Client computers are decoupled from file servers in a computer network, by
placing a network node, also termed a file switch or file switch computer, between
the client computers and the file servers. To the client computers, the file switch
appears to be a file server having enormous storage capabilities and high throughput.
To the file servers, the file switch appears to be a client as it delegates a single
transaction received from a client computer to multiple file servers. The file
switch aggregates the file servers' responses to the client computer's request
and presents a single response back to the client computer. The file switch performs
this transaction aggregation function in a manner that is transparent to both the
client computers and the file servers.
