Method and apparatus for generating a directory structure

• US 20030088593A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Stickler, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,200,627 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9017 using directory or table look-up use of a directory or look-up table in file systems G06F16/13
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99956 File allocation

Abstract

A directory structure utilizing metadata extracted from data entities. A directory path is created by associating path fragments retrieved from each entity. The entities have their interrelationships explicitly defined through their positions in a scoped hierarchy that is independent of any underlying file structure of the storage device on which they may be held.

Claims

1. A method for generating a directory structure from a plurality of persistent data entities comprising:

extracting from each data entity metadata defining a scope thereof, at least part of each metadata including a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of a data entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related data entities at a lower level of scope;

encoding a corresponding fragment of a directory path; and

expanding said directory path by associating fragments extracted from those data entities related to each said data entity by their scope.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising encoding said fragment from said scope as a sequence of nested directories.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each nested directory corresponds to a portion of a property value defined in said metadata.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein each nested directory corresponds to a property value defined in said metadata.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising encoding the fragment with a prefix determined in accordance with the scope of said entity.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising encoding the fragment as a filename, said filename corresponding to a property value defined in said metadata.

7. An apparatus comprising a storage medium containing instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a processing device to perform:

extracting from each data entity metadata defining a scope thereof, at least part of each metadata including a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of a data entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related data entities at a lower level of scope;

encoding a corresponding fragment of a directory path; and

expanding said directory path by associating fragments extracted from those data entities related to each said data entity by their scope.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding said fragment from said scope as a sequence of nested directories.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding the fragment with a prefix determined in accordance with the scope of said entity.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding the fragment as a filename, said filename corresponding to a property value defined in said metadata.

11. A method for data interchange for use in an object-oriented programming environment containing an archive, the method comprising:

receiving a transfer request by said archive;

generating a directory structure from a plurality of persistent data entities stored in said archive, the directory structure being generated in response to the transfer request received by said archive, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope; and

extracting said metadata for each entity specified in said request whose scope enables a fragment of a directory path to be correspondingly encoded, said path being expandable by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising encoding said fragment from said scope as a sequence of nested directories.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each nested directory corresponds to a portion of a property value defined in said metadata.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein each nested directory corresponds to a property value defined in said metadata.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising encoding the fragment with a prefix determined in accordance with the scope of said entity.

16. The method according to claim 11, further comprising encoding the fragment as a filename, said filename corresponding to a property value defined in said metadata.

17. An apparatus comprising a storage medium containing instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a processing device to perform:

receiving a transfer request by said archive;

generating a directory structure from a plurality of persistent data entities stored in said archive, the directory structure being generated in response to the transfer request received by said archive, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope; and

extracting said metadata for each entity specified in said request whose scope enables a fragment of a directory path to be correspondingly encoded, said path being expandable by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding said fragment from said scope as a sequence of nested directories.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform comprising encoding the fragment with a prefix determined in accordance with the scope of said entity.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding the fragment as a filename, said filename corresponding to a property value defined in said metadata.

21. A data backup method for use in an object-oriented programming environment containing an archive, the method comprising:

receiving a backup request by said archive;

generating a directory structure from a plurality of persistent data entities stored in said archive, the structure being generated in response to the backup request received by said archive, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope; and

extracting said metadata from each entity specified in said request whose scope enables a fragment of a directory path to be correspondingly encoded, said path being expandable by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising encoding said fragment from said scope as a sequence of nested directories.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein each nested directory corresponds to a portion of a property value defined in said metadata.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein each nested directory corresponds to a property value defined in said metadata.

25. The method according to claim 21, further comprising encoding the fragment with a prefix determined in accordance with the scope of said entity.

26. The method according to claim 21, further comprising encoding the fragment as a filename, said filename corresponding to a property value defined in said metadata.

27. An apparatus comprising a storage medium containing instructions stored therein, the instructions when executed causing a processing device to perform:

receiving a backup request by said archive;

generating a directory structure from a plurality of persistent data entities stored in said archive, the structure being generated in response to the backup request received by said archive, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope; and

extracting said metadata from each entity specified in said request whose scope enables a fragment of a directory path to be correspondingly encoded, said path being expandable by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding said fragment from said scope as a sequence of nested directories.

29. An apparatus according to claim 27, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding the fragment with a prefix determined in accordance with the scope of said entity.

30. An apparatus according to claim 27, the instructions when executed causing the processing device to further perform encoding the fragment as a filename, said filename corresponding to a property value defined in said metadata.

31. A host file system comprising:

a directory structure containing a plurality of data entities persistently stored on at least one storage device, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope; and

a processor, the processor being operable to extract from each entity said metadata defining a scope thereof and to encode a corresponding fragment of a directory path, the processor being further operable to expand said path by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope such that a directory structure comprising a plurality of such paths is established.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said storage device is connected to a network.

33. The system according to claim 32, including a plurality of said storage devices.

34. A terminal for connection to a storage device having stored thereon a plurality of data entities, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope, said terminal being operable to extract from each entity said metadata defining a scope thereof and to encode a corresponding fragment of a directory path, the terminal being further operable to expand said path by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope such that a directory structure comprising a plurality of such paths is established.

35. The terminal according to claim 34, wherein said storage device is connected to a network.

36. The terminal according to claim 35, including a plurality of said storage devices.

37. An agent software process for use with a storage device having stored thereon a plurality of data entities, each entity including metadata at least part of which includes a definition of a predetermined level of scope such that within a set of related data entities, the scope of an entity at a higher level encompasses the scope of related entities at a lower level of scope, wherein said agent is operable to extract from each entity said metadata defining a scope thereof and to encode a corresponding fragment of a directory path, the agent being further operable to expand said path by associating fragments extracted from those entities related to each said entity by their scope such that a directory structure comprising a plurality of such paths is established.