On-access and on-demand distributed virus scanning

• US 20050149749A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Brabant, Luc
• Granted Patent: US 8,544,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/564 by virus signature recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/567 using dedicated hardware

Abstract

On-demand and on-access anti-virus scan requests are distributed over a plurality of virus checkers for on-demand anti-virus scanning concurrent with on-access anti-virus scanning. For example, the on-demand requests are grouped into chunks of multiple requests, and the on-demand and on-access requests are combined in a queue. Scanning for requests from a prior chunk are completed before distributing the requests for a next chunk. To give priority to the on-access requests, the on-demand requests are not placed on the queue unless the number of requests on the queue is less than a threshold. An on-access request is placed on the queue in response to a request for user access to the file. On-demand requests are produced in response to a request from a system administrator for anti-virus scanning of the files in a specified file system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a plurality of virus checkers for on-demand anti-virus scanning concurrent with on-access anti-virus scanning, the method comprising:

combining on-demand anti-virus scan requests and on-access anti-virus scan requests in a virus scan request queue; and

distributing the on-demand anti-virus scan requests and the on-access anti-virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the on-access anti-virus scan requests are produced in response to user access to files.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the on-demand anti-virus scan requests are produced in response to a system administrator requesting a scan of files within a specified file system.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pool of threads distribute the on-demand anti-virus scan requests and the on-access anti-virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers, each anti-virus scan request on the virus scan request queue being serviced by a respective one of the threads in the pool of threads.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the on-access anti-virus scan requests are given priority over the on-demand anti-virus scan requests by inhibiting the placement of on-demand anti-virus scan requests onto the virus scan request queue when the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus scan request queue reaches a threshold, and not inhibiting the placement of on-access anti-virus scan requests onto the virus scan request queue when the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus scan request queue reaches the threshold.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, which includes grouping the on-demand anti-virus scan requests into chunks of multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests, and placing the chunks onto the virus scan request queue.

7. The method as claimed in claim 5, which includes inhibiting the placement of at least one of the chunks onto the virus scan request queue until completion of anti-virus scanning for the anti-virus scan requests in a prior one of the chunks.

8. A method of operating a plurality of virus checkers, the method comprising:

distributing on-demand anti-virus scan requests and on-access anti-virus scan requests to the virus checkers so that the virus checkers perform on-demand anti-virus scanning concurrent with on-access anti-virus scanning;

which includes grouping the on-demand anti-virus scan requests into chunks of multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests, and for each chunk, distributing the multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests over the virus checkers.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the on-access anti-virus scan requests are produced in response to user access to files.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the on-demand anti-virus scan requests are produced in response to a system administrator requesting a scan of files within a specified file system.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8, which includes inhibiting the distribution of the multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests from at least one of the chunks to the virus checkers until completion of anti-virus scanning for the anti-virus scan requests in a prior one of the chunks.

12. A method of operating a plurality of virus checkers for on-demand anti-virus scanning concurrent with on-access anti-virus scanning, the method comprising:

combining on-demand anti-virus scan requests and on-access anti-virus scan requests in a virus scan request queue; and

a pool of threads distributing the on-demand anti-virus scan requests and the on-access anti-virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers, each anti-virus scan request on the virus scan request queue being serviced by a respective one of the threads in the pool of threads,

which includes grouping the on-demand anti-virus scan requests into chunks of multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests, and for each chunk, checking whether the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus checking queue is less than a threshold, and upon finding that the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus checking queue is less than the threshold, placing said each chunk on the virus scan request queue.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the on-access anti-virus scan requests are produced in response to user access to files.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the on-demand anti-virus scan requests are produced in response to a system administrator requesting a scan of files within a specified file system.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, which includes inhibiting the placement of at least one of the chunks onto the virus scan request queue until completion of anti-virus scanning for the anti-virus scan requests in a prior one of the chunks.

16. A virus checking system comprising:

a plurality of virus checkers for on-demand anti-virus scanning concurrent with on-access anti-virus scanning;

a virus scan request queue; and

at least one processor coupled to the virus checkers and the virus scan request queue for sending virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers, said at least one processor being programmed for placing on-demand anti-virus scan requests and on-access anti-virus scan requests onto the virus scan request queue, and for distributing the on-demand anti-virus scan requests and the on-access virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers.

17. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one processor and said virus scan request queue are in a file server, and the virus checkers are separate from the file server.

18. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is programmed to place each on-access request onto the virus scan request queue in response to user access of a respective file.

19. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is programmed to produce the on-demand anti-virus scan requests in response to a system administrator requesting a scan of files within a specified file system.

20. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is programmed to execute multiple threads for distributing the on-demand anti-virus scan requests and the on-access anti-virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers, each anti-virus scan request on the virus scan request queue being serviced by a respective one of the threads in the pool of threads.

21. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is programmed for giving the on-access anti-virus scan requests priority over the on-demand anti-virus scan requests by inhibiting the placement of on-demand anti-virus scan requests onto the virus scan request queue when the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus scan request queue reaches a threshold, and not inhibiting the placement of on-access anti-virus scan requests onto the virus scan request queue when the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus scan request queue reaches the threshold.

22. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said at least one of the processors is programmed for grouping the on-demand anti-virus scan requests onto chunks of multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests, and placing the chunks onto the virus scan request queue.

23. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 22, which includes inhibiting the placement of at least one of the chunks onto the virus scan request queue until completion of anti-virus scanning for the anti-virus scan requests in a prior one of the chunks.

24. A virus checking system comprising:

a plurality of virus checkers for on-demand anti-virus scanning concurrent with on-access anti-virus scanning; and

a file server coupled to the virus checkers for sending virus scan requests to the virus checkers, the file server including a virus scan request queue, and the file server being programmed for placing on-demand anti-virus scan requests and on-access anti-virus scan requests onto the virus scan request queue; and

for executing multiple threads for distributing the on-demand anti-virus scan requests and the on-access anti-virus scan requests from the virus scan request queue to the virus checkers, each anti-virus scan request on the virus scan request queue being serviced by a respective one of the threads in the pool of threads, the file server further being programmed for grouping the on-demand anti-virus scan requests into chunks of multiple ones of the on-demand anti-virus scan requests, and for consecutively placing the chunks onto the virus scan request queue.

25. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the file server is programmed for producing the on-access anti-virus scan requests in response to user access to files.

26. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the file server is programmed to produce the on-demand anti-virus scan requests in response to a system administrator requesting a scan of files within a specified file system.

27. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the file server is programmed for checking for each chunk whether the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus checking queue is less than a threshold, and upon finding that the number of anti-virus scan requests on the virus checking queue is less than the threshold, placing said each chunk on the virus scan request queue.

28. The virus checking system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the file server is programmed for inhibiting the placement of at least one of the chunks onto the virus scan request queue until completion of anti-virus scanning for the anti-virus scan requests in a prior one of the chunks.