Using directory historical data to facilitate automated file updates

• US 20070185919A1
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mein, Gunnar, Kaplan, Keith, Goley, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,464,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for using directory historical data to facilitate automated file updates. A pair of directories is updated, for example, synchronized, with one another. Directory historical data, such as, for example, previous contents of the directories, is utilized to determine what file operations are to be performed during an update. User-selectable update modes can also be used to further configure what file operations are performed during an update.

Claims

1. At a computer system, a method for synchronizing the contents of a pair of directories, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an indication that a first directory and a second directory are to be synchronized;

an act of referring to directory historical data for the first and second directories, the directory historical data indicating at least the previous contents of the first and second directories when the first and second directories were previously synchronized;

an act of comparing the directory historical data to at least the current contents of the first and second directories to identify differences between the previous contents of the first and second directories and the current contents of the first and second directories that indicate how the first and second directories are to be synchronized; and

an act of utilizing the identified differences to synchronize the first and second directories, the identified differences being utilized to better represent what the intended contents of the first and second directories are to be after synchronization.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an indication that a first directory and a second directory are to be synchronized comprises an act of receiving user input.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the an act of receiving an indication that a first directory and a second directory are to be synchronized comprises an act of receiving a indication from a scheduling module that maintains a schedule of when directories are to be synchronized.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of referring to directory historical data for the first and second directories comprises act of referring to images listing the contents of the first and second directories.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of comparing the directory historical data to at least the current contents of the first and second directories to identify differences comprises an act of comparing a list of the previous contents of the first an second directory to the current contents of the first and second directory.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of utilizing the identified differences to synchronize the first and second directories comprises an act of utilizing the differences to identify file operations that are to be performed on eh first an second directories.

15. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of comparing the current contents of the first directory to the first snapshot comprises an act of determining if a file'"'"'s contents represented in the snapshot for the first directory differ from the file'"'"'s contents currently in the first directory.

16. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of identifying one or more file operations to perform on each of the categorized files based on the user-selected update mode comprises an act of identifying one or more file operations to perform on each file on a per file basis.

17. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of identifying one or more file operations to perform on each of the categorized files based on the user-selected update mode comprises an act of identifying one or more file operations to perform on each file on a per category basis.

18. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of identifying one or more file operations to perform on each of the categorized files based on the user-selected update mode comprises an act of identifying one or more filer operations selected from among file copy, file delete, and file rename.

19. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of performing the identified file system operations on the categorized files to update the first and second directories comprises an act of performing one or more of a file copy, file delete, and file rename.

20. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

an act of saving a new snapshot of the first directory subsequent to performing the identified file system operations, the new snapshot of the first directory at least listing the contents of the first directory that resulted from completing the user-selected directory update action; and

an act of saving a new snapshot of the second directory subsequent to performing the identified file system operations, the new snapshot of the second directory at least listing the contents of the second directory that resulted from completing the user-selected directory update action.

7. At a computer system, a method for updating the contents of a pair of directories, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an indication that a first directory and a second directory are to be updated in accordance with a user-selected directory update mode;

an act of referring to a first saved snapshot of the first directory, the first saved snapshot of the first directory saved prior to receiving the indication that the first and second directories are to be updated, the first saved snapshot of the first directory storing at least a list of files included in the first directory after a previous update of the first and second directories;

an act of referring to a second saved snapshot of the second directory, the second saved snapshot of the second directory saved prior to receiving the indication that the first and second directories are to be updated, the second saved snapshot of the second directory storing at least a list of files included in the second directory after the previous update;

an act of comparing the current contents of the first directory to the first snapshot;

an act of comparing the current contents of the second directory to the second snapshot;

an act of categorizing the contents of the first and second directories into one or more categories based on the results of the comparisons;

an act of identifying one or more file operations to perform on each of the categorized files based on the user-selected update mode; and

an act of performing the identified file system operations on the categorized files to update the first and second directories in accordance with the user-selected update mode.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the act of receiving an indication that a first directory and a second directory are to be updated in accordance with a user-selected directory update mode comprises an act of receiving an indication of a user-selected update mode from a user interface.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the an act of receiving an indication of an user-selected update mode from a user interface comprises an act of receiving an indication of an user-selected update mode selected from among, a synchronize mode, am echo mode, a subscribe mode, a contribute mode, and a combine mode.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the act of referring to a saved snapshot of the first directory comprises an act of referring to a snapshot that lists each in file the first directory and includes one or more file attributes for each file in the first directory.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the act of referring to a saved snapshot of the second directory comprises an act of referring to a snapshot that lists each file the second directory and includes one or more file attributes for each file in the second directory.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the act of comparing the current contents of the first directory to the first snapshot comprises an act of determining if a file listed in the snapshot for the first directory is included in the current contents of the first directory.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the act of comparing the current contents of the first directory to the first snapshot comprises an act of determining if a file'"'"'s attributes contained in the snapshot of the first directory differ from the file'"'"'s attributes in the current contents of the first directory.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the act of determining if a file'"'"'s attributes contained in the snapshot of the first directory differ from the file'"'"'s attributes in the current contents of the first directory comprises determining if the file'"'"'s name has changed.

21. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for updating the contents of a pair of directories, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to perform the following:

receive an indication that a first directory and a second directory are to be updated in accordance with a user-selected directory update mode;

refer to a saved snapshot of the first directory, the saved snapshot of the first directory saved prior to receiving the indication that the first and second directories are to be updated, the saved snapshot of the first directory storing at least a list of files included in the first directory after a previous update of the first and second directories;

refer to a saved snapshot of the second directory, the saved snapshot of the second directory saved prior to receiving the indication that the first and second directories are to be updated, the saved snapshot of the second directory storing at least a list of files included in the second directory after the previous update;

compare the current contents of the first directory to the first snapshot;

compare the current contents of the second directory to the second snapshot;

categorize the contents of the first and second directories into one or more categories based on the results of the comparisons;

identify one or more file operations to perform on each of the categorized files based on the user-selected update mode; and

perform the identified file system operations on the categorized files to update the first and second directories in accordance with the user-selected update mode.