Virtual NAS Translation Table Using Hashed File Names
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network Attached Storage (NAS) systems face challenges with scalability and transparency when upgrading storage capacity, as adding new disks or servers requires complex administrative changes and can result in 'NAS creep' issues, where clients must adapt to new file paths and handles, leading to administrative nightmares and loss of transparent data access.
Innovation Solution
A virtual NAS system using a compact translation table that stores hashed file names and parent handles, allowing for seamless expansion and load balancing by intercepting and translating file requests, hiding the physical storage details from clients and enabling transparent data movement between NAS appliances without altering client software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If full file names and handles are stored in the translation table, then data access transparency is maintained, but storage requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying components (hashed file names and parent handles) from the full file path information, storing only these critical elements in the translation table while discarding redundant portions of the full path, thus reducing storage requirements while maintaining sufficient data for transparent access
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms file names into hashed representations, changing the parameter form from full textual paths to compact hash values, which significantly reduces the storage space required while preserving the ability to uniquely identify and access files transparently
2Quantity of substance
If NAS capacity is expanded by adding new disks or servers, then storage capacity increases, but administrative complexity and client software updates increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a translation table as an intermediary layer between clients and the expanded NAS storage infrastructure, which absorbs the complexity of capacity expansion by translating client requests transparently to the appropriate physical storage locations, eliminating the need for client software updates when capacity is expanded
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the NAS system into independent components (translation table, storage appliances, disks) that can be expanded independently, allowing storage capacity to be increased by adding new disks or servers without requiring changes to the overall system architecture or client software
3Quantity of substance
If translation table size is reduced through hashing, then storage requirements decrease, but collision resolution complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses lossy hashing that accepts a small probability of collisions as an acceptable trade-off, applying partial action by not guaranteeing absolute uniqueness but achieving sufficient distinction for practical file access, thus keeping the translation table compact while managing collision resolution through simple override mechanisms
Data Source
AI summary
Multiple Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliances are pooled together by a virtual NAS translator, forming one common name space visible to clients. Clients send messages to the virtual NAS translator with a file name and a virtual handle of the parent directory that are concatenated to a full file-path name and compressed by a cryptographic hash function to generate a hashed-name key. The hashed-name key is matched to a storage key in a table. The full file-path name is not stored, reducing the table size. A unique entry number is returned to the client as the virtual file handle that is also stored in another table with one or more native file handles, allowing virtual handles to be translated to native handles that the NAS appliance servers use to retrieve files. File movement among NAS servers alters native file handles but not virtual handles, hiding NAS details from clients.