Patent ID: 7219260

Claim:
A file server performing file transaction operations in response to file transaction requests by the clients and including a state machine logging mechanism, comprising: a storage sub-system, and a control/processing sub-system including a file system processor performing file transaction operations in response to client requests and controlling file storage operations of the storage sub-system, and a state machine logging mechanism operating concurrently and cooperative with the file system processor, including a state machine log generator for extracting sequential state machine information defining a corresponding sequence of state machines during an execution of an operation, the sequence of state machines representing sequential states of execution of a file transaction wherein a state machine is comprised of state information including control and data values representing a state of operation of the control/processing sub-system during a corresponding step in the execution of the file transaction, wherein the control/processing sub-system is a state machine system defined during the execution of a step in the execution of an operation by a sequential state machine defined by a state of operation of the state machine system during the step in the execution of the operation, and wherein a file transaction operation is represented by a sequence of state machines wherein each state machine is defined by data and control values residing in the state machine system during existence of a state machine of the sequence, and a state machine log for storing the state machine information, wherein the state machine log generator is responsive to the restoration of operation of the file server after a failure of file server operations for reading the state machine information from the state machine log and restoring the state of execution of a file transaction.