Transcoding for a distributed file system

1. A method for transcoding a file of a distributed file system, the method comprising:

receiving a request to transcode the file, the distributed file system storing portions of the file across a plurality of distinct physical storage locations; and

wherein one or more of the distinct physical storage locations comprises a processing unit;

in response to the request to transcode the file, transcoding a first portion of the file from a first format to a second format using a processing unit of a first physical storage location of the physical storage locations;

wherein the first portion of the file is less than the entire file;

in response to the request to transcode the file, transcoding a second portion of the file from the first format to the second format using a processing unit of a second physical storage location of the physical storage locations;

wherein the second portion of the file is less than the entire file;

wherein the second portion of the file is a different portion than the first portion of the file;

wherein the second physical storage location is distinct from the first physical storage location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the file with the second format in the file distributed system.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the request from a client; and

sending the transcoded file to the client.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving the request from a transcode manager of the client.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distributed file system comprises:

a switch;

a content director coupled to the switch; and

a plurality of content servers coupled to the content director, the plurality of content servers storing portions of files.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the distinct physical storage locations comprises at least one content server.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein each content server further comprises:

a content storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the content storage.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein a first content server accesses a second content server to transcode a portion of the file.

9. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

partitioning a first separate logic portion of the content server for processing storage functions.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

partitioning a second separate logic portion of the content server for processing transcoding functions.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a distributed file system storing portions of a file across a plurality of distinct physical storage locations,

a first physical storage location comprising a processing unit configured to transcode a first portion of the file from a first format to a second format;

wherein the first portion of the file is less than the entire file;

a second physical storage location comprising a processing unit configured to transcode a second portion of the file from the first format to the second format;

wherein the second portion of the file is less than the entire file;

wherein the second portion of the file is a different portion than the first portion of the file;

wherein the second physical storage location is distinct from the first physical storage location.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each physical storage location is configured to transcode using a processing unit of at least one of the physical storage locations.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the distributed file system further comprises:

a switch;

a content director coupled to the switch; and

a plurality of content servers coupled to the content director, the plurality of content servers storing portions of the file.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:

a client coupled to the distributed file system, the client having a transcode manager configured to generate a request to transcode the file to the distributed file system.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each content server further comprises:

a content storage; and

a processing unit coupled to the content storage.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a first content server accesses a second content server to transcode a portion of the file.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

a first separate logic portion of the content server partitioned for processing storage functions.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:

a second separate logic portion of the content server partitioned for processing transcoding functions.

19. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform transcoding a file of a distributed file system by:

receiving a request to transcode the file, the distributed file system storing portions of the file across a plurality of distinct physical storage locations; and

wherein one or more of the distinct physical storage locations comprises a processing unit;

in response to the request to transcode the file, transcoding a first portion of the file from a first format to a second format using a processing unit of a first physical storage location of the physical storage locations;

wherein the first portion of the file is less than the entire file;

in response to the request to transcode the file, transcoding a second portion of the file from the first format to the second format using a processing unit of a second physical storage location of the physical storage locations;

wherein the second portion of the file is less than the entire file;

wherein the second portion of the file is a different portion than the first portion of the file;

wherein the second physical storage location is distinct from the first physical storage location.

20. The program storage device of claim 19 , further comprising instructions executable by the machine to perform:

storing the file with the second format in the distributed file system.

21. The program storage device of claim 19 , further comprising instructions executable by the machine to perform:

receiving the request from a client; and sending the transcoded file to the client.

22. A method for transcoding a file of a distributed file system, the method comprising:

receiving a request to transcode the file, the distributed file system storing portions of the file across a plurality of distinct physical storage locations;

wherein a first distinct physical storage location is configured to transcode the file from a first format to a second format using a processing unit of the first physical storage location;

wherein a second distinct physical storage location is configured to transcode the file from the first format to a second format using a processing unit of the second physical storage location;

in response to the request to transcode the file, transcoding a portion of the file from a first format to a second format using the processing unit of the first physical storage location;

wherein the first distinct physical storage location accesses the portion of the file from the second distinct physical storage location.

23. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform transcoding a file of a distributed file system by:

receiving a request to transcode the file, the distributed file system storing portions of the file across a plurality of distinct physical storage locations;

wherein a first distinct physical storage location is configured to transcode the file from a first format to a second format using a processing unit of the first physical storage location;

wherein a second distinct physical storage location is configured to transcode the file from the first format to a second format using a processing unit of the second physical storage location;

in response to the request to transcode the file, transcoding a portion of the file from a first format to a second format using the processing unit of the first physical storage location;

wherein the first distinct physical storage location accesses the portion of the file from the second distinct physical storage location.