Re: [9fans] Multi-dimensional filesystem

[erik quanstrom <quanstro@quanstro.net>]

> I was just exploring the APLish nature of the idea.  I used
> shell syntax to get the idea across -- here my-nodes would map
> to a set of fileserver nodes that interpret the remaining path
> so this path actually maps to a whole bunch of files. No idea
> if this is better, worse or even sensible.  There are some
> graph languages that could possibly map here.
>
> What is a "distributing" file server? If you mean something
> like cxfs, luster, glusterfs, ceph, etc they wouldn't do the
> same thing. The above would in fact be kind of a distributed
> filesystem!

i was thinking of file server in the traditional (ahem) plan 9 sense,
a network service that responds to 9p rather than a traditional (boring)
unix-style store.

and as such, i was thinking of a server that simply distributed requests
among a set of servers.  so that

> > >     echo "date" > /net/my-nodes/foo
> > >     chmod +x /net/my-nodes/foo

would work with the normal tools on a normal kernel.  all the distribution
would be part of a purpose-built fs.

- erik