An apparatus and a method for delegating commands for a network attached storage system is described. A command permission associated with a command to be executed on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server is delegated to a user of a NAS client having a mounted network filesystem of the NAS server. The command is issued through the filesystem of the NAS client.
1. A computer-implemented method for initiating an administrative command on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server, the method comprising:
establishing a network connection from an NAS client to the NAS server to mount on the NAS client a filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server;
receiving from an administrator for the NAS server a delegated command permission associated with the administrative command, wherein the delegated command permission is associated with a first user on the NAS client, wherein the delegated command permission is presented by the NAS server to the first user using an abstraction of a pseudo file in the mounted filesystem, wherein the pseudo file gives the first user access to the administrative operation, wherein the first user invokes the delegated command permission by requesting a filesystem I/O operation that operates upon the pseudo file without executing the pseudo file, wherein the established network connection is used to convey the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file from the NAS client to the NAS server; and
upon receiving notice of the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file at the NAS server, initiating the administrative command on the NAS server;
wherein the established network connection is also used by the NAS client to perform file operations on data files stored in the filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server; and
wherein access to the delegated command permission is controlled using filesystem security abstractions for the filesystem that are applied to the pseudo file.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,
wherein the filesystem hosted by the NAS server includes one or more directories that comprise a pseudo filesystem that supports administrative commands; and
wherein initiating the administrative command further comprises initiating the filesystem I/O operation upon a virtual file in the pseudo filesystem.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 ,
wherein the administrative command comprises performing in the NAS server a snapshot operation for the filesystem hosted by the NAS server;
wherein upon completing the snapshot operation, the NAS server is configured to provide to the NAS client access to snapshotted versions of files created during the snapshot operation in the pseudo filesystem; and
wherein the NAS client accesses the snapshotted versions of files by initiating subsequent filesystem I/O operations upon the pseudo filesystem.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the administrative command initiates:
the snapshot operation;
a mirroring operation that mirrors one or more files in the filesystem;
a database synchronization operation that synchronizes and stores database data in the filesystem; and
a virtual machine provisioning operation.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 ,
wherein receiving the delegated command permission enables at least one of the first user and an application associated with the first user to initiate one or more administrative commands for the filesystem on the NAS client without needing to request additional permissions from the administrator for the NAS server; and
wherein the administrator delegates the delegated command permission to the first user using filesystem security attributes.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 ,
wherein the first user receiving the delegated command permission delegates the delegated command permission to a second user without intervention from the administrator; and
wherein the second user initiates the administrative command without needing to request permissions from the administrator for the NAS server or the first user.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 ,
wherein the application that is associated with the first user executes on the NAS client and initiates the administrative command using a built-in script that accesses the mounted filesystem using filesystem protocols; and
wherein initiating administrative commands and delegating administrative command permissions by using filesystem I/O operations and filesystem security attributes facilitates performing administrative commands in the NAS server without requiring: plug-in support in the NAS server, executing plug-ins in NAS clients, any additional ports or connections between the NAS client and NAS server, changes on the NAS client side, and additional firewall rules or adjustments between NAS clients and the NAS server.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for initiating an administrative command on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server, the method comprising:
establishing a network connection from an NAS client to the NAS server to mount on the NAS client a filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server;
receiving from an administrator for the NAS server a delegated command permission associated with the administrative command, wherein the delegated command permission is associated with a first user on the NAS client, wherein the delegated command permission is presented by the NAS server to the first user using an abstraction of a pseudo file in the mounted filesystem, wherein the pseudo file gives the first user access to the administrative operation, wherein the first user invokes the delegated command permission by requesting a filesystem I/O operation that operates upon the pseudo file without executing the pseudo file, wherein the established network connection is used to convey the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file from the NAS client to the NAS server; and
upon receiving notice of the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file at the NAS server, initiating the administrative command on the NAS server;
wherein the established network connection is also used by the NAS client to perform file operations on data files stored in the filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server; and
wherein access to the delegated command permission is controlled using filesystem security abstractions for the filesystem that are applied to the pseudo file.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 ,
wherein the filesystem hosted by the NAS server includes one or more directories that comprise a pseudo filesystem that supports administrative commands; and
wherein initiating the administrative command further comprises initiating the filesystem I/O operation upon a virtual file in the pseudo filesystem.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 ,
wherein the administrative command comprises performing in the NAS server a snapshot operation for the filesystem hosted by the NAS server;
wherein upon completing the snapshot operation, the NAS server is configured to provide to the NAS client access to snapshotted versions of files created during the snapshot operation in the pseudo filesystem; and
wherein the NAS client accesses the snapshotted versions of files by initiating subsequent filesystem I/O operations upon the pseudo filesystem.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the administrative command initiates:
the snapshot operation;
a mirroring operation that mirrors one or more files in the filesystem;
a database synchronization operation that synchronizes and stores database data in the filesystem; and
a virtual machine provisioning operation.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 ,
wherein receiving the delegated command permission enables at least one of the first user and an application associated with the first user to initiate one or more administrative commands for the filesystem on the NAS client without needing to request additional permissions from the administrator for the NAS server; and
wherein the administrator delegates the delegated command permission to the first user using filesystem security attributes.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 ,
wherein the first user receiving the delegated command permission delegates the delegated command permission to a second user without intervention from the administrator; and
wherein the second user initiates the administrative command without needing to request permissions from the administrator for the NAS server or the first user.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 ,
wherein the application that is associated with the first user executes on the NAS client and initiates the administrative command using a built-in script that accesses the mounted filesystem using filesystem protocols; and
wherein initiating administrative commands and delegating administrative command permissions by using filesystem I/O operations and filesystem security attributes facilitates performing administrative commands in the NAS server without requiring: plug-in support in the NAS server, executing plug-ins in NAS clients, any additional ports or connections between the NAS client and NAS server, changes on the NAS client side, and additional firewall rules or adjustments between NAS clients and the NAS server.
15. A network storage system comprising:
a Network Attached Storage (NAS) server; and
a NAS client;
wherein the NAS client establishes a network connection with the NAS server to mount on the NAS client a filesystem hosted by the NAS server;
wherein the NAS client is configured to receive from an administrator for the NAS server a delegated command permission associated with an administrative command, wherein the delegated command permission is presented by the NAS server to the first user using an abstraction of a pseudo file in the mounted filesystem, wherein the pseudo file gives the first user access to the administrative operation, wherein the first user invokes the delegated command permission by requesting a filesystem I/O operation that operates upon the pseudo file without executing the pseudo file, wherein the established network connection is used to convey the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file from the NAS client to the NAS server; and
wherein, upon receiving notice of the requested filesystem I/O operation for the pseudo file at the NAS server, the NAS server initiates the administrative command on the NAS server;
wherein the established network connection is also used by the NAS client to perform file operations on data files stored in the filesystem that is hosted by the NAS server; and
wherein access to the delegated command permission is controlled using filesystem security abstractions for the filesystem that are applied to the pseudo file.
16. The network storage system of claim 15 ,
wherein the filesystem hosted by the NAS server includes one or more directories that comprise a pseudo filesystem that supports administrative commands; and
wherein initiating the administrative command further comprises initiating the filesystem I/O operation upon a virtual file in the pseudo filesystem.
17. The network storage system of claim 16 ,
wherein the administrative command comprises performing in the NAS server a snapshot operation for the filesystem hosted by the NAS server;
wherein upon completing the snapshot operation, the NAS server is configured to provide to the NAS client access to snapshotted versions of files created during the snapshot operation in the pseudo filesystem; and
wherein the NAS client accesses the snapshotted versions of files by initiating subsequent filesystem I/O operations upon the pseudo filesystem.
18. The network storage system of claim 17 , wherein the administrative command initiates:
the snapshot operation;
a mirroring operation that mirrors one or more files in the filesystem;
a database synchronization operation that synchronizes and stores database data in the filesystem; and
a virtual machine provisioning operation.
19. The network storage system of claim 18 ,
wherein receiving the delegated command permission enables at least one of the first user and an application associated with the first user to initiate one or more administrative commands for the filesystem on the NAS client without needing to request additional permissions from the administrator for the NAS server; and
wherein the administrator delegates the delegated command permission to the first user using filesystem security attributes.
20. The network storage system of claim 19 ,
wherein the first user receiving the delegated command permission delegates the delegated command permission to a second user without intervention from the administrator; and
wherein the second user initiates the administrative command without needing to request permissions from the administrator for the NAS server or the first user.