[Federated-fs] fs_root in federated namespace

[Manoj Naik]

v4 mandates that a server be able to construct the path from the root of 
_its_ exported namespace.

 From 4.1 draft, section 1.9

   The fs_locations4 data type and fs_locations attribute contain an
   array of such locations.  Since the namespace of each server may be
   constructed differently, the "fs_root" field is provided.  The path
   represented by fs_root represents the location of the file system in
   the current server's namespace, i.e. that of the server from which
   the fs_locations attribute was obtained.  The fs_root path is meant
   to aid the client by clearly referencing the root of the file system
   whose locations are being reported, no matter what object within the
   current file system the current filehandle designates.  The fs_root
   is simply the pathname the client used to reach the object on the
   current server, the object being that the fs_locations attribute
   applies to.

Manoj.

Raj, Theresa wrote:
> I have a question about the fs_root value provided by fileservers as
> part of the FS_LOCATIONS attribute. This also kind of ties into the root
> namespace discussion that's recently come up on the list.
>  
> In the federated namespace, a fileserver's fileset is hanging off
> someplace within the namespace. And it is not incumbent upon the
> fileserver to know about where this fileset is hanging in the namespace,
> i.e., the fileserver need not know the pathname from the root of the
> namespace that leads to the junction that has the FSL pointing to this
> fileserver and this fileset. 
>  
> So now if there is a junction embedded in its fileset, the fileserver is
> required to provide the FS_LOCATIONS attribute for that junction. For
> the server, rootpath details of that junction the NSDB has that
> information and the fileserver will obtain those from the NSDB. But for
> the fs_root part of this attribute, how can the fileserver construct the
> full pathname to that junction. The fileserver can figure out the
> portion of the pathname that is within its fileset but not the
> antecedent portion of the pathname.
>  
> I think that the fileserver needs some help to figure the fs_root value.
> How that can be achieved in another discussion.
>  
> Thanks,
> Theresa
>  
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