System and method for file system content processing

• US 20060004759A1
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Premo, Nur, Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti, Pasqua, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A system and method for file system content processing. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store data and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device, to store file system content, to perform in-band detection of a file system content access event, and to responsively generate an event record. The system may further include a content processor configured to perform out-of-band detection of the event record and to responsively generate additional file system content.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store data;

a file system configured to manage access to said storage device, to store file system content, to perform in-band detection of a file system content access event, and to responsively generate an event record; and

a content processor configured to perform out-of-band detection of said event record and to responsively generate additional file system content.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said content processor is further configured to detect a transaction encompassing activity of a plurality of applications.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said content processor is further configured to invoke an application in response to performing out-of-band detection of said event record.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said content processor is further configured to notify a query system of said file system content access event, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said file system content access event.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system content includes one or more metadata records and file data stored in one or more of a plurality of files.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said one or more metadata records are stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said metadata record is stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

9. A method, comprising:

storing file system content;

performing in-band detection of a file system content access event;

in response to said in-band detection, generating an event record;

performing out-of-band detection of said event record; and

in response to said out-of-band detection, generating additional file system content.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein performing out-of-band detection of said event record includes detecting a transaction encompassing activity of a plurality of applications.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising invoking an application in response to performing out-of-band detection of said event record.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising notifying a query system of said file system content access event, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said file system content access event.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said file system content includes one or more metadata records and file data stored in one or more of a plurality of files.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said one or more metadata records are stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein said metadata record is stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

17. A computer-accessible medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

store file system content;

perform in-band detection of a file system content access event;

in response to said in-band detection, generate an event record;

perform out-of-band detection of said event record; and

in response to said out-of-band detection, generate additional file system content.

18. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein performing out-of-band detection of said event record includes detecting a transaction encompassing activity of a plurality of applications.

19. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to invoke an application in response to performing out-of-band detection of said event record.

20. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to notify a query system of said file system content access event, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said file system content access event.

21. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said file system content includes one or more metadata records and file data stored in one or more of a plurality of files.

22. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 21, wherein said one or more metadata records are stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file.

23. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said metadata record is stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

24. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 23, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.