Operation mapping in a virtual file system for cloud-based shared content

• US 10,025,796 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Tallamraju, Sri Sarat Ravikumar, Luthra, Tanooj, Malhotra, Ritik
• Primary Examiner(s): Stevens, Robert
• Application Number:
  US15/140,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20160321311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 707743
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0891 using clearing, invalidating or resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1081 for peripheral access to main memory, e.g. direct memory access [DMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/122 of the least frequently used [LFU] type, e.g. with individual count value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1748 De-duplication implemented within the file system, e.g. based on file segments de-duplication techniques in storage systems for the management of data blocks G06F3/0641
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1774 Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/183 Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS network file access protocols H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/185 Hierarchical storage management [HSM] systems, e.g. file migration or policies thereof details of archiving G06F16/11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/196 Specific adaptations of the file system to access devices and non-file objects via standard file system access operations, e.g. pseudo file systems dedicated interfaces to storage systems G06F3/0601
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2443 Stored procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1016 Performance improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1044 Space efficiency improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/154 Networked environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/463 : File
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/60 : Details of cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/657 : Virtual address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 : Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 : Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 : at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 : Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 : specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 : for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 : involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 : using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream

Abstract

A server in a cloud-based environment is interfaced with storage devices that store shared content accessible by two or more user devices that interact with the cloud-based service platform over a network. A virtual file system module is delivered to a user device, which user device hosts one or more applications. The virtual file system module detects a plurality of application calls issued by processes or threads operating on the user device. The plurality of application calls are mapped into one coalesced cloud call. The coalesced cloud call is delivered to the cloud-based service platform to facilitate access to the shared content by the application. The mapping of application calls to the coalesced cloud call is based on pattern rules that are applied over a stream of incoming application calls. A delay may be observed after mapping to a first pattern, and before making a mapping to a second pattern.

Claims

1. A method for accessing one or more cloud-based storage devices that store shared content accessible by two or more user devices via a virtual file system, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of application calls issued by at least one application operating on one of the user devices wherein the application calls corresponds to data stored at the one or more cloud-based storage devices;

delaying processing of the plurality of application calls at the cloud-based storage devices;

collecting at least two calls during the delay in processing of the plurality of application calls; and

mapping, with a predefined mapping table, the at least two calls collected during the delay to a single cloud-based storage operation at the one or more cloud-based storage devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mapping the application calls to the cloud-based storage operation is based at least in part on one or more pattern rules, the pattern rules characterizing an association between an application call pattern and the cloud-based storage operation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pattern rules comprises a sequence of one or more of the application calls.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least one of the pattern rules is associated with at least one action, the action comprising at least one of, a delay, a reset of a delay period, an immediate normalization and execution, an immediate execution without normalization.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising translating one or more of the application calls to at least one virtual file system call.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein acts of translating the application calls is based at least in part on one of, a syntax, a semantic, a type, a parameter, or a class that is associated with the application calls.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating at least one virtual file system response to one or more application responses; and

delivering the application responses from the virtual file system module to the application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein translating the virtual file system response is based at least in part on one of, a permission, or a response data container, or an error handling protocol that is associated with at least one of the application responses.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the application responses comprise at least one error response.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the application calls based at least in part on a set of application-specific rules.

11. A computer readable medium, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by a processor causes the processor to perform a set of acts for accessing one or more cloud-based storage devices that store shared content accessible by two or more user devices via a virtual file system, the acts comprising:

identifying a plurality of application calls issued by at least one application operating on one of the user devices wherein the application calls corresponds to data stored at the one or more cloud-based storage devices;

delaying processing of the plurality of application calls at the cloud-based storage devices;

collecting at least two calls during the delay in processing of the plurality of application calls; and

mapping, with a predefined mapping table, the at least two calls collected during the delay to a single cloud-based storage operation at the one or more cloud-based storage devices.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein mapping the application calls to the cloud-based storage operation is based at least in part on one or more pattern rules, the pattern rules characterizing an association between an application call pattern and the cloud-based storage operation.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the pattern rules comprises a sequence of one or more of the application calls.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein at least one of the pattern rules is associated with at least one action, the action comprising at least one of, a delay, a reset of a delay period, an immediate normalization and execution, an immediate execution without normalization.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the processor causes the processor to perform acts of translating one or more of the application calls to at least one virtual file system call.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein acts of translating the application calls is based at least in part on one of, a syntax, a semantic, a type, a parameter, or a class that is associated with the application calls.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 11, further comprising instructions which, when stored in memory and executed by the processor causes the processor to perform acts of:

translating at least one virtual file system response to one or more application responses; and

delivering the application responses from the virtual file system module to the application.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein translating the virtual file system response is based at least in part on one of, a permission, or a response data container, or an error handling protocol that is associated with at least one of the application responses.

19. A system for accessing one or more cloud-based storage devices that store shared content accessible by two or more user devices via a virtual file system, the system comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions; and

a processor or processors that execute the instructions to cause the processor or processors to perform a set of acts, the acts comprising,

identifying a plurality of application calls issued by at least one application operating on one of the user devices wherein the application calls corresponds to data stored at the one or more cloud-based storage devices;

delaying processing of the plurality of application calls at the cloud-based storage devices;

collecting at least two calls during the delay in processing of the plurality of application calls; and

mapping, with a predefined mapping table, the at least two calls collected during the delay to a single cloud-based storage operation at the one or more cloud-based storage devices.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein mapping the application calls to the cloud-based storage operation is based at least in part on one or more pattern rules, the pattern rules characterizing an association between an application call pattern and the cloud-based storage operation.