Policy based composite file system and method

• US 20060259949A1
• Filed: 10/31/2005
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Softricity (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Levin, Ilya, Schaefer, Stuart, Schmeidler, Yonah
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A policy configurable file system includes a computer system upon which the policy configurable file system operates, a policy source for providing the configuration policies, and one or more file servers. The computer system includes software for enforcing one or more configuration policies. The policy source is typically either a policy server such that the policy is derived from the policy server, or a policy configurable file system, such that the policy is embedded in the policy configurable file system. The one or more file servers each uses a protocol, wherein the protocols of the one or more file servers are not all the same. In one case, the one or more of the configurable policies are separable from the policy configurable file system. In another case, the one or more configurable policies are downloadable to the computer system.

Claims

1. A policy configurable file system, comprising:

a computer system upon which the policy configurable file system operates, wherein the computer system includes software for enforcing one or more configuration policies;

a policy source for providing the configuration policies, wherein the policy source is (i) a policy server such that the policy is derived from the policy server, or (ii) the policy configurable file system, such that the policy is embedded in the policy configurable file system;

one or more file servers, each of which uses a protocol, wherein the protocols of the one or more file servers are not all the same.

2. The policy configurable file system of claim 1, wherein the one or more configurable policies are separable from the policy configurable file system.

3. The policy configurable file system of claim 1, wherein the one or more configurable policies are downloadable to the computer system.

4. The policy configurable file system of claim 1, wherein the policy configurable file system consists of two or more parts, and at least one of the parts is independently downloadable to the computer system.

5. The policy configurable file system of claim 1, wherein the policy configurable file system consists of two or more parts that are independently managed.

6. The policy configurable file system of claim 5, wherein the two or more parts are stored independent of one another.

7. The policy configurable file system of claim 1, wherein the policy source includes a distributed set of servers.

8. The policy configurable file system of claim 1, wherein the policy source is distributed over a plurality of locations, and the configuration policies are provided by one of or a combination of the plurality of locations.

9. The policy configurable file system of claim 8, wherein the plurality of locations includes a local host PC, a downloadable BRIQ package, a server, and a dedicated policy server.

10. A composite file system having a plurality of independent deliverable parts, comprising:

one or more servers, each hosting one to N independent deliverable parts, wherein each independent deliverable part includes a downloadable file system;

one or more rules for composition, wherein each one of the one or more rules for composition defines an aspect of how the independent deliverable parts combine with one another;

a computer system for receiving and running the independent deliverable parts, wherein the computer system includes software code for executing the one or more rules for composition.

11. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein the independent deliverable parts include at least one read-only part and at least one read-write part.

12. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein the independent deliverable parts include at least one downloadable part and at least one part that is locally resident on the computer system.

13. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein the independent deliverable parts include at least one part that is uniquely associated with a user or a group of users.

14. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein the independent deliverable parts include at least one part that is not pre-defined as a BRIQ part.

15. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein a combining of independent deliverable parts with one another according to the one or more rules for composition is transparent to a user of the composite file system.

16. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein the independent deliverable parts include at least one downloadable part and at least one persistent part that is not part of a cache.

17. The composite file system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the independent deliverable parts is defined by a policy.

18. The composite file system of claim 17, wherein the policy is downloaded from the one or more servers to the computer system.

19. The composite file system of claim 17, wherein the policy is downloaded from one of or a combination of a plurality of locations.

20. A composite file system with an integrated volume name space, comprising:

a computer system upon which the composite file system operates;

one or more servers, each hosting one or more independent deliverable volume parts;

software code for integrating name spaces of the one or more independent deliverable volume parts, including;

(i) software code for receiving a local file name from the computer system and translating the local file name to a global file name;

(ii) software code for receiving the global file name and identifying one or more volume part locations that contain an object corresponding to the global file name; and

,

(iii) software code for mapping the object contained in the one or more volume part locations to the local computer system.

21. The composite file system of claim 20, further including software code for compositing, at the local computer system, partial objects from two or more volume part locations.

22. The composite file system of claim 20, wherein the software code for integrating name spaces is controlled by a policy.

23. The composite file system of claim 22, wherein the policy is downloaded from the one or more servers to the computer system.

24. The composite file system of claim 20, wherein the software code for integrating name spaces is at least partially provided via a simlink.

25. The composite file system of claim 20, wherein the software code for integrating name spaces integrates the name spaces across two or more if the independently deliverable volume parts.

26. The composite file system of claim 20, wherein the software code for integrating name spaces integrates the name spaces between one of the independently deliverable volume parts and an external file system.

27. The composite file system of claim 20, wherein the software code for integrating name spaces integrates the name spaces between a one of the independently deliverable volume parts and an individual file.