Method for accessing files in a management system

File access method for a management system

Method for Accessing Files in a Management System

The present invention refers to a file access method for a management system, in particular to a file access method that can avoid file synchronization, prevent data damage, and maintain the normal operation of the system.

In order to effectively provide remote management services, the prior art provides a server that uses a system management device (System Management Device), so that the administrator can maintain or monitor the server in the computer room through the network anytime and anywhere. Generally speaking, the system management device usually provides KVM-over-IP, virtual storage (Virtual Storage, or Drive Redirection, Virtual Media) and other functions.

In the KVM-over-IP function, KVM is an acronym for Keyboard, Video, and Mouse, which means that a set of keyboards, monitors, and mice are used to control 2 to 4032 computers. Generally, KVM can only be operated by the management personnel on the spot, but if the KVM host cannot be accessed, the problem of the server cannot be solved immediately or the setting of the server can be changed. KVM-over-IP is a brand-new solution that uses the existing network environment to transmit KVM operation signals to the managed end through the network, so it is not limited by distance, time, access control, personal factors, etc., making System administrators can manage, control, and monitor the status of the managed terminal through the network anytime and anywhere, so as to grasp the situation at any time and deal with it immediately .

The concept of the virtual storage function is similar to the KVM-over-IP function. Please refer to Figure 1 for related instructions. In Figure 1, a system management device 104 simulates a virtual storage device 108, such as a floppy disk drive, hard disk drive, optical disk drive, etc., through a system management chip 110, and a managed end device 102. The network transmits the data of a physical storage device 106 in a management end device 100 to the managed end device 102. The managed end device 102 regards the virtual storage device 108 as a physical storage device, and its data content is exactly the same as the data of the physical storage device 106. In other words, the managed end device 102 is provided with a storage device identical to the physical storage device 106, so that the managed end device 102 can exchange data with the management end device 100 without a network driver. Correspondingly, a management program 112 is provided in the management terminal device 100 to communicate with the system management device 104 through a network card 114 to load the physical storage device 106 to the managed terminal device 102 or from the managed terminal device. 102 removed. For the operation mode of the system management device 104, please refer to the following description.

First of all, application programs access the data on the disk by accessing files, and the operating system is implemented in a hierarchical structure when providing file access services. In other words, the location of the file stored on the disk is learned through the file system, and then the data on the disk is accessed through the disk driver. When the operating system is booted, the relevant data of the file system will be stored in the memory, and if there is an update, the data will be written to the disk. Therefore, if data is not written to the disk through the file system of the operating system, the file system cannot know that the file has been updated.

Next, please refer to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the managed end device 102 in Figure 1 when the file is read from the virtual storage device 108, and Figure 3 is the managed end device in Figure 1. 102 is a schematic diagram of writing a file to the virtual storage device 108. In Figure 2, when the application program in the managed end device 102 reads the file of the virtual storage device 108, the application program outputs a request signal to the system management device 104 via a path a1. That is, the application program first reads the file of the virtual storage device 108 through the system call function of the operating system, and the operating system learns the location of the file to be read on the virtual storage device 108 through the file system, and then through the driver The virtual storage device 108 reads the file. Next, the system management device 104 transmits the request signal to the management program 112 in the management terminal device 100 via a path a2 through the network. Then, the management program 112 reads the required files from the physical storage device 106 via a path a3, and sends them back to the system management device 104 via the network (ie, path a2) to complete the action of reading the files.

On the other hand, in Figure 3, when the managed end device 102 writes a file to the virtual storage device 108, the application program will output a request signal to the system management device 104 via a path b1. That is, the application program first writes files to the virtual storage device 108 through the system call function of the operating system, and the operating system determines where to write the file to the virtual storage device 108 through the file system, and then writes the file through the driver To the virtual storage device 108. Next, the system management device 104 transmits the request signal and the file to be written to the management program 112 in the management terminal device 100 via a path b2 through the network. Since the request signal for writing a file is a relatively low-level command, the information contained therein is insufficient for the system management device 104 or the management program 112 to write the file into the physical storage device 106 through the file system of the operating system. Therefore, when the management program 112 receives the write request signal and the file to be written, the management program 112 does not use the file system of the operating system, but directly writes the file to the physical storage device 106 via a path b3 to Complete the write action. In other words, when the managed end device 102 writes a file to the virtual storage device 108, the file system of the management end device 100 cannot know the file update status of the physical storage device 106, resulting in the management end device 100 and the managed end device 102 The file is not synchronized between the files. In this case, when other applications of the management device 100 access the files of the physical storage device 106 via a path b4, data corruption may occur, which may cause system errors.

Therefore, in order to avoid the above-mentioned problems, the prior art usually restricts the user of the management terminal device 100 from accessing the files of the physical storage device 106. In other words, the management-end device 100 and the managed-end device 102 cannot achieve bidirectional access to files in the physical storage device 106, which limits their application range.

Therefore, the main purpose of the present invention is to provide a file access method for a management system.

The present invention discloses a file access method for a management system. The management system includes a management terminal device, a managed terminal device and a system management device. The system management device is interposed between the management terminal device and the managed terminal device. Between end devices, the file access method includes simulating a physical storage device of the management end device to the managed end device through the system management device, so as to form a virtual storage device in the managed end device ; When the managed end device accesses a file of the virtual storage device, output a request command to the system management device through a first operating system of the managed end device, instead of passing through one of the managed end devices The first file system outputs the request command to the system management device; and according to the request command, the management end device accesses the file to the physical storage device through a second operating system of the management end device, and The file access operation is performed on the physical storage device without going through a second file system of the management terminal device.

Please refer to FIG. 4, which is a schematic diagram of a process 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The process 40 is used to access files in a management system, and the management system is preferably the system shown in FIG. 1. The process 40 includes the following steps: Step 400: Start.

Step 402: Through the system management device, a physical storage device of the management end device is simulated to the managed end device to form a virtual storage device in the managed end device.

Step 404: When the managed end device accesses a file of the virtual storage device, output a request command to the system management device through a first operating system of the managed end device without going through the managed end device A first file system outputs the request command to the system management device.

Step 406: According to the request command, the management terminal device performs the file access action on the physical storage device through a second operating system of the management terminal device without going through a second file system of the management terminal device The file access action is performed on the physical storage device.

Step 408: End.

According to the process 40, after the system management device forms a virtual storage device in the managed end device, if the managed end device needs to access a file of the virtual storage device, the present invention uses the operating system of the managed end device, Directly output a request command to the system management device without outputting the request command via the file system. In other words, when the application program of the managed end device needs to access the file of the virtual storage device, the present invention directly outputs the access command to the system management device without outputting the access command through the file system. Correspondingly, the management terminal device also directly accesses the file to the physical storage device through the operating system, instead of accessing the file to the physical storage device through the file system.

In this case, when the application program of the management terminal device accesses the file of the physical storage device, the application program directly accesses the file to the physical storage device through the operating system, and does not perform the file access to the physical storage device through the file system S access action. For example, please refer to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the process 40 when a file is written to the virtual storage device 108 by the managed end device 102 in FIG. 1 according to the process 40. In FIG. 5, when the managed end device 102 writes a file to the virtual storage device 108, the application program outputs a request signal to the system management device 104 via a path c1. That is, the application program writes files to the virtual storage device 108 directly through the system call function and driver of the operating system without going through the file system. Next, the system management device 104 transmits the request signal and the file to be written to the management program 112 in the management terminal device 100 via a path c2 through the network. When the management program 112 receives the write request signal and the file to be written, the management program 112 does not use the file system of the operating system, but directly writes the file to the physical storage device 106 via a path c3 to complete the writing. Into the action. At the same time, if other applications of the management device 100 need to access the files of the physical storage device 106, the application will access the files of the physical storage device 106 via a path c4; that is, directly through the operation without going through the file system The system performs file access operations.

In short, through the present invention, the file access actions in the management device 100 and the managed device 102 will not go through the file system, thus avoiding the problem of file synchronization, preventing data corruption, and maintaining the normal system. Operation.

In summary, when the management terminal device or the managed terminal device performs file access operations, the present invention does not use the file system but directly performs related processing by the operating system, so as to avoid the problem of file synchronization and prevent data corruption. And then maintain the normal operation of the system.

The foregoing descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the scope of the patent application of the present invention shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

<p>100. . . Management device</p><p>102. . . Managed device</p><p>104. . . System management device</p><p>106. . . Physical storage</p><p>108. . . Virtual storage</p><p>110. . . System management chip</p><p>112. . . Management program</p><p>114. . . Network card</p><p>40. . . process</p><p>400, 402, 404, 406, 408. . . step</p><p>a1, a2, a3, b1, b2, b3, b4, c1, c2, c3, c4. . . path</p>

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional system management device, a managed end device, and a management end device.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the managed end device in Figure 1 when a file is read from a virtual storage device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the management terminal device writing files to a virtual storage device in FIG. 1. FIG.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a process according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a virtual storage device when a file is written to a virtual storage device through the managed end device in Fig. 1 according to the process in Fig. 4.