JPH04250569A - Network file service controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily access a desired file stored on a file storage device in hierarchical structure unless there is information on the file storage device where the file is stored when the file is accessed. CONSTITUTION:Files are stored in a file server 15 in the hierarchical structure. A network file controller 13 has a control file 14 stored with the correspondence relation between file drawer folder names as logical units of the hierarchical structure and the names of file servers stored with the files and retrieves a file server name according to a file drawer folder name when a work station 12 makes a request to access a file whose file server name is unknown.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network file service control device for controlling file management in a local area network.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, network systems in which servers such as workstations, file servers, print servers, etc. are connected to each other via local area networks have been put into practical use. In this system, files for the entire system are managed, for example, by a network file service control device. The files managed by this network file service control device have a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 3, for example.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the hierarchical structure of files. This hierarchical structure is roughly divided into four hierarchies: a file server 15, a file drawer 42, a file folder 43, and a file 44, from the top. There are multiple files 44 in the file folder 43.
and other file folders 43
A plurality of file folders 43 can be placed in the file drawer 42. Further, a file drawer 42 is provided within the file server 15. These file drawer 42, file folder 43, and file 44 are logical units in a hierarchical structure, and the names of these can be set arbitrarily by the user. On the other hand, the file server 15 is a physical unit of a storage device that stores files, and the file server name is fixed and unique in the system.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in conventional network file service control devices, there is no correspondence between a file server and a lower-level file drawer, etc., so when a workstation accesses a file, File server, file drawer, and file folder information needed to be specified. Therefore, in the past, if the information on the file server that stored the file to be accessed was unknown, the network file service control device had to check all the file servers on the network one by one, or the file could not be accessed. There is a problem that.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to easily access a desired file when accessing a file stored in a file storage device using a hierarchical structure, even without information about the file storage device in which the file is stored. An object of the present invention is to provide a network file service control device that allows access.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems A network file service control device according to the invention according to claim 1 provides a hierarchical structure of files stored in the file storage device in a hierarchical structure with a plurality of file storage devices as the top layer. management storage means for storing the correspondence between the information of the file storage device which is the top layer of the storage device and the file information of the lower layer than this information; and connected to the management storage means,
The management storage is connected to a file storage device and a terminal device that can access the file via a local area network, and is accessed in response to a file access request from the terminal device based on the lower layer file information of the file. and a search means for outputting information on a file storage device storing a file to be accessed.

In the invention described in claim 1, when there is a request to access a file from a terminal device, the search means searches the management storage means based on the file information in the lower layer of the file to be accessed, and the search means searches the management storage means for the file to be accessed. Outputs information about the file storage device that stores the . This makes it possible to access a desired file even without information about the file storage device in which the file is stored.

[0008] The network file service control device of the invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the information on the logical unit in the hierarchical structure of a file managed in a logical hierarchical structure corresponds to the file storage device storing this file. a management storage means for storing relationships; and a terminal device connected to the management storage means and capable of accessing the file storage device and the file via a local area network, and a terminal device for accessing the file from the terminal device. and search means for searching the management storage means based on information on the logical unit of the file to be accessed in response to an access request, and outputting information on the file storage device storing the file to be accessed.

In the invention as claimed in claim 2, when there is a request for access to a file from the terminal device, the search means searches the management storage means based on the information of the logical unit in the hierarchical structure of the file to be accessed. , outputs information about the file storage device that stores the file to be accessed. This makes it possible to access a desired file even without information about the file storage device in which the file is stored.

0010

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 8 relate to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network system including a network file service control device of this embodiment. This system includes workstations 12 connected to each other by a local area network (hereinafter referred to as LAN) 11, a network file control device 13 as a network file service control device, and a plurality of file servers 15a, 15.
b (represented by reference numeral 15). The network file control device 13 has a management file 14. The workstation 12 is a terminal device that can access files stored in the file server 15.
It includes a processor 12a having a CPU, a main memory, a peripheral control device, and a LAN control device, an input device 12b such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a display device 12c. Any number of workstations 12 can be connected to the LAN 11. Further, the file server 15 is a file storage device that stores files managed in a logical hierarchical structure.

FIG. 2 shows the network file control device 1
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of No. 3. FIG. This network file control device 13 includes a CPU 22, a main storage device 23, a display control device 24, and a display control device 24, which are connected to each other by a bus 21.
It includes an external storage control device 25, a LAN control device 26, and an input control device 27. Further, the network file control device 13 is further connected to a display device 29 connected to the display control device 24, an external storage device 30 as a management storage means connected to the external storage control device 25, and a LAN control device 26. A transceiver 31 and an input device 32 connected to the input control device 27 are provided. The management file 14 is stored in the external storage device 30. Further, the transceiver 31 is connected to the LAN 11. This network file control device 13 includes a CPU 22
By controlling other devices in the network file control device 13, the system manages files for the entire system, such as storing files created on the workstation 12 in a hierarchical structure on the file server 15. There is.

The files managed by the network file service control device of this embodiment have a hierarchical structure as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The hierarchical structure of FIG. 3 has already been explained, so the explanation here will be omitted. From each workstation 12, a file server 15 in which a file 44 to be accessed is stored.
Corresponding file drawer 42 and file folder 4 in
3, the corresponding file 44 is accessed.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of the management file 14 stored in the external storage device 30. This management file 14 is a table having three columns: a record number column 51 consisting of an integer starting from 1, a file drawer/folder name column 52 consisting of a character string, and a file server name column 53 consisting of a character string. It has become. The file drawer/folder name is a list of file drawer names and file folder names arranged in order from the top layer in the hierarchical structure. Since the file drawer/folder name can be arbitrarily set by the user, the same file drawer/folder name may exist on different file servers, as shown in FIG. 6. Further, this management file 14 is updated in response to file additions, changes, deletions, etc.

Next, the procedure for accessing a file will be explained. The workstation 12 accesses files stored in the file server 15 using a file tool, which is a program for accessing files.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of this file tool. This file tool allows you to enter the file server name in the Host section and the file drawer/folder name in the Directory section. In addition to the above-mentioned section, this file tool also has a Source section that specifies the file name to be accessed, and a section 6 that specifies the directory on the workstation 12 side.
1 and a message area 62.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for accessing a file. When the workstation 12 accesses a file stored in the file server 15, first, in step (hereinafter referred to as S) 101,
A file access request is sent from the workstation 12 using the file tool shown in FIG. At this time,
If the file server name is unknown, enter "*" in the Host field, as shown in FIG. In S102, the workstation 12 determines whether the file server name is entered in the Host section of the file tool or if "*"
It is determined whether the file server name exists by checking whether the file server name is entered. If YES in S102, an access request is sent to the relevant file server 15 via the LAN 11, and in S105 the file 44 is accessed from the file drawer 42 of the relevant file server 15, and the process ends.

If NO in S102, the access request is sent to the network file control device 1 via the LAN 11.
Send to 3. Transceiver 31 and LAN control device 26
The network file control device 13, which received the access request from the access request data, extracts the file drawer name and file folder name from the access request data, and in S103, retrieves the file drawer name and file folder name from the management file 14 based on the extracted file drawer name and file folder name. Search for the file server name that stores the file you want to access. Next, the network file control device 13 performs S104.
Then, to the workstation 12 that made the access request,
Send the file server name obtained as a result of the search. Here, if there are multiple applicable file server names, a message such as "There were multiple storage locations" is sent along with the multiple file server names.

When the workstation 12 receives the file server name, it displays the received file server name (for example, x) in the message area 62 of the display screen of the file tool, as shown in FIG. Additionally, if there are multiple file server names, the message area 61 will contain
Display the message "There were multiple storage locations" along with the names of the multiple file servers. Then, in S105, the workstation 12 retrieves the file 44 from the file drawer 42 of the corresponding file server 15.
access and exit. At this time, the user can access the displayed file server name and input the file server name, or the workstation 12 can automatically import the file server name received. Also good. Furthermore, a switch may be used to select whether the operator or the workstation 12 automatically accesses the file after receiving the file server name.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the search process in S103 of FIG. The network file control device 13 constitutes a search means by performing this search process. In this search process, the network file control device 13 first extracts the file drawer name and file folder name from the access request data transmitted from the workstation 12 in S111. Next, in S112, the network file control device 13 accesses the external storage device 30 via the external storage control device 25, and accesses it from the management file 14 based on the file drawer name and file folder name retrieved in S111. The name of the file server in which the file drawer 42 corresponding to the file to be stored is stored is searched. Next, in S113, the network file control device 13 determines whether or not there is a corresponding file server name. S113
If YES in step S114, the LAN control device 26,
The process ends by sending the corresponding file server name to the workstation 12 via the transceiver 31 and the LAN 11. If NO, the process sends the information "No corresponding file server name" to the workstation 12 in S115 and ends. .

[0021] In the above explanation, the workstation 12 determines whether or not there is a file server name when making a file access request and changes the destination of the access request. Alternatively, this process may be performed by the network file control device 13.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing search processing in a modification of this embodiment. In this search process, the network file control device 13 first performs the following steps in S121:
The file drawer name, file folder name, and file server name are extracted from the access request data sent from the workstation 12. Next, in S122, the network file control device 13 determines whether or not there is a file server name, and if YES, in S123, the network file control device 13 sends the access request to the corresponding file server 15 and ends the process. If NO in S122, in S124, the management file 14 is searched for the file server name in which the file drawer 42 corresponding to the file to be accessed is stored, based on the retrieved file drawer name and file folder name. Next, in S125, the network file control device 13 determines whether there is a corresponding file server name. If YES in S125, S
In S126, the corresponding file server name is sent to the workstation 12, and the process ends. If NO, in S127, the information "No corresponding file server name" is sent to the workstation 12, and the process ends.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the management file 14 stores the correspondence between the file drawer/folder name, which is information on the logical unit of files in the hierarchical structure, and the file server name that stores this file. When accessing a file, we have made it possible to search for the file server name that stored the file based on the file drawer/folder name of the file being accessed, so if the file server name where the file is stored is unknown. Even if you want, you can easily access the desired files.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
For example, the correspondence between file folder names, file server names, and file drawer names may be stored in the management file so that the file server name and file drawer name can be searched from the file folder name.

[0025]

As explained above, according to the present invention, when accessing a file stored in a file storage device in a hierarchical structure, file information other than information in the file storage device, such as a logical unit in the hierarchical structure, is accessed. Based on this information, you can search for information on the file storage device that stores the file, so you can easily access the desired file even if you do not have information about the file storage device that stores the file you want to access. effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network system including a network file service control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the network file control device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a hierarchical structure of files stored in the file server in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for accessing a file in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing search processing in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure of a management file in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a file tool for accessing a file.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of display of the file tool after receiving the file server name.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing search processing in a modification of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Local Area Network (LAN) 12
Workstation 13 Network file control device 14 Management file 15 File server

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Information on the file storage device that is the top layer in the hierarchical structure of files stored in the file storage device in a hierarchical structure with a plurality of file storage devices as the top layer, and files in layers below this information. management storage means for storing correspondence relationships with information; and a terminal device connected to the management storage means and also connected to the file storage device and the terminal device that can access the files via a local area network; In response to a file access request from a terminal device, the management storage means is searched based on the file information in the lower layer of the file to be accessed, and information on the file storage device storing the file to be accessed is output. A network file service control device comprising: means. 2. Management storage means for storing a correspondence relationship between information of a logical unit in the hierarchical structure of a file managed in a logical hierarchical structure and a file storage device that stores this file; The file storage device is connected to the management storage means and is also connected via a local area network to the file storage device and a terminal device that can access the file, and accesses the file in response to a file access request from the terminal device. A network file service control characterized by comprising a search means for searching the management storage means based on the information of the logical unit of the file and outputting information of a file storage device storing the file to be accessed. Device.