Patent ID: 8706755

Claim:
A distributed file storage system comprising: a plurality of storage units that communicate over a network, wherein each storage unit includes at least a processor and a storage device; a file stored on one of the plurality of the storage units; a switch that is configured to receive a read request for the file and to send the read request to one of the plurality of storage units that stores at least the file or a replicated copy of the file, wherein each of the plurality of storage units is operable to monitor access to the file, such that a block cache module is operable to perform a scaled amount of packet read aheads, and wherein the scaled amount is based on at least a current read rate and a current latency of a link to access the file; wherein the distributed file storage system is arranged for determining at least one copy of the file to be replicated and determining at least a portion of the plurality of storage units to separately store each replicated copy of the file, wherein monitoring is in real time for a pattern of access and based on the monitored pattern of access indicating a frequent access pattern, modifying storage of data blocks for the file by replicating the data blocks on multiple storage units that creates multiple points of access for at least one of the data blocks for the file; and wherein the distributed file storage system includes different levels of replication including different types and times of replications for different files.