IL107646A - Parallel i/o network file server architecture - Google Patents

Abstract

A data control unit for use with a data network and a mass storage device, and in response to file system level storage and retrieval requests from said data network, comprising: a data bus different from said network; a buffer memory bank coupled to said bus; storage processor apparatus coupled to said bus and coupleable to said mass storage device; file processor apparatus coupled to said bus, said file processor apparatus including a local memory bank; first means on said file processor unit for translating said file system level storage requests into requests to store data at specified physical storage locations in said mass storage device; and second means on said file processor unit for translating said file system retrieval requests into requests to retrieve data from specified physical retrieval locations in said mass storage device, said first and second means for translating collectively including means for caching file control information through said local memory bank in said file processor unit, said data control unit further comprising means for caching the file data, to be stored or retrieved according to said storage and retrieval requests, through said buffer memory bank.