US Patent 8099766 Credential caching for clustered storage systems

A technique efficiently transmits credentials between network elements and disk elements in a clustered storage system. According to the novel technique, in response to a user request to access data served by a data element, a network element inserts (adds) a credential associated with the user to a network element credential cache and creates a corresponding credential handle that indexes the credential in that cache. The network element relays the credential and credential handle to the disk element, which adds the credential to a corresponding disk element credential cache at a location indexed by the corresponding credential handle. Requests may then be sent between the elements using the credential handle. In addition, the network element may further send a series of chained requests to the disk element for the same credential/credential handle with an indication that the requests are for the same credential without sending the credential or credential handle.