file namespace corresponding to a tree, wherein the files include directory files and common data files within the common file namespace, wherein access to the files stored in the distributed file storage requires access to a predetermined number of servers N from a subset of servers K to which data relating to the files has been distributed in equal-sized pieces, the pieces generated from the files using an (N,K) algorithm and distributed to the K neighboring servers of one group, such that the files can be recovered from any N out of the K servers.