System and method for determining file system content relevance

• US 20060074912A1
• Filed: 09/28/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti, Pashenkov, Serge
• Application Number:
  US10/951,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20060074912A1
• 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 determining file system content relevance. According to a first embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store data and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device and to store file system content including a plurality of files. The system may further include a search engine configured to search the file system content and to produce a result set indicating one or more of the plurality of files. Each of the files indicated in the result set may be associated with a respective relevance indication, and a given relevance indication may be dependent upon content access information corresponding to the associated file.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store data;

a file system configured to manage access to said storage device and to store file system content including a plurality of files; and

a search engine configured to search said file system content and to produce a result set indicating one or more of said plurality of files;

wherein each of said files indicated in said result set is associated with a respective relevance indication; and

wherein a given relevance indication is dependent upon content access information corresponding to said associated file.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said search engine is further configured to order said files indicated in said result set dependent upon said respective relevance indications.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system is further configured to detect a content access operation corresponding to a given one of said plurality of files and to responsively store content access information in metadata associated with said given file.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said content access information is stored in a data format compliant with a version of Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said metadata is stored in a named stream corresponding to said given file.

6. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein said search engine is further configured to receive said content access information and to determine a relevance indication associated with said given file dependent upon said content access information.

7. The system as recited in claim 3, further comprising a file ranking module interposed between said search engine and said file system, wherein said file ranking module is configured to receive said content access information and to determine a relevance indication associated with said given file dependent upon said content access information.

8. A method, comprising:

storing file system content including a plurality of files;

searching said file system content; and

in response to searching said file system content, producing a result set indicating one or more of said plurality of files;

wherein each of said files indicated in said result set is associated with a respective relevance indication; and

wherein a given relevance indication is dependent upon content access information corresponding to said associated file.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising ordering said files indicated in said result set dependent upon said respective relevance indications.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a content access operation corresponding to a given one of said plurality of files;

in response to said detecting, storing content access information in metadata associated with said given file.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said content access information is stored in a data format compliant with a version of Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said metadata is stored in a named stream corresponding to said given file.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein searching said file system content is performed by a search engine, and wherein the method further comprises:

said search engine receiving said content access information; and

said search engine determining a relevance indication associated with said given file dependent upon said content access information.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein searching said file system content is performed by a search engine, and wherein the method further comprises:

a file ranking module interposed between said search engine and said file system content receiving said content access information;

said file ranking module determining a relevance indication associated with said given file dependent upon said content access information.

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

store file system content including a plurality of files;

search said file system content; and

in response to searching said file system content, produce a result set indicating one or more of said plurality of files;

wherein each of said files indicated in said result set is associated with a respective relevance indication; and

wherein a given relevance indication is dependent upon content access information corresponding to said associated file.

16. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to order said files indicated in said result set dependent upon said respective relevance indications.

17. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

detect a content access operation corresponding to a given one of said plurality of files;

in response to said detecting, store content access information in metadata associated with said given file.

18. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said content access information is stored in a data format compliant with a version of Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

19. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said metadata is stored in a named stream corresponding to said given file.

20. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein searching said file system content is performed by a search engine, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

said search engine receiving said content access information; and

said search engine determining a relevance indication associated with said given file dependent upon said content access information.

21. The computer-accessible medium as recited in claim 17, wherein searching said file system content is performed by a search engine, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

a file ranking module interposed between said search engine and said file system content receiving said content access information;

said file ranking module determining a relevance indication associated with said given file dependent upon said content access information.

22. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store data;

a file system configured to manage access to said storage device and to store file system content including a plurality of files, wherein said file system content further includes content access information dependent upon content access operations associated with said plurality of files; and

a search engine configured to search said file system content and to present results dependent upon said content access information.