Content-specific filename systems

• US 20030033286A1
• Filed: 10/03/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Burgess, Giles J.
• Application Number:
  US10/263,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20030033286A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation

Abstract

A computer file naming technique employs content-specific filenames (CSFN'"'"'s) that represent globally-unique identifiers for the contents of a file. Since file references incorporating the CSFN'"'"'s are not location-specific, they offer unique advantages in the areas of file caching and file installation. Particularly, web browsers enabled to recognize CSFN'"'"'s inherently verify the content of files when they are retrieved from a local cache, eliminating the need for comparison of file data or time stamps of the cached file copy and the server copy. Thus, file verification occurs solely in the local context. The invention includes caching and software installation systems that incorporate the benefits of CSFN'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A method of caching computer files in a distributed network having a client computer operably connected to at least one server, the client computer having a local cache, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a first request for a file by specifying a file reference which contains a content-specific filename;

retrieving the file from the server specified in the file reference in response to the first request;

issuing a second request for the file by specifying the content-specific filename; and

retrieving the file from the local cache in response to the second request thereby inherently verifying that the contents of the file have not changed since the first request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of issuing the first and second requests for a file further comprise the step of specifying a content-specific filename that is a globally-unique identifier for the contents of the file.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of creating the content-specific filename prior to the step of issuing the first request, the step of creating the content-specific filename comprising the further step of generating a character string by processing the contents of the file through a message digest module to create a message digest that characterizes the file contents.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of processing the message digest through a text encoder to create a character string of predetermined length.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the text encoder provides a predetermined prefix in the character string.

6. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps comprising:

issuing a first request for a file by specifying a content-specific filename;

retrieving the file from a server in response to the first request;

issuing a second request for the file by specifying the content-specific filename,

retrieving the file from a local cache in response to the second request, thereby inherently verifying that the contents of the file have not changed since the first request.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the step of issuing the first and second requests for a file further comprise the step of specifying a content-specific filename that is a globally-unique identifier for the contents of the file.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 6, further comprising the step of creating the content-specific filename prior to the step of issuing the first request, the step of creating the content-specific filename comprising the further step of generating a character string by processing the contents of the file through a message digest module to create a message digest that characterizes the file contents.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising the step of processing the message digest through a text encoder to create a character string of predetermined length.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising the step of providing a predetermined prefix in the character string.