CIFS Protocol Proxy for NAS File Migration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Storage virtualization systems face challenges in migrating files with offline attributes across different NAS systems due to protocol incompatibilities, leading to data loss or failed migrations, as they cannot recognize or transfer CIFS-specific attributes like the offline attribute, which is crucial for accessing archived file content.

Innovation Solution

The system employs a CIFS protocol proxy service to identify and migrate files with offline attributes by converting requests between NFS and CIFS protocols, ensuring that these attributes are preserved during migration, and uses hard links to address filename incompatibilities, enabling seamless data transfer across different NAS systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a storage virtualization system uses NFS protocol to migrate files, then it can access and transfer files from NFS NAS systems, but it cannot recognize or transfer CIFS-specific attributes like offline attributes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidattribute data loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a protocol proxy service as an intermediary layer between the storage virtualization system and NAS systems. This proxy service translates CIFS protocol requests into NFS protocol requests, enabling the system to access and migrate files with CIFS-specific attributes (like offline attributes) through an NFS-based virtualization system without direct protocol conflicts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters by switching from direct CIFS protocol usage to NFS protocol usage through protocol translation. The proxy service modifies request parameters to be NFS-compatible while preserving the semantic meaning of CIFS attributes, allowing offline attributes to be transferred accurately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If a storage virtualization system uses CIFS protocol to migrate files, then it can access and transfer files from CIFS NAS systems, but it cannot properly handle NFS-specific file attributes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotocol compatibilityVSAvoidattribute data loss

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The protocol proxy service acts as a bidirectional translator that can convert between CIFS and NFS protocols. When working with NFS NAS systems, the proxy translates NFS requests to CIFS for the virtualization system to process, ensuring NFS-specific attributes are preserved during migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the storage virtualization system migrates files without preserving offline attributes, then the migration process is simpler and faster, but the migrated files cannot be properly accessed or recalled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemigration speedVSAvoidfile access reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The protocol proxy service ensures that offline attributes are preserved during migration by translating protocol requests to maintain attribute integrity. This intermediary layer guarantees that even though the migration process uses standard NFS protocols, the CIFS-specific offline attributes remain intact, enabling reliable file access and recall after migration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the storage virtualization system implements full protocol translation support, then it can handle both NFS and CIFS attributes, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecross-protocol supportVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than implementing full bidirectional protocol translation throughout the entire system, the patent uses a dedicated protocol proxy service as a separate intermediary component. This proxy handles all protocol translation operations, keeping the main storage virtualization system simpler while still providing comprehensive cross-protocol support.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8244781B2Network accessed storage files system query/set proxy service for a storage virtualization system

Publication Date: 2012.08.14 EMC IP HLDG CO LLC

AI summary

A system and method provides for querying and setting file attributes between Network File System and Common Internet File System network attached storage systems. Aspects of the present invention may be performed by a storage virtualization system that acts as an intermediary between one or more network attached storage systems. By querying and setting file attributes, files may be migrated between network attached storage systems while keeping the file attributes and primary location of the file contents intact. In addition, the present invention provides an additional aspect of ensuring that file names of multi-protocol files are compatible across every protocol.