VIRTUAL UNIVERSAL NAMING CONVENTION NAME SPACE OVER LOCAL FILE SYSTEM

• US 20070239720A1
• Filed: 04/07/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kumar, Rohan, Christiansen, Neal, Brown, Eileen, Buban, Garret
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

Systems and methods that create a virtual name space of Universal Naming Convention (UNC) over a local file system (e.g., drive letter based names), via employing a UNC provider and filter arrangement that changes a name in the file object to reparse it to a volume where the local file exists. A name in the file object is changed to a local name (e.g., morphed name); subsequently reparsed and forwarded to a Name Space Owner component (NSO). As such, a request can originate from a UNC stack and reparsed on the local stack. The name space is presented to an application in UNC format, while the underlying file write occur in the file system.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) name space accessible to an application that issues a file I/O call;

a UNC provider that changes a name in a file object of the file I/O call, for a reparse on to a volume that a local file associated with the UNC name resides.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a Name Space Owner component (NSO) for maintenance of a mapping between the UNC name space and local names.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a UNC filter stack located between the UNC provider and an I/O manager, the I/O manager receives the file I/O call in a kernel mode.

4. The computer implemented system of claim 1, further comprising a UNC filter stack and MUP that are located between the UNC provider and an I/O manager.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a Multiple UNC provider for determination of a file system that handles the file I/O call.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 2 further comprising a user mode component that owns the UNC name space.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising a file system filter driver that identifies a prefix in a file name of the file object on the local files.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 7 further comprising a filter block that restricts access to local names.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 2 further comprising a GUID returned by the NSO to the file system.

10. A computer implemented method comprising the following computer executable acts:

originating a call on a UNC stack by an application that interacts with a UNC name space, and

reparsing file objects associated with the call to a local stack.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10 further comprising writing an underlying file associated with the call in a file system of the local stack.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 10, the reparsing act further comprising changing a name in the file object for a reparse thereof to a volume where a local file resides.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12 further comprising owning a name space by a user mode component that interacts with the application.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12 further comprising identifying a prefix that is associated with a changed name, via a filter driver.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 14 further comprising mapping between UNC file names and file locations.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15 further comprising filter blocking the file locations to limit access to a Name Space Owner.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 12, the originating act further comprising creating a new file request and transferring the new file request to an Input/Output (I/O) manager for a handling thereof.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17 further comprising identifying a storage location of a file associated with the call.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18 further comprising forwarding reparsed object files to the storage location.

20. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

calling means for initiating a call on a UNC stack; and

reparsing means positioned on a local stack for changing a name in a file object of the call.