Method and apparatus for implementing extensible network-attached secondary storage

Abstract

A storage comprising an object access module for the shared part for implementing advanced I/O provides an interface for registering and deleting object description data declaring how to store objects within a second storage, in order to reduce the development cost of modules for implementing functions. Also, in order to reduce the total cost of ownership, modules are transferred to the storage through a management computer. The present invention allows the storage for contiguously providing functions effective to a vast range of applications to be provided with lower development cost as well as lower total cost of ownership.

1 . A method for implementing an extensible network-attached storage in a system comprising: 
 a secondary storage apparatus having a block-based input/output (I/O) function and being able to save data after shutting down of a power source;    first I/O means communicating with a first computer or a second computer;    second I/O means communicating with the secondary storage apparatus; and    a controller converting an object-based request received from the first computer to a block-based request and executing an object access module which executes processes for the second storage apparatus,    wherein at least two extensible network-attached storages are used,    wherein the first computer or the second computer distributes the object access module for executing by a controller in a first extensible network-attached storage to the first extensible network-attached storage, and    wherein the first extensible network-attached storage redistributes the object access module for executing by the controller in a second extensible network-attached storage to the second extensible network-attached storage.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computers.  
   
   
       3 . An extensible network-attached storage comprising: 
 a secondary storage apparatus having a block-based input/output (I/O) function and being able to save data after shutting down of a power source;    first I/O means communicating with a first computer or a second computer;    second I/O means communicating with the secondary storage apparatus; and    a controller converting an object-based request received from the first computer to a block-based request and executing an object access module which executes processes for the second storage apparatus,    wherein when at least the two extensible network-attached storages are used in a system, and    wherein the first I/O means has a function for receiving the object access module executable in the controller distributed from any of the first computer, the second computer, or a first extensible network-attached storage, and for distributing the object access module to the second extensible network-attached storage.    
   
   
       4 . An extensible network-attached storage according to  claim 3 , wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computers.  
   
   
       5 . A method for implementing an extensible network-attached storage in a system comprising: 
 a secondary storage apparatus having a block-based input/output (I/O) function and being able to save data after shutting down of power source;    first I/O means communicating with a first computer or a second computer;    second I/O means communicating with the secondary storage apparatus; and    a controller converting an object-based request received from the first computer to a block-based request and executing an object access module which executes processes for the second storage apparatus,    wherein the first computer or the second computer distributes the object access module for executing by the controller in the extensible network-attached storage to the extensible network-attached storage, and    wherein the controller saves the distributed object access module to the secondary storage apparatus.    
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 5 , wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computers.  
   
   
       7 . An extensible network-attached storage comprising: 
 a secondary storage apparatus having block-based input/output (I/O) function and being able to save data after shutting down of a power source;    first I/O means communicating with a first computer or a second computer;    second I/O means communicating with the secondary storage apparatus, and a controller converting an object-based request received from the first computer to a block-based request and executing an object access module which executes processes for the second storage apparatus,    wherein the first I/O means receives the object access module executable in the controller distributed from any of the first computer, the second computer, or another extensible network-attached storage, and    wherein the controller saves the distributed object access module to the secondary storage apparatus.    
   
   
       8 . An extensible network-attached storage according to  claim 7 , wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computers.  
   
   
       9 . A method for implementing an extensible network-attached storage in a system comprising: 
 a secondary storage apparatus having block-based input/output (I/O) function and being able to save data after shutting down of a power source;    first I/O means communicating with a first computer or a second computer;    second I/O means communicating with the secondary storage apparatus; and    a controller converting an object-based request received from the first computer to a block-based request and executing an object access module which executes processes for the second storage apparatus,    wherein the first computer or the second computer distributes the object access module for executing by the controller in the extensible network-attached storage to the extensible network-attached storage, and    wherein the extensible network-attached storage loads a part of or the whole of the distributed object access module through the first I/O means to the controller at the initialization time, and the controller executes the object access module.    
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computers.  
   
   
       11 . An extensible network-attached storage comprising: 
 a secondary storage apparatus having a block-based input/output (I/O) function and being able to save data after shutting down of power source;    first I/O means communicating with a first computer or a second computer;    second I/O means communicating with the secondary storage apparatus; and    a controller converting an object-based request received from the first computer to a block-based request and executing an object access module which executes processors for the second storage apparatus,    wherein the first I/O means receives the object access module executable in the controller distributed from any of the first computer, the second computer, or another extensible network-attached storage, and    wherein the extensible network-attached storage loads a part of or the whole of the distributed object access module through the first I/O means to the controller at the initialization time, and the controller executes the object access module.    
   
   
       12 . An extensible network-attached storage according to  claim 11 , wherein the first computer and the second computer are the same computers.