Techniques for versioning files

• US 20080195677A1
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Micro Focus Software, Inc. (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Sudhakar, Gosukonda Naga Venkata Satya, Bhattacharjee, Anirban
• Granted Patent: US 9,563,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/128 Details of file system snapshots on the file-level, e.g. snapshot creation, administration, deletion use of snapshots for error detection or correction G06F11/14, G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor

Abstract

Techniques are presented for versioning files. Base files are acquired for files on a primary volume. At configurable points in time changes to the files are noted on different volumes, these changes are represented as deltas. The deltas are stored on an archive volume and represent versions and a version history for the files.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining a base file at a first time;

capturing changes made to the base file at a second time as a delta, wherein the delta reflects differences between the base file and the changes; and

storing the delta as a newer version of the base file in a versioning or archive storage.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capturing additional changes made to the newer version at a third time as an additional delta; and

storing the additional delta as a representation of the newer version in the versioning or the archive storage.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising, iterating the processing for yet more changes at more times to capture more deltas, where each delta represents a different version of the base file and storing each delta in the versioning or the archive storage.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

ensuring that a total number of deltas does not exceed a threshold; and

updating the base file to include application of a select number of the deltas when the total number of deltas exceeds the threshold, wherein the select number of the deltas is equal to an excess above the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing further includes receiving the second time as a configuration parameter or as an instruction from an administrator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining further includes acquiring the base file from a snapshot volume or an archive volume, wherein the base file was recorded within the snapshot volume during a snapshot operation taken at the first time.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receive a request to restore the newer version of the base file;

acquiring the delta from the versioning or the archive storage; and

delivering the delta and the base file to deliver to a client associated with the request to reproduce the newer version at the client.

8. A method, comprising:

using a snapshot volume of a primary volume to obtain base files for files residing on the primary volume;

recoding changes, which are noted on the primary volume, and which are made to the files at configurable periods, wherein the changes are represented as deltas; and

storing the deltas as versions of the base files in an archive volume.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving further includes:

receiving a request to restore a particular version for a particular file;

retrieving a particular base file associated with the particular file and one or more of the deltas that reflect the particular version being requested; and

applying the one or more deltas to the particular base file to create the particular version that satisfies the request.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein recording changes further includes using a base signatures for the base files and revised signatures to reflect the changes to the base files.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein recoding changes further includes updating a particular base file when a total number of deltas for that particular base file exceeds a threshold number.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein recording changes further includes recording the changes at configurable intervals defined by an administrator.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising, associating policy with each unique base file, wherein the policy at least defines a maximum number of deltas for a particular base file to which it relates.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising, enforcing and managing the policy in the archive volume and when particular versions of particular files are requested.

15. A system, comprising:

an archive volume; and

a versioning service, wherein the versioning service is to acquire base files for files of a primary volume and is to retain versions for the base files as deltas in the archive volume, wherein the deltas reflect changes made to the base files.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising, a snapshot service that takes snapshots of the primary volume, and wherein the versioning service is to acquire the base files from the snapshots.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising, a policy store that identifies policy for versioning at a file level of detail for each of the base files, wherein the policy is to be enforced by the versioning service.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the versioning service is to acquire the base files at configurable points in time and is to generate deltas representing the versions of the base files at configurable intervals between the configurable points in time.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the versioning service is maintain a maximum number of deltas for each of the base files or for all of the base files as a whole.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the versioning service is to supply one or more of the deltas and its corresponding base file to a client to independently reproduce a particular version at the client.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the versioning service is to apply one or more of the deltas against its corresponding base file and supply a result as a particular version to the client.

22. A system, comprising:

an administrative versioning interface; and

a versioning service, wherein the administrative versioning interface is to interact with an administrator to receive a period of time for the versioning service to version files, after the period of time occurs the versioning service versions the files, and wherein the files are versioned by taking deltas that represent changes that have taken place with the files from a last version, and the deltas are stored in an archive volume for subsequent access.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the administrative interface further is to permit the administrator to associated and define policy associated with versioning at a file-level of granularity.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the versioning service resides on a host server that houses the files for clients of a network, and wherein the deltas are sent to an archive server to be stored as versions in the archive volume.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein versioning service is to produce a particular version on demand by acquiring selective deltas representing the particular version from the archive volume and an appropriate base file and applying the deltas against the appropriate base file.