Claims
- 1. A method of transmitting a message over a network of nodes running different operating systems, comprising:
converting the message in a single layer of a messaging protocol by a receiving node, as required.
- 2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network is a storage area network, and
wherein said converting performs binary conversion at a low level of the messaging protocol.
- 3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein the messaging protocol supports transmission of messages after conversion by a sending node to a common wire format, but does not require all messages to be in the common wire format.
- 4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein when the receiving node operates on data in a format known by the sending node, the sending node may perform said converting.
- 5. A method as recited in claim 4, further comprising sending the message without converting when the format used by the receiving node is also used by the sending node and is different from the common wire format.
- 6. A method as recited in claim 5,
further comprising transmitting a heartbeat signal in the common wire format using a heartbeat layer of the messaging protocol, and wherein the low layer of the messaging protocol where said converting of the message by the receiving node occurs is immediately above the heartbeat layer.
- 7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the single layer is defined by a set of entry and exit points where all conversion of message formats occur.
- 8. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the nodes in the network include nodes having different endian processors.
- 9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the sending and receiving nodes have different endian processors and the receiving node is responsible for performing said converting even if data operated on by the receiving node is same endian as the common wire format.
- 10. At least one computer readable medium storing at least one program embodying a method of transmitting a message over a network of nodes running different operating systems, comprising:
converting the message in a single layer of a messaging protocol by a receiving node, as required.
- 11. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 10, wherein the network is a storage area network, and
wherein said converting performs binary conversion at a low level of the messaging protocol.
- 12. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the messaging protocol supports transmission of messages after conversion by a sending node to a common wire format, but does not require all messages to be in the common wire format.
- 13. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 12, wherein when the receiving node operates on data in a format known by the sending node, the sending node may perform said converting.
- 14. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 13, further comprising sending the message without converting when the format used by the receiving node is also used by the sending node and is different from the common wire format.
- 15. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 14,
wherein said method further comprises transmitting a heartbeat signal in the common wire format using a heartbeat layer of the messaging protocol, and wherein the low layer of the messaging protocol where said converting of the message by the receiving node occurs is immediately above the heartbeat layer.
- 16. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the single layer is defined by a set of entry and exit points where all conversion of message formats occur.
- 17. At least one computer readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the nodes in the network include nodes having different endian processors.
- 18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the sending and receiving nodes have different endian processors and the receiving node is responsible for performing said converting even if data operated on by the receiving node is same endian as the common wire format.
- 19. A cluster of computer systems, comprising:
a storage area network having a messaging protocol with a plurality of layers; and computer system nodes, coupled to said storage area network and running different operating systems, to transmit messages over the storage area network, the messages converted at a low layer of the messaging protocol by a receiving node, if required for further processing by the receiving node.
- 20. A cluster of computer systems as recited in claim 19, wherein the computer system nodes include first nodes having big endian processors and second nodes having little endian processors and whichever of the first and second nodes that are different endian than a common wire format transmit at least some of the messages therebetween without conversion to the common wire format.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is related to and claims priority to U.S. patent application entitled CLUSTERED FILE SYSTEM having Ser. No. 10/162,258, by Costello et al., filed Jun. 5, 2002 and U.S. provisional patent application entitled CLUSTERED FILE SYSTEM having Ser. No. 60/296,046, by Bannister et al., filed Jun. 5, 2001, both incorporated by reference herein. This application is also related to U.S. patent applications filed concurrently herewith entitled MULTI-CLASS HETEROGENEOUS CLIENTS IN A CLUSTERED FILESYSTEM, by Moore et al. and FAILSAFE OPERATION OF STORAGE AREA NETWORK by Kenneth S. Beck, both incorporated herein by reference.