Distributed file system for renewing data with high integrity

Claim 2

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; a plurality of blocks which are constructed on each recording medium as unites of access; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives; buffering means for temporarily storing buffer blocks which are data to be written in each of said blocks on said medium; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium by corresponding buffer blocks; and a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives when renewal is regarded as necessary; wherein said examining means investigates whether room exists for new data in the buffer when new data based on a single operation are written in the buffer, and decides that said renewal if required when room does not exist in the buffer.

Claim 3

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; a plurality of blocks which are constructed on said medium as units of access; a buffer forming a volatile memory device; buffering means for temporarily storing all buffer blocks corresponding to a single operation, which are data to be written in each of said blocks on said medium; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives.

Claim 4

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; a plurality of blocks which are constructed on said medium as units of access; a buffer forming a volatile memory device; buffering means for temporarily storing all buffer blocks corresponding to a single operation, which are data to be written in each of said blocks on said medium; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives.

Claim 5

A file system as claimed in claim 2, wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal for said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists.

Claim 6

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium bu corresponding buffer blocks; a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal for said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists, when a renewing drive exists, waits for a fixed time period, investigates again whether the renewing drive is still renewing and makes renewing means start renewal on another drive when the renewing drive completes a renewing process.

Claim 7

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium bu corresponding buffer blocks; a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal for said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists, when a renewing drive exists, waits for a fixed time period, investigates again whether the renewing drive is still renewing and makes renewing means start renewal on another drive when the renewing drive completes a renewing process.

Claim 8

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; a plurality of blocks which are constructed on each recording medium as units of access; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium; said writing date corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium bu corresponding buffer blocks; a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means is established individually on each of the drives.

Claim 9

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; a plurality of blocks which are constructed on each recording medium as units of access; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium; said writing date corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium bu corresponding buffer blocks; a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means is established individually on each of the drives.

Claim 10

A file system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said sequencing means awaits for a fixed time if a drive under the examination was detected and it is possible to set the waiting time for renewal and waiting time for examination separately.

Claim 11

A file system as claimed in claim 6, wherein said sequencing means sets the flag showing a status of each drive to "examining", "renewing" and other conditions corresponding to a condition of a drive and, when renewal is performed, investigates flags of other said drives.

Claim 12

A file system as claimed in claim 5, wherein each said sequencing means performs said examination by collecting information concerning a condition of other drives by way of a communicative circuit.

Claim 13

A file system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said sequencing means transfers a flag of each drive as a copy to all other drives, and said examination is performed by referring to the copy of a flag in the other drives.

Claim 14

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; said recording medium begin accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives; each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium bu corresponding buffer blocks; a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means sequences renewal of each drive within each fixed time cycle based on a fixed clock.

Claim 15

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium; said recording medium begin accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives; each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of each recording medium bu corresponding buffer blocks; a renewing means for updating said block on said medium of one of said drives with buffer blocks contained in the buffer corresponding to said one of said drives, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means sequences renewal of each drive within each fixed time cycle based on a fixed clock.

Claim 16

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being access by a unit data; a plurality of buffer, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; and wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal of said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists, and wherein said sequencing means, when a renewing drive exists, waits for a fixed time period, investigates again whether the renewing drive is still renewing and makes renewing means starts renewal on another drive when the renewing drive completes a renewing process.

Claim 17

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being access by a unit data; a plurality of buffer, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; and wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal of said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists, and wherein said sequencing means, when a renewing drive exists, waits for a fixed time period, investigates again whether the renewing drive is still renewing and makes renewing means starts renewal on another drive when the renewing drive completes a renewing process.

Claim 18

A file system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said sequencing means awaits for a fixed time if a drive under the examination was detected and it is possible to set the waiting time for renewal and waiting time for examination separately.

Claim 19

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a buffer forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operations, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; and wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal of said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists, and wherein said sequencing means sets the flat showing a status of each drive to "examining", "renewing" and other conditions corresponding to a condition of a drive and, when renewal is performed, investigates flags of other said drives.

Claim 20

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a buffer forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operations, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; and wherein said sequencing means determines whether any other of said drives are in a renewal state when said renewal is being performed on one of said drives, and deters renewal of said drive, and executes renewal for said drive of said drives when no other renewal state exists, and wherein said sequencing means sets the flat showing a status of each drive to "examining", "renewing" and other conditions corresponding to a condition of a drive and, when renewal is performed, investigates flags of other said drives.

Claim 21

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal from occurring simultaneously in to drives; wherein said sequencing means is established individually on each of the drives. wherein said sequencing means is established individually on each of the drives.

Claim 22

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of unit data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for updating said blocks of each of said drives by buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for executing renewal from occurring simultaneously in to drives; wherein said sequencing means is established individually on each of the drives. wherein said sequencing means is established individually on each of the drives.

Claim 23

A file system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said sequencing means transfers a flag of each drive as a copy to all other drives, and said examination is performed by referring to the copy of a flag in the other drives.

Claim 24

A file system as claimed in claim 15, wherein each said sequencing means performs said examination by collecting information concerning a condition of other said drives by way of a communicative circuit.

Claim 25

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of writing data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for continuously updating said blocks of the drive by said buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when said renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means sequences renewal of each drive within each fixed time cycle based on a fixed clock.

Claim 26

A file system comprising: a plurality of drives, each forming a nonvolatile storage device having a recording medium, said recording medium being accessed by a unit data; a plurality of buffers, each forming a volatile memory device and each corresponding to one of said drives, each buffer being capable to store a plurality of writing data; buffering means for temporarily storing a plurality of writing data, each being subject to be written into said medium, said writing data corresponding to a single operation and each including a plurality of buffer blocks, each buffer block having the same size with said unit data; examining means for deciding the necessity of renewal of said medium by said buffer blocks; renewing means for continuously updating said blocks of the drive by said buffer blocks corresponding to at least a single operation, when said renewal is regarded as necessary; and a sequencing means for each said drive of said plurality of drives sequentially and preventing said renewal from occurring simultaneously in two drives; wherein said sequencing means sequences renewal of each drive within each fixed time cycle based on a fixed clock.