File location for distributed directory

Abstract

A method for distribution of directories in a storage system is provided. The method includes distributing information, regarding location in the storage system of a plurality of files in a directory, to a plurality of owners in a plurality of storage nodes of the storage system, wherein ownership of differing subsets of the plurality of files of the directory is distributed among differing owners in differing storage nodes. The method includes receiving a request for location information in the storage system of a file of the plurality of files in the directory and determining, based on a file name of the file and an identity of the directory, which of the plurality of owners has ownership of the file and the location information for the file.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 determining ownership of a file in a storage system through location of a data structure among differing storage nodes of the storage system wherein the determining includes a hash calculation on a file name of the file and an inode number of the directory that includes the file to identify the location of the data structure that has the ownership of the file, at least one storage node of the storage system having non-volatile memory with varying capacities.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a result of the hash calculation identifies the data structure among a plurality of data structures as an owner and wherein one of a plurality of storage nodes contains the data structure. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data structure assists in determining an erasure code applied to data of the file. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining, for differing files of the directory, is distributed among differing storage nodes of the storage system. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein ownership of differing subsets of a plurality of files of the directory is distributed among differing owners in the differing storage nodes. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining is not centralized in the storage system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a first owner of a first storage node has ownership of a first group of files of the directory, and wherein a second owner of a second storage node has ownership of a second group of files of the directory, the first group and the second group each distributed among the plurality of storage nodes. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed, cause a processing device to:
 determine ownership of a file in a storage system through location of a data structure among differing storage nodes of the storage system wherein determining ownership includes a hash calculation on a file name of the file and an inode number of the directory that includes the file to identify the location of the data structure that has the ownership of the file, at least one storage node of the storage system having non-volatile memory with varying capacities.   
     
     
         9 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , wherein a result of the hash calculation identifies the data structure among a plurality of data structures as an owner and wherein one of a plurality of storage nodes contains the data structure. 
     
     
         10 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the data structure assists in determining an erasure code applied to data of the file 
     
     
         11 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , wherein the determining, for differing files of the directory, is distributed among differing storage nodes of the storage system. 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , ownership of differing subsets of a plurality of files of the directory is distributed among differing owners in the differing storage nodes. 
     
     
         13 . The computer readable media of  claim 8 , wherein determination of ownership for differing files is not centralized in the storage system. 
     
     
         14 . A system, comprising:
 a plurality of storage nodes coupled as a storage cluster;   at least a portion of the plurality of storage nodes configured to have at least one data structure having ownership of a subset of files of the storage cluster, wherein ownership of differing subsets of a plurality of files of a directory is distributed among differing data structures in differing storage nodes;   each of the plurality of storage nodes configured to perform a hash calculation on an inode number of the directory and on a file name, to obtain a result of the hash calculation that identifies a data structure that has the ownership of a file associated with the file name, at least one storage node of the storage system having non-volatile memory with varying capacities.   
     
     
         15 . The storage cluster of  claim 14 , wherein a result of the hash calculation identifies the data structure among a plurality of data structures as an owner and wherein one of a plurality of storage nodes contains the data structure. 
     
     
         16 . The storage cluster of  claim 14 , wherein the data structure assists in determining an erasure code applied to data of the file. 
     
     
         17 . The storage cluster of  claim 14 , wherein the determining, for differing files of the directory, is distributed among differing storage nodes of the storage system 
     
     
         18 . The storage cluster of  claim 14 , wherein ownership of differing subsets of a plurality of files of the directory is distributed among differing owners in the differing storage nodes. 
     
     
         19 . The storage cluster of  claim 14 , wherein the determining is not centralized in the storage system. 
     
     
         20 . The storage cluster of  claim 14 , wherein a first owner of a first storage node has ownership of a first group of files of the directory, and wherein a second owner of a second storage node has ownership of a second group of files of the directory, the first group and the second group each distributed among the plurality of storage nodes.