Single view of data in a networked computer system with distributed storage

• US 20070016586A1
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Samji, Mohammed, Brezak, John, Yadav, Anil
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/192 Implementing virtual folder structures

Abstract

A host computer system obtains a request for an aggregated view of content in a computer network corresponding to a criterion. The host computer system queries networked computer systems to identify data objects according to the criterion. Each responding computer system provides an identification set of specified data objects that are stored at the responding computer to the host computer systems. The host computer system merges the identification sets to form the aggregated view of content to a user. If a specified data object is replicated to networked computers, the host computer system provides one instance of the specified data object in the query result. Consequently, concurrent utilization of file synchronization and the aggregated view of data objects are facilitated. If a specified data object is stored at the host computer system, the host computer system blocks querying of networked computers about the specified data object.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon in a local computer system connected to a computer network, said instructions configured to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a request to identify specified data objects in accordance with a criterion;

(b) determining the specified data objects that are stored on the local computer system and that correspond to a local identification set of the specified data objects;

(c) querying a first computer system in the computer network for the specified data objects that are not stored on the local computer;

(d) obtaining a first identification set of the specified data objects that are stored at the first computer system; and

(e) merging the local identification set and the first identification set to form a merged identification set.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

(f) generating a result from the merged identification set.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the steps of:

(f) querying a second computer system in the computer network for the specified data objects that are not stored on the local computer;

(g) obtaining a second identification set of the specified data objects that are stored at the second computer system;

(h) if the first identification set and the second identification set contain a corresponding identification of a replicated data object, maintaining only one identification for the replicated data object; and

(i) merging the local identification set, the first identification set, and the second identification set to form a merged identification set.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein (f) includes computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

displaying the results to a user.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer network includes a third computer system and the computer-executable instructions are further configured to perform the steps of:

(f) if the third computer system is on-line in the computer network, obtaining a third identification set of the specified data objects that are stored at the third computer system; and

(g) merging the third identification set with the first identification set and the local identification set.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer network includes a third computer system and the computer-executable instructions are further configured to perform the steps of:

(f) if the third computer system is off-line, obtaining a third identification set of specified data objects of the third computer system from a cache memory.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein (a) includes computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

determining that the specified data objects are associated with a unique identifier corresponding to a user.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the user is an owner of the specified data objects.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the result is represented without identifying associated locations of the specified data objects.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

(g) grouping the result according to a sorting criterion.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the sorting criterion corresponds to a location of the specified data objects.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

(f) initiating the request in response to occurrence of a specified event.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

(f) limiting a number of remote computer systems that are queried to identify the specified data objects.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

(f) synchronizing a data object based on the merged identification set.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 2, having computer-executable instructions further configured to perform the step of:

(g) highlighting an entry in the result to indicate that an associated data object has been modified since generating a previous result to identify specified data objects.

16. A computer system that queries networked computers about data objects distributed in a computer network, the computer system comprising:

a network interface that enables the computer system to communicate with a first computer system and a second computer system in the computer network;

a user interface module;

a replication data structure that contains an indication of replicated data objects; and

a content query service module that receives a request to identify specified data objects in accordance with a criterion from a user through the user interface module, that obtains a first identification set of the specified data objects stored at the first computer system and a second identification set of the specified data objects stored at the second computer system, that deletes a corresponding identification of a replicated data object from one of the identification sets in accordance with the indication of replicated data objects, and that merges the first identification set and the second identification set.

17. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising:

a peer status data structure that provides status information as to whether a remote computer is off-line; and

wherein the content query service module blocks a query to the remote computer if the remote computer is off-line.

18. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising:

a local memory that stores previously accessed data objects from the remote computer; and

wherein the content query service module obtains an associated identification set of the specified data objects from the local memory with the first identification set and the second identification set.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the local memory comprises a cache memory.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon in a local computer system connected to a computer network, said instructions configured to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a request to identify specified data objects in accordance with a criterion;

(b) determining the specified data objects that are stored on the local computer system and that correspond to a local identification set of the specified data objects;

(c) querying a first computer system and a second computer system for the specified data objects that are not stored on the local computer;

(d) receiving a first response from the first computer with a first identification set of the specified objects and a second response from the second computer system with the second identification set of the specified data objects;

(e) if each of the first identification set and the second identification set contains corresponding identification of a replicated data object, maintaining only one identification for the replicated data object;

(f) merging the local identification set, the first identification set, and the second identification set to form a merged identification set; and

(g) generating a result from the merged identification set.