Method, system, and program for processing a file request

• US 20050076041A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stakutis, Christopher John, Haselton, William Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

Provided are a method, system, and program that processes a file request to operate on a target file that is directed to a file system. A determination is made as to whether a rule specifies a file attribute satisfied by the target file. In response to determining that the target file satisfies the file attribute of the determined rule, a determination is made as to whether a condition specified by the determined rule is satisfied. In response to determining that the condition is satisfied, an action specified by the determined rule is performed. The file request is forwarded to the file system to execute if the rule does not inhibit the file request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

processing a file request to operate on a target file that is directed to a file system;

determining whether a rule specifies a file attribute satisfied by the target file;

in response to determining that the target file satisfies the file attribute of the determined rule, determining whether a condition specified by the determined rule is satisfied;

in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, performing an action specified by the determined rule; and

forwarding the file request to the file system to execute if the rule does not inhibit the file request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether one rule specifies the file attribute comprises processing file attributes associated with the target file to determine whether the file attributes include the rule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the rule specifies the file attribute comprises:

processing a rules database including a plurality of rules, where each rule indicates a file attribute, a condition, and an action performed if the condition and file attribute are satisfied.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the rules in the rules database implement space management, security, and data protection policies.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of rules apply to the file request to determine whether to execute multiple actions in response to the file request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the file attribute of the rule is used to apply the action specified in the rule to files having at least one of the attributes comprising:

a file name, a file directory, a file size, a file type, and an application originating the request

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition specified by the determined rule is used to apply the action specified in the rule when a condition is satisfied comprising at least one of the conditions of:

a source of the file request originating from a specified application;

a user initiating the file request specified as an authorized user;

available space in a storage system including the target file having a minimum available space; and

a file size exceeding a threshold file size.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute and condition specified in the rule check whether an application originating the file request is an authorized application, wherein the action blocks the file request if the application is not authorized or passes the file request to the file system to execute if the application is authorized.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the file request is to add the target file to the file system, and wherein the attribute and condition specified in the rule check whether the target file is of a specified type and size threshold, wherein the action blocks the file request to add the target file if the specified type and size threshold is exceed or passes the file request to the file system to execute if the specified type is satisfied and the specified size threshold is not satisfied.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the file request and the rule is performed by a program executing in a kernel of an operating system to process all requests directed to the file system, wherein the program comprises an extension of the file system.

11. A method for processing a request to update a file in a file system with update data, comprising:

processing the update request to a target file that is directed to the file system, wherein the target file is subject to a mirror copy relationship with a mirror file;

determining whether a copy operation from the target file to the mirror file is in progress;

determining whether bytes to update in the target file have been copied to the mirror file in response to determining that the copy operation is in progress; and

copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file in response to determining that the bytes to update have not been copied to the mirror file, wherein the update data is subsequently copied to the mirror file during subsequent progress of the copy operation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file and to the mirror file in response to determining that the bytes to update have been copied to the mirror file.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring the progress of the copy operation in response to determining that the bytes to update are currently being copied to the mirror file; and

copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file and to the mirror file in response to determining that the bytes to update have been copied to the mirror file while monitoring the progress of the copy operation.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing a rule indicating that the target file is subject to the mirror copy relationship that is included in a rules database including additional rules implementing space management and security policies.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

processing information indicated in attributes associated with the target file or a directory including the target file to determine whether the target file is subject to one mirror copy relationship, wherein the mirror copy operations are performed in response to determining that the attributes indicate that the target file is subject to one mirror copy relationship.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein all files in a directory are copied to a separate mirror file if the directory attributes indicate a mirror copy relationship.

17. A system comprising:

a file system including a plurality of files;

means for processing a file request to operate on a target file that is directed to the file system;

means for determining whether a rule specifies a file attribute satisfied by the target file;

means for determining, in response to determining that the target file satisfies the file attribute of the determined rule, whether a condition specified by the determined rule is satisfied;

means for performing, in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, an action specified by the determined rule; and

means for forwarding the file request to the file system to execute if the rule does not inhibit the file request.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for determining whether the rule specifies the file attribute performs:

processing a rules database including a plurality of rules, where each rule indicates a file attribute, a condition, and an action performed if the condition and file attribute are satisfied.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the rules in the rules database implement space management, security, and data protection policies.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the attribute and condition specified in the rule check whether an application originating the file request is an authorized application, wherein the action blocks the file request if the application is not authorized or passes the file request to the file system to execute if the application is authorized.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the file request is to add the target file to the file system, and wherein the attribute and condition specified in the rule check whether the target file is of a specified type and size threshold, wherein the action blocks the file request to add the target file if the specified type and size threshold is exceed or passes the file request to the file system to execute if the specified type is satisfied and the specified size threshold is not satisfied.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for processing the file request and the rule comprises a program executing in a kernel of an operating system that process all requests directed to the file system, wherein the program comprises an extension of the file system.

23. A system for processing a request to update a file with update data, comprising:

a file system;

means for processing the update request to a target file that is directed to the file system, wherein the target file is subject to a mirror copy relationship with a mirror file;

means for determining whether a copy operation from the target file to the mirror file is in progress;

means for determining whether bytes to update in the target file have been copied to the mirror file in response to determining that the copy operation is in progress; and

means for copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file in response to determining that the bytes to update have not been copied to the mirror file, wherein the update data is subsequently copied to the mirror file during subsequent progress of the copy operation.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file and to the mirror file in response to determining that the bytes to update have been copied to the mirror file.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for monitoring the progress of the copy operation in response to determining that the bytes to update are currently being copied to the mirror file; and

means for copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file and to the mirror file in response to determining that the bytes to update have been copied to the mirror file while monitoring the progress of the copy operation.

26. An article of manufacture for processing a file request to operate on a target file that is directed to a file system, wherein the article of manufacture causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

determining whether a rule specifies a file attribute satisfied by the target file;

in response to determining that the target file satisfies the file attribute of the determined rule, determining whether a condition specified by the determined rule is satisfied;

in response to determining that the condition is satisfied, performing an action specified by the determined rule; and

forwarding the file request to the file system to execute if the rule does not inhibit the file request.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein determining whether one rule specifies the file attribute comprises processing file attributes associated with the target file to determine whether the file attributes include the rule.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein determining whether the rule specifies the file attribute comprises:

processing a rules database including a plurality of rules, where each rule indicates a file attribute, a condition, and an action performed if the condition and file attribute are satisfied.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein the rules in the rules database implement space management, security, and data protection policies.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 28, wherein a plurality of rules apply to the file request to determine whether to execute multiple actions in response to the file request.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the file attribute of the rule is used to apply the action specified in the rule to files having at least one of the attributes comprising:

a file name, a file directory, a file size, a file type, and an application originating the request

32. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the condition specified by the determined rule is used to apply the action specified in the rule when a condition is satisfied comprising at least one of the conditions of:

a source of the file request originating from a specified application;

a user initiating the file request specified as an authorized user;

available space in a storage system including the target file having a minimum available space; and

a file size exceeding a threshold file size.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the attribute and condition specified in the rule check whether an application originating the file request is an authorized application, wherein the action blocks the file request if the application is not authorized or passes the file request to the file system to execute if the application is authorized.

34. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the file request is to add the target file to the file system, and wherein the attribute and condition specified in the rule check whether the target file is of a specified type and size threshold, wherein the action blocks the file request to add the target file if the specified type and size threshold is exceed or passes the file request to the file system to execute if the specified type is satisfied and the specified size threshold is not satisfied.

35. The article of manufacture of claim 26, wherein the processing of the file request and the rule is performed by a program executing in a kernel of an operating system to process all requests directed to the file system, wherein the program comprises an extension of the file system.

36. An article of manufacture for processing a request to update a file in a file system with update data, wherein the article of manufacture causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising:

processing the update request to a target file that is directed to the file system, wherein the target file is subject to a mirror copy relationship with a mirror file;

determining whether a copy operation from the target file to the mirror file is in progress;

determining whether bytes to update in the target file have been copied to the mirror file in response to determining that the copy operation is in progress; and

copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file in response to determining that the bytes to update have not been copied to the mirror file, wherein the update data is subsequently copied to the mirror file during subsequent progress of the copy operation.

37. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the operations further comprise:

copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file and to the mirror file in response to determining that the bytes to update have been copied to the mirror file.

38. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring the progress of the copy operation in response to determining that the bytes to update are currently being copied to the mirror file; and

copying the update data to the bytes to update in the target file and to the mirror file in response to determining that the bytes to update have been copied to the mirror file while monitoring the progress of the copy operation.

39. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the operations further comprise:

processing a rule indicating that the target file is subject to the mirror copy relationship that is included in a rules database including additional rules implementing space management and security policies.

40. The article of manufacture of claim 36, wherein the operations further comprise:

processing information indicated in attributes associated with the target file or a directory including the target file to determine whether the target file is subject to one mirror copy relationship, wherein the mirror copy operations are performed in response to determining that the attributes indicate that the target file is subject to one mirror copy relationship.

41. The article of manufacture of claim 40, wherein all files in a directory are copied to a separate mirror file if the directory attributes indicate a mirror copy relationship.