Method and apparatus for virtualization of a file system, data storage system for virtualization of a file system, and file server for use in a data storage system

摘要

The method and an apparatus provides a virtualized file system enabling indirect access to a second file system in a data storage system comprising a plurality of client computers 100 and a second file system managing unit 410 for managing the second file system and enabling client access to the second file system, the method comprising interconnecting a first file system managing unit 310 between the plurality of client computers 100 and the second file system managing unit 410, creating a directory /root in a first file system managed by the first file system managing unit 310, a directory /root of the second file system with the directory /root of the first file system, enabling on-demand virtualization of the second file system by the first file system managing unit 310 based on client requests received from the client computers 100 at the first file system managing unit 310.

主权项

1. An apparatus being connectable to a computer and another apparatus managing a second file system, the apparatus comprising:
a memory device configured to store a computer program, the computer program being configured to manage a first file system and to create a first structure information of the first file system based on a second structure information of the second file system which is received from the another apparatus, the second structure information linking among a plurality of file system objects existing in the second file system, the first structure information linking among a plurality of file system objects virtualizing the plurality of file system objects existing in the second file system, wherein, during creating the first structure information, the apparatus is further configured, upon having received a request to modify a directory at the first file system from the computer, to communicate with the another apparatus to modify a directory of the second structure information corresponding to the requested directory, and to modify a respective directory in the first file system being a respective virtualized directory of the first structure information corresponding to the requested directory.