ID management for a network attached storage system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11074227-B2
Application number	US-201414320785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2014
Priority date	Jul 1, 2014
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

ID management for a network attached storage system using layered ID mapping virtualization. When a connection request is received at a NAS server, it is determined whether the request is for a new user, and if so, user IDs are created for the new user. External user ID and filesystem user ID are mapped to the internal user ID, and user ID is verified at the NAS server kernel on subsequent logins with an external database. The user IDs are remapped for the changed user account, and updated mappings are transmitted from the NAS server to one or more NAS server kernel repositories.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first networked storage device, a first connection request from a user on a first host, wherein the first connection request identifies the user using a first external user identifier (ID) that exists for the user on the first host;
creating, by the first networked storage device, a first filesystem user ID for the user to access a filesystem of the first networked storage device, wherein the creating includes writing the first filesystem user ID to local storage on the first networked storage device;
mapping, by the first networked storage device, the first external user ID and the first filesystem user ID to a first internal user ID for the user, wherein the mapping includes writing the first external user ID and the first internal user ID to the local storage on the first networked storage device with the first filesystem user ID;
in response to determining that a second external user ID exists for the user on a second host, wherein the second external user ID is mapped to a second internal user ID and a second filesystem user ID for accessing a filesystem of a second networked storage device, remapping, by the first networked storage device, the first internal user ID so that the first internal user ID is mapped to the second external user ID and the second filesystem user ID in addition to the first external user ID and the first filesystem user ID, wherein the remapping includes writing the second filesystem user ID and the second external user ID to the local storage on the first networked storage device with the first external user ID, the first filesystem user ID, and the first internal user ID; and
propagating, by the first networked storage device, the remapped first internal user ID to local storage on the second networked storage device, wherein the propagating enables the user to access the second filesystem user ID on the second networked storage device using either the first host or the second host.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first host and the second host have different operating systems.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first host has a Windows operating system and the second host has a UNIX-like operating system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first networked storage device and the second networked storage device are networked attached storage (NAS) servers, and wherein the local storage on the first networked storage device and the local storage on the second networked storage device include NAS kernel repositories.

5. A computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer readable storage media are not transitory signals per se, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive, at a first networked storage device, a first connection request from a user on a first host, wherein the first connection request identifies the user using a first external user identifier (ID) that exists for the user on the first host;
program instructions to create, at the first networked storage device, a first filesystem user ID for the user to access a filesystem of the first networked storage device, wherein the creating includes writing the first filesystem user ID to local storage on the first networked storage device;
program instructions to map, at the first networked storage device, the first external user ID and the first filesystem user ID to a first internal user ID for the user, wherein the mapping includes writing the first external user ID and the first internal user ID to the local storage on the first networked storage device with the first filesystem user ID;
program instructions to, in response to determining that a second external user ID exists for the user on a second host, wherein the second external user ID is mapped to a second internal user ID and a second filesystem user ID for accessing a filesystem of a second networked storage device, remap, at the first networked storage device, the first internal user ID so that the first internal user ID is mapped to the second external user ID and the second filesystem user ID in addition to the first external user ID and the first filesystem user ID, wherein the remapping includes writing the second filesystem user ID and the second external user ID to the local storage on the first networked storage device with the first external user ID, the first filesystem user ID, and the first internal user ID; and
program instructions to propagate, from the first networked storage device to local storage on the second networked storage device, the remapped first internal user ID, wherein the propagating enables the user to access the second filesystem user ID on the second networked storage device using either the first host or the second host.

6. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the first host and the second host have different operating systems.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the first host has a Windows operating system and the second host has a UNIX-like operating system.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the first networked storage device and the second networked storage device are networked attached storage (NAS) servers, and wherein the local storage on the first networked storage device and the local storage on the second networked storage device include NAS kernel repositories.

9. A computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer readable storage media are not transitory signals per se;
program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to receive, at a first networked storage device, a first connection request from a user on a first host, wherein the first connection request identifies the user using a first external user identifier (ID) that exists for the user on the first host;
program instructions to create, at the first networked storage device, a first filesystem user ID for the user to access a filesystem of the first networked storage device, wherein the creating includes writing the first filesystem user ID to local storage on the first networked storage device;
program instructions to map, at the first networked storage device, the first external user ID and the first filesystem user ID to a first internal user ID for the user, wherein the mapping includes writing the first external user ID and the first internal user ID to the local storage on the first networked storage device with the first filesystem user ID;
program instructions to, in response to determining that a second external user ID exists for the user on a second host, wherein the second external user ID is mapped to a second internal user ID and a second filesystem user ID for accessing a filesystem of a second networked storage device, remap, at the first networked storage device, the first internal user ID so that the first internal user ID is mapped to the second external user ID and the second filesystem user ID in addition to the first external user ID and the first filesystem user ID, wherein the remapping includes writing the second filesystem user ID and the second external user ID to the local storage on the first networked storage device with the first external user ID, the first filesystem user ID, and the first internal user ID; and
program instructions to propagate, from the first networked storage device to local storage on the second networked storage devi

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chen Lior
• Cohen Dan
• Gan-Levi Daniel
• Koffman Shai M
• Sapir Nimrod

Classifications

• H04L67/1097 Primary

  for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F3/0631

  by allocating resources to storage systems · CPC title

• G06F3/0605

  by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator · CPC title

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title

• G06F16/166

  File name conversion · CPC title