global namespace

Global namespace is a feature that simplifies storage management in environments that have numerous physical file systems.

A global namespace provides a consolidated view into multiple Network File Systems (NFS), Common Internet File Systems (CIFS), network-attached storage (NAS) systems or file servers that are in different physical locations. This is particularly beneficial in distributed implementations with unstructured data and in environments that are growing quickly so that data can be accessed without needing to know where it physically resides. Without a global Namespace, these multiple file systems would have to be managed separately.

Examples of technologies that employ a global namespace are Avere Systems FXT series, Brocade StorageX and Exablox OneBlox.