JPH06214867A - File server and filing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the convenience of a multimedia filing system observed from a client and to enlarge the scale of the system or to promote the variation of the system by providing the multimedia filing system for simultaneously providing information service concerning data stored in the same second-order storage device to plural clients. CONSTITUTION:The multimedia filing system is basically composed of plural second-order storage devices, namely, hard disk devices HDD1-HDDn for holding practically the same data and a multimedia file server MMFS equipped with plural second-order storage device control parts, namely, disk control parts HDC1-HDCn provided corresponding to these second-order storage devices, and the plural second-order storage devices for holding practically the same data can be simultaneously accessed through the plural second-order storage device control parts.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a file server and a file system, for example, a LAN (Local).
The present invention relates to a so-called multimedia file system that provides information services such as moving image / audio data via an area network (Local Area Network) and a technology that is particularly effective for use in the server.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a multimedia file system that provides information services regarding moving image / audio data in real time. In addition, a multimedia including a plurality of interfaces (I / F) for controlling a plurality of secondary storage devices including a large-capacity hard disk device (fixed magnetic disk device) included in such a multimedia file system There is a file server.

The multimedia file system is described, for example, in 1989, "Information Processing Society of Japan, 39th National Convention Journal", pages 767 to 770.

[0004]

In the multimedia file system described above, by dividing / editing various types / a large amount of data relating to moving images / sounds in units of predetermined blocks and managing them as discrete files,
It processes multimedia in a unified manner and realizes instant editing and real-time input / output services.

However, as the system becomes larger and the services thereof become more diversified, it is apparent by the inventors of the present application that the conventional multimedia file system has the following problems. Became. That is, the file server configuring the above file system includes a plurality of secondary storage device control units, that is, interfaces provided corresponding to the secondary storage devices,
These interfaces correspond to, for example, the types of secondary storage devices, and are used to provide different service data stored in each secondary storage device. Therefore, for example, when there are service requests regarding data stored in the same secondary storage device from a plurality of clients at the same time,
Basically, it is possible to provide services to these clients in parallel, but the number of seek processing of the hard disk device or the like increases, and the read data is interrupted. For this reason, continuous access, which is indispensable for providing video / audio data, becomes difficult, and as a result, there is no choice but to selectively accept service requests from multiple clients regarding data stored in the same secondary storage device. Absent. This reduces the convenience of the file system as seen from the client, and is a cause of limiting the large scale and diversification of the system.

An object of the present invention is to realize a multimedia file system capable of simultaneously providing a plurality of clients with an information service regarding data stored in the same secondary storage device in a conventional file system. . Another object of the present invention is to enhance the convenience of the multimedia file system from the viewpoint of the client and to promote the enlargement and diversification of the system.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0008]

The outline of the representative one of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows. That is, the multimedia file system is a file that includes a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data and a plurality of secondary storage device control units that are provided corresponding to these secondary storage devices, respectively. A server is basically configured so that a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data can be simultaneously accessed via a corresponding plurality of secondary storage device control units.

[0009]

According to the above means, the data stored in the same secondary storage device in the conventional file system is stored in the plurality of secondary storage devices, and the information service regarding these data is provided to the plurality of clients. Can be provided at the same time. As a result, it is possible to enhance the convenience of the multimedia file system from the viewpoint of the client and promote the large scale and diversification of the file system.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration diagram of an embodiment of a multimedia file system to which the present invention is applied. Further, FIG. 2 shows a workstation WS included in the multimedia file system of FIG.
1 to WSm, a software configuration diagram of one embodiment is shown,
FIG. 3 shows a software configuration diagram of an embodiment of the multimedia file server MMFS. further,
FIG. 4 shows the multimedia file server MMF of FIG.
A data structure diagram of an embodiment of the client request message of S is shown, and FIG. 5 shows the disk management table D thereof.
A data structure diagram of one embodiment of MT is shown. Based on these figures, the outline and characteristics of the hardware and software configurations of the multimedia file system and multimedia file server MMFS of this embodiment will be described.

In FIG. 1, the multimedia file system of this embodiment comprises a multimedia file server MMFS having a central processing unit CPU of a stored program as a basic constituent element, and further, a client via a local area network LAN. And m work stations WS1 to WSm connected to the multimedia file server MMFS, and n hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn connected to the multimedia file server MMFS as secondary storage devices. In this embodiment, the hard disk device HD
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the D1 to HDDn store substantially the same service data DA and DB, etc. In addition, these service data are divided and managed in units of a predetermined block, and the workstation WS
The exchange of service data with 1 to WSm and the writing to and reading from the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn are executed in units of this block. In addition,
The hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn may be divided into a plurality of groups in units of at least two, and each group may hold the same service data.

The workstations WS1 to WSm are so-called multimedia type computers equipped with a bitmap display, a mouse, etc., and their software is, as shown in FIG. 2, a client operating system OSCL which is a so-called operating system. And a client program PRCL which is a so-called task program. As a part of the control data, the workstations WS1 to WSm send a client request message to the multimedia file server MMFS via the local area network LAN, and when the service request is accepted, the designated hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn. Start sending and receiving service data to and from.

Next, the multimedia file server MM
FS is the central processing unit CPU via the internal bus IBUS.
LAN control unit LANC and random access memory RAM, and n disk control units (secondary storage device control units) HDC1 to HDCn. Of these, the central processing unit CPU is step-controlled according to a program stored in a read-only memory (not shown), and controls / controls each unit of the multimedia file server MMFS. In this embodiment, the central processing unit C
As shown in FIG. 3, the software of the PU includes a server operating system OSSV which is an operating system and a server program PRSV which is a task program. The central processing unit CPU executes interrupt processing and the like according to the server operating system OSSV, and executes the multimedia file server MMFS.
Manage the state of each part of. Also, the server program PR
The operation of each unit of the multimedia file server MMFS is controlled according to the SV, and for example, the disk control units HDC1 to HDC1 to
Hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn by HDCn
Controls substantial data input / output operations to / from.

On the other hand, the multimedia file server MM
FS LAN controller LANC is a workstation W
In order to process and edit the control data and service data exchanged with S1 to WSm according to a predetermined protocol, identify the service request from each workstation, and receive the service request to the central processing unit CPU. Interrupt. In this embodiment, during interrupt processing for service request acceptance, LAN control unit LAN
The client request message transmitted from C to the central processing unit CPU comprises a client code CLC and a request code RQC, as shown in FIG. Among them, the client code CLC is an identification code of the client requesting the provision of the information service, that is, the workstations WS1 to WSm, and the request code RQC is an identification code indicating the content of the information service desired by the client. is there.

The random access memory RAM temporarily stores a calculation result by the central processing unit CPU, and manages a service request message from the client and the use states of the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn, that is, the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn. A disk management table DMT (secondary storage device management table) is stored for this purpose. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the disk management table DMT includes the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn, that is, the disk control unit HD.
It includes disk statuses ST1 to STn provided corresponding to C1 to HDCn, a message queue header MQH, and p message queues Q1 to Qp. Of these, the disk statuses ST1 to STn are for managing the usage status and operation progress status of the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn, that is, the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn. Based on the statuses ST1 to STn, a hard disk device in an empty state is selected and access termination processing is performed.

On the other hand, the message queue header MQH is
The parent task is for designating the top address of the message queue to be processed next, and is the message queue next MQN1 to MQN of the message queues Q1 to Qp.
They are sequentially connected and chained via Np. The message queues Q1 to Qp are the message queue next M
QN1-MQNp and client code CLC1-C
LCp and request codes RQC1 to RQCp are included. Of these, client code CLC
1 to CLCp are identification codes of clients requesting service provision, that is, workstations WS1 to WSm, from the LAN control unit LANC to the central processing unit C.
It is extracted from the client request message transmitted to the PU. Also, request codes RQC1 to RQC
p is an identification code indicating the content of the information service requested by the client, and is also the LAN control unit LANC.
From the client request message transmitted to the central processing unit CPU. In this embodiment, the message queues Q1 to Qp also include access termination processing request messages from child tasks, which will be described later. Therefore, the client codes CLC1 to CLCp
Are the disk control units HDC1 to HDC that are executing child tasks.
DCn identification code is included, request code RQC
1 to RQCp include an identification code corresponding to the access termination process.

Next, the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn
Controls the writing and reading operations of the corresponding hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn, and from the workstations WS1 to WSm to the LAN control unit LANC.
The service data input or output via the is transmitted to the corresponding hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn. Further, the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn execute a series of write or read operations under the control of the corresponding disk control units HDC1 to HDCn of the multimedia file server MMFS.

In this embodiment, the service data held by the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn relates to moving pictures, sounds and the like. In addition, the storage area is divided and managed in units of predetermined blocks, and the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn are the hard disk devices HDD.
1 to HDDn is provided with a block buffer for holding service data input / output in block units. The disk control units HDC1 to HDCn are associated with the corresponding hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn by writing a predetermined command from the central processing unit CPU to the control register.
When the access to the central processing unit CP is started and the input / output operation for one block of service data ends, the central processing unit CP
Interrupt U for access termination processing. Further, the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn can independently receive and execute access to the corresponding hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn. As a result, the multimedia file server MMFS of this embodiment can concurrently provide an information service regarding the same data held by a plurality of hard disk devices to a plurality of clients.

FIG. 6 shows a partial processing flow of interrupt processing of the multimedia file server MMFS of FIG. 1, and FIG. 7 shows a partial processing flow of its service processing. Based on these figures, the outline and characteristics of the interrupt processing and service processing of the multimedia file server MMFS will be described.

In FIG. 6, the interrupt processing of the multimedia file server MMFS is started by asserting an interrupt request signal to the central processing unit CPU. When the interrupt process is started, first, a stack process (not shown) for saving the contents of the program counter, the general-purpose register and the like is performed. Next, when a high-priority abnormality interrupt is identified in step St1, a predetermined abnormality generation process is performed in step St4. Also,
If the interrupt processing request is not due to an error,
First, in step St2, it is determined whether or not it is an interrupt by the LAN control unit LANC, and in that case, in step St5, the client request message is fetched from the LAN control unit LANC to the central processing unit CPU,
Disk management table DMT as client queue
Be registered with. Furthermore, when the interrupt processing request is not from the LAN control unit LANC, it is determined in step St3 whether or not it is an interrupt by the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn. In that case, step St
The disk control unit requesting the interrupt processing is determined by 6, and the identification code and the request code indicating the access termination processing request by the child task are registered in the disk management table DMT as a child task queue. After finishing the queue registration, the central processing unit CPU shifts to the interrupt recovery processing for returning to the processing interrupted by the interrupt.

In the client request message registered in the disk management table DMT as the client queue, as will be described later, all the messages are read from the disk management table DMT in an attempt to execute the information service. Hard disk device HDD
1-HDDn includes a so-called re-registration client request message that is waiting because it is busy. This re-registration process is repeated until one of the hard disk devices becomes free. As a result, the client requesting the information service receives the waiting with a predetermined probability and waiting time according to the number n of the hard disk devices. In this embodiment, the number n of hard disk devices is set so that the waiting probability and time are within a predetermined range, and the service performance as a multimedia file system is determined by this.

Next, the multimedia file server MM
The service processing by the parent task of the FS is not particularly limited, but the disk management table D in step St7.
It starts from the determination of the presence or absence of a message queue in MT. At this time, if there is no waiting client request message or access termination processing request message in the disk management table DMT, the presence / absence of a child task is determined in step St8. If there is no waiting child task, , Steps St7 and S above
A processing loop is formed to repeat the processing of t8.

In the determination of the presence or absence of the message queue in step St7, if there is a waiting message queue in the disk management table DMT, the type of the message queue is first determined in step St10. At this time, if the message queue specified by the message queue header MQH of the disk management table DMT is the client queue, step St11.
In the disk management table DMT status ST
1-STn based hard disk devices HDD1-HD
The usage state of Dn is determined, and a hard disk device in an empty state is selected. Then, after the busy flag is set in the statuses ST1 to STn corresponding to the selected hard disk device in step St13, a child task for accessing this hard disk device is generated in step St14. This child task
The process is accepted in step St8, and the substantial process for providing the information service is started. When the child task generation process ends, the parent task returns to step St7 and repeats the processes for other message queues and child tasks. In step St11 above, if all the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn are in use and the free hard disk devices cannot be captured,
The parent task re-registers the corresponding message queue in the disk management table DMT in step St12,
It returns to step St7.

On the other hand, if the message queue specified by the message queue header MQH is the child task queue in step St10, the end state of the child task is determined in step St15. At this time, if the child task has normally completed the processing, the in-use flags of the corresponding statuses ST1 to STn of the disk management table DMT are cleared in step St16, and the corresponding hard disk device is made free. Further, when the service processing by the child task is abnormally terminated, an interrupt request signal to the central processing unit CPU is asserted in step St17, and an interrupt processing request for the abnormality occurrence processing is performed.

By the way, if there is a child task waiting in step St8, the parent task is
A predetermined command is written in the control register of the disk control units HDC1 to HDCn corresponding to the hard disk device captured by 9. As a result, the disk control unit in which the command has been written accesses the hard disk device corresponding to the command, and the actual processing for the information service is started. Disk controller HD
As described above, C1 to HDCn interrupt the central processing unit CPU when the input / output operation for one block of service data is completed. Then, as described above, the central processing unit CPU makes the disk control units HDC1 to HDC
In response to an interrupt processing request from DCn, a child task queue for access termination processing is added to the disk management table DM.
Register with T.

As described above, in the multimedia file system of this embodiment, a plurality of hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn that hold substantially the same data and a plurality of disk controls provided corresponding to these hard disk devices. A multimedia file server MMFS including parts HDC1 to HDCn, and a disk control unit HDC1 to HDC of the multimedia file server MMFS.
The DCn independently accepts a service request from a client and concurrently executes access to a corresponding hard disk device. That is, in the multimedia file system of this embodiment, the data stored in the same secondary storage device in the conventional multimedia file system is stored in a plurality of hard disk devices, and the information service related to these data is stored in a plurality of clients. Can be provided simultaneously to As a result, the convenience of the multimedia file system from the client's point of view can be improved, and the multimedia file system can be promoted to be large-scaled and diversified.

Hard disk devices HDD1 to HD
Writing of new service data to Dn is performed via a specific workstation, although not particularly limited. At this time, the client request message from this workstation is selectively accepted on condition that all the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn are free. Then, after all the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn have been captured, the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn are set with the in-use flags set in all the statuses ST1 to STn of the disk management table DMT.
Writing of new service data to 1 to HDDn is performed all at once.

As shown in the above embodiment, by applying the present invention to a multimedia file system for providing information service such as moving image / audio data via a LAN and its server, the following operational effects are obtained. Is obtained. That is, (1) a multimedia file system, a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data, and a plurality of secondary storage device control units provided corresponding to each of these secondary storage devices. By basically configuring a file server including the above, and enabling simultaneous access to a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data through a plurality of corresponding secondary storage device control units, In this file system, the data stored in the same secondary storage device can be stored in a plurality of secondary storage devices, and an information service related to these data can be simultaneously provided to a plurality of clients. To be (2) According to the above item (1), it is possible to enhance the convenience of the multimedia file system as seen from the client. (3) According to the above items (1) and (2), it is possible to obtain the effect of promoting the large scale and diversification of the multimedia file system.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say. For example, in FIG. 1, hard disk devices HDD1 to HD
The data held by Dn may be partially different with respect to specific control management data and the like. Further, the hard disk devices HDD1 to HDDn can be divided into a plurality of groups in units of at least two, and each group can hold substantially the same service data. Clients are not limited to workstations. Further, the secondary storage device for holding the service data is not limited to the hard disk device, and a plurality of types of secondary storage devices can be used in combination. The communication line for connecting the client and the file server is not limited to the LAN. Furthermore, the block configuration and function sharing as a multimedia file system and a multimedia file server can adopt various embodiments.

2 and 3, the software configurations of the workstations WS1 to WSm and the multimedia file server MMFS are not restricted by these embodiments. The client request message shown in FIG. 4 and the data structure of the disk management table DMT and each message queue shown in FIG. 5 can adopt various embodiments. Further, the interrupt processing procedure shown in FIG. 6 and the service processing procedure shown in FIG. 7 are not restricted by these embodiments.

In the above description, the invention mainly made by the present inventor is applied to a multimedia file system for providing an information service regarding moving image / audio data, which is the field of use in the background, and the multimedia file server. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be widely applied to a file system and its file server that perform various information services to at least a plurality of clients coupled via a communication line.

[0032]

The effects obtained by the typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows. That is, the multimedia file system is a file that includes a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data and a plurality of secondary storage device control units that are provided corresponding to these secondary storage devices, respectively. A file system of the related art, which is configured based on a server and enables a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data to be accessed simultaneously through a plurality of corresponding secondary storage device control units. In, the data stored in the same secondary storage device can be stored in a plurality of secondary storage devices, and information services related to these data can be simultaneously provided to a plurality of clients. As a result, it is possible to enhance the convenience of the multimedia file system from the viewpoint of the client and promote the large scale and diversification of the file system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a multimedia file system to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a software configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a workstation included in the multimedia file system of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a software configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a multimedia file server included in the multimedia file system of FIG.

4 is a data configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a client request message of the multimedia file server of FIG. 2. FIG.

5 is a data configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a disk management table of the multimedia file server of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a partial process flow chart showing an embodiment of interrupt processing of the multimedia file server of FIG.

7 is a partial processing flow chart showing an embodiment of service processing of the multimedia file server of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

WS1-WSm ... Workstation, LAN ...
・ Local area network, MMFS ... Multimedia file server, CPU ... Central processing unit,
IBUS ... Internal bus, LANC ... LAN control unit, RAM ... Random access memory, DMT ...
Disk management table, HDC1 to HDCn ... Disk control unit, HDD1 to HDDn ... Hard disk device, DA to DB ... Service data. PRCL ... client program, OSCL ...
-Client operating system, PRSV-
..Server program, OSSV ... Server operating system Q1 to Qp ... Message queue, MQH ... Message queue header, ST1 to STm ... Disk status, MQN1 to MQNp ... Message queue next, CLC, CLC1 to CLCp ... Client code, RQC, RQC1 ~ RQCp ... Request code.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Katsumi Maeda 5-22-1 Kamimizuhoncho, Kodaira-shi, Tokyo Inside Hitachi Microcomputer System Co., Ltd. No. 22-1 Hitachi Ltd. Microcomputer system

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of secondary storage device control units provided corresponding to each of a plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data, wherein the plurality of secondary storage devices are provided to a plurality of clients. A file server characterized by being able to simultaneously provide information services regarding data held by a secondary storage device in parallel. 2. The file server comprises a secondary storage device management table including a status for displaying a usage state of the secondary storage device and a message queue for queuing, and the plurality of secondary storage devices. An access request newly issued when both storage devices are in use is
2. The file server according to claim 1, wherein the message queue waits until any one of the plurality of secondary storage devices becomes empty. 3. The file server is a multimedia file server, and the secondary storage device is a moving image file.
The file server according to claim 1 or 2, which is a hard disk device that holds audio data. 4. A plurality of secondary storage devices that hold substantially the same data, a file server including a plurality of secondary storage device control units provided corresponding to each of the secondary storage devices, and a predetermined one. A plurality of clients that are coupled to the file server via the communication lines of the above, and can concurrently provide the plurality of clients with an information service regarding the data held by the plurality of secondary storage devices. A file system characterized by that. 5. The file system according to claim 4, wherein the file system is a multimedia file system, and the data held by the plurality of secondary storage devices is moving image / sound data.