초록 ▼

A video file server includes an integrated cached disk array storage subsystem and a plurality of stream server computers linking the cached disk storage system to the data network for the transfer of video data streams. The video file server further includes a controller server for applying an admi

A video file server includes an integrated cached disk array storage subsystem and a plurality of stream server computers linking the cached disk storage system to the data network for the transfer of video data streams. The video file server further includes a controller server for applying an admission control policy to client requests and assigning stream servers to service the client requests. The stream servers include a real-time scheduler for scheduling isochronous tasks, and supports at least one industry standard network file access protocol and one file access protocol for continuous media file access. The cached disk storage subsystem is responsive to video prefetch commands, and the data specified for a prefetch command for a process are retained in an allocated portion of the cache memory from the time that the cached disk storage subsystem has responded to the prefetch command to the time that the cached disk storage subsystem responds to a fetch command specifying the data for the process. The time between prefetching and fetching is selected based on available disk and cache resources. The video file server provides video-on-demand service by maintaining and dynamically allocating sliding windows of video data in the random access memories of the stream server computers.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A file server for serving clients in a data network, said file server comprising:a cached disk array storage subsystem; anda plurality of server computers linking the cached disk array storage subsystem to said data network for-responding to a request for file access from

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A file server for serving clients in a data network, said file server comprising:a cached disk array storage subsystem; anda plurality of server computers linking the cached disk array storage subsystem to said data network for-responding to a request for file access from a client in the data network by transferring data between said cached disk array storage subsystem and said data network;wherein the cached disk array storage subsystem includes a semiconductor cache memory, an array of disk drives, a plurality of channel directors for interfacing said semiconductor cache memory to said server computers, and a plurality of disk directors and disk adapters for interfacing said semiconductor cache memory to said array of disk drives; andwherein the file server further includes a controller linked to said network and said server computers for responding to a request for file access from a client by selecting one of the server computers to satisfy the request.