Walter Oconnor

US Patent:

6779082, Aug 17, 2004

Filed:

Feb 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/777776

Inventors:

Eric William Burger - McClean VA
Walter Joseph OConnor - Nashua NH
Andy Spitzer - North Andover MA
Barry David Wessler - Potomac MD

Assignee:

Ulysses ESD, Inc. - San Jose CA

International Classification:

G06F 1200

US Classification:

711114, 711162, 711 4

Abstract:

An embodiment of the invention described in the specification and drawings is a distributed and highly available data storage system. In one embodiment, the distributed data storage system includes a plurality of data storage units that are controlled by an object management system. The object management system preferentially selects the distributed data storage units for performing the file access requests according to the external inputs/outputs with which the file access requests are associated. In response to a file creation request that is associated with an external input of one distributed data storage unit, the object management system preferentially creates a data file in that distributed data storage unit. In response to a file retrieval request that is associated with a data file and an external output of a distributed data storage unit, the object management system preferentially returns a hostname and pathname of a copy of the data file that is stored within that distributed data storage unit. The object management system also makes redundant copies of the data files in different units to provide high availability of data.