Patent ID: 7281032

Claim:
A system for optimizing data access, comprising: a file server capable of communicating with one or more clients; and a plurality of storage elements organized into pairs for storing a plurality of files, each pair having a master storage element and at least one mirrored storage element, and each mirrored storage element being configured to receive a copy of data stored on the master storage element; wherein the file server maintains file information on where each of the plurality of files is stored on which pair of storage elements, and maintains access load information regarding each one of the pair of storage elements; wherein when a client requests access to file information for a requested file, the file server determines a pair of storage elements for accessing the requested file, and returns to the client a first identifier of a storage element within the pair of storage elements that is to be accessed for reading data, and a second identifier of the master storage element of the pair of storage elements that is to be accessed for writing data, the determination being based upon use of storage elements within the system, wherein the client initiates I/O operations with the pair of storage elements absent the file server, wherein write operations by the client are made using the first identifier and read operations by the client are made using the second identifier, and wherein data written to the master storage element is copied to the at least one mirrored storage element within each pair of storage elements.