File management system and program therefor

• US 20030009484A1
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Yokoyama, Mamoru, Hamanaka, Seishiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,383,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A file management system which locates files with less processing load and provides more sophisticated file management tasks. A file manipulation command causes a file manipulation hander to execute a file system operation, which involves placement of a given file to a specified directory, thus assigning the specified directory as a parent directory of that file. The file placement operation causes a parent directory record manager to define a parent directory record of by setting thereto the file'"'"'s parent directory identifier. Afterwards, when a parent directory inquiry about a specific file is issued, a parent directory inquiry handler retrieves the parent directory record of the specified file and outputs the identifier of the specified file'"'"'s parent directory that is contained in the retrieved parent directory record.

Claims

1. A file management program which manages computer files and directories by using identifiers thereof, the file management program causing a computer system to function as:

file manipulation means, responsive to a file manipulation command, for placing each given file to a specified directory, thus assigning the specified directory as a parent directory of the given file;

parent directory record management means, responsive to the placement of the given file by said file manipulation means, for defining a parent directory record of the given file by setting thereto the identifier of the parent directory of the given file; and

parent directory inquiry handling means, responsive to a parent directory inquiry about a specific file, for retrieving the parent directory record of the specified file and outputting the identifier of the parent directory contained in the retrieved parent directory record.

2. The file management program according to claim 1, wherein:

the given file has a plurality of parent directories; and

said parent directory record management means sets the identifiers of the parent directories to the parent directory record of the given file.

3. The file management program according to claim 2, which causes the computer system to function further as

prioritization means for prioritizing the plurality of identifiers contained in the parent directory record of each file,

wherein said parent directory inquiry handling means outputs the plurality of identifiers according to the priorities assigned thereto by said prioritization means.

4. The file management program according to claim 1, wherein:

said file manipulation means places each given lower-level directory below an upper directory in response to another file manipulation command;

said parent directory record management means, responsive to the placement of the given lower-level directory by said file manipulation means, for defining a parent directory record of the given lower-level directory by setting thereto the identifier of the parent directory of the given lower-level directory; and

the computer system functions further as searching means, responsive to a path search request for a specified file, for searching for a path from the specified file to the highest-level directory by tracing one directory to another, with reference to the parent directory records thereof to obtain the identifier of the directory at the next higher level.

5. The file management program according to claim 4, wherein:

the specified file has a plurality of parent directories;

said parent directory record management means sets the identifiers of the parent directories to the parent directory record of the specified file; and

said searching means searches for a plurality of paths each reaching the highest-level directory via a different one of the plurality of parent directories to which the specified file belongs.

6. The file management program according to claim 4, which causes the computer system to function further as:

attribute setting means for setting attributes to the directories, the attributes being associated with predetermined file management rules; and

means for sending the path search request for the specified file to said path searching means, receiving the path from said searching means, and applying to the specified file the file management rules associated with the attributes being set to each directory along the received path.

7. A file management program which manages computer files and directories by using identifiers thereof, the file management program causing a computer system to function as:

quota limit setting means for setting quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space;

comparing means, responsive to a file manipulation command, for estimating the amount of storage space in each directory that is required to execute the file manipulation command, and comparing the estimated amount with the quota limits; and

file manipulation means for executing the file manipulation command when said comparing means has found that the estimated amount of storage space is within the quota limits of every directory concerned.

8. The file management program according to claim 7, wherein said quota limit setting means defines, as part of the quota limits of each directory, a limit for the number of files that are allowed.

9. The file management program according to claim 7, wherein said quota limit setting means defines, as part of the quota limits of each directory, a limit for the amount of file data that can be allocated.

10. The file management program according to claim 7, wherein:

said quota limit setting means sets user-specific quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space on an individual user basis; and

said comparing means estimates the amount of storage space to be consumed by a user who has initiated the file manipulation command, and compares the estimated amount with the user-specific quota limits assigned to the initiating user.

11. The file management program according to claim 7, wherein:

said quota limit setting means sets group-specific quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space on an individual group basis; and

said comparing means estimates the amount of storage space to be consumed by a specific group including a user who has initiated the file manipulation command, and compares the estimated amount with the group-specific quota limits assigned to the group.

13. The file management system according to claim 12, wherein:

the given file has a plurality of parent directories; and

said parent directory record management means sets the identifiers of the parent directories to the parent directory record of the given file.

14. The file management system according to claim 13, further comprising prioritization means for prioritizing the plurality of identifiers contained in the parent directory record of each file,

wherein said parent directory inquiry handling means outputs the plurality of identifiers according to the priorities assigned thereto by said prioritization means.

15. The file management system according to claim 12, wherein:

said file manipulation means places each given lower-level directory below an upper directory in response to another file manipulation command;

said parent directory record management means, responsive to the placement of the given lower-level directory by said file manipulation means, for defining a parent directory record of the given lower-level directory by setting thereto the identifier of the parent directory of the given lower-level directory; and

the file management system further comprises searching means, responsive to a path search request for a specified file, for searching for a path from the specified file to the highest-level directory by tracing one directory to another, with reference to the parent directory records thereof to obtain the identifier of the directory at the next higher level.

16. The file management system according to claim 15, wherein:

the specified file has a plurality of parent directories;

said parent directory record management means sets the identifiers of the parent directories to the parent directory record of the specified file; and

said searching means searches for a plurality of paths each reaching the highest-level directory via a different one of the plurality of parent directories to which the specified file belongs.

17. The file management system according to claim 15, further comprising:

attribute setting means for setting attributes to the directories, the attributes being associated with predetermined file management rules; and

means for sending the path search request for the specified file to said path searching means, receiving the path from said searching means, and applying to the specified file the file management rules associated with the attributes being set to each directory along the received path.

19. The file management system according to claim 18, wherein said quota limit setting means defines, as part of the quota limits of each directory, a limit for the number of files that are allowed.

20. The file management system according to claim 18, wherein said quota limit setting means defines, as part of the quota limits of each directory, a limit for the amount of file data that can be allocated.

21. The file management system according to claim 18, wherein:

said quota limit setting means sets user-specific quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space on an individual user basis; and

said comparing means estimates the amount of storage space to be consumed by a user who has initiated the file manipulation command, and compares the estimated amount with the user-specific quota limits assigned to the initiating user.

22. The file management system according to claim 18, wherein:

said quota limit setting means sets group-specific quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space on an individual group basis; and

said comparing means estimates the amount of storage space to be consumed by a specific group including a user who has initiated the file manipulation command, and compares the estimated amount with the group-specific quota limits assigned to the group.

12. A file management system which manages computer files and directories by using identifiers thereof, comprising:

file manipulation means, responsive to a file manipulation command, for placing each given file to a specified directory, thus assigning the specified directory as a parent directory of the given file;

parent directory record management means, responsive to the placement of the given file by said file manipulation means, for defining a parent directory record of the given file by setting thereto the identifier of the parent directory of the given file; and

parent directory inquiry handling means, responsive to a parent directory inquiry about a specific file, for retrieving the parent directory record of the specified file and outputting the identifier of the parent directory contained in the retrieved parent directory record.

18. A file management system which manages computer files and directories by using identifiers thereof, comprising:

quota limit setting means for setting quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space;

comparing means, responsive to a file manipulation command, for estimating the amount of storage space in each directory that is required to execute the file manipulation command, and comparing the estimated amount with the quota limits; and

file manipulation means for executing the file manipulation command when said comparing means has found that the estimated amount of storage space is within the quota limits of every directory concerned.

23. A computer-readable storage medium storing a file management program which manages computer files and directories by using identifiers thereof, the file management program causing a computer system to function as:

file manipulation means, responsive to a file manipulation command, for placing each given file to a specified directory, thus assigning the specified directory as a parent directory of the given file;

parent directory record management means, responsive to the placement of the given file by said file manipulation means, for defining a parent directory record of the given file by setting thereto the identifier of the parent directory of the given file; and

parent directory inquiry handling means, responsive to a parent directory inquiry about a specific file, for retrieving the parent directory record of the specified file and outputting the identifier of the parent directory contained in the retrieved parent directory record.

24. A computer-readable storage medium storing a file management program which manages computer files and directories by using identifiers thereof, the file management program causing a computer system to function as:

quota limit setting means for setting quota limits to individual directories to control usage of storage space;

comparing means, responsive to a file manipulation command, for estimating the amount of storage space in each directory that is required to execute the file manipulation command, and comparing the estimated amount with the quota limits; and

file manipulation means for executing the file manipulation command when said comparing means has found that the estimated amount of storage space is within the quota limits of every directory concerned.