Method for Associating Administrative Policies with User-Definable Groups of Files

• US 20090254585A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsao, Brian, Mark, Timothy, Pruscino, Angelo, Lebel, Diane, Akers, David, Beltz, James, Glover, Frederick S.
• Application Number:
  US12/061,602
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254585A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata

Abstract

A method and apparatus for associating administrative policies with user-definable groups of files is provided. The groups of files are defined by assigning tags to files or directories. Tags are a part of metadata stored by an operating system for the files and directories. Tags associated with files or directories remain as files or directories are moved or copied in the file system. Files created inside a directory that contains certain tags inherit tags of the parent directory. Command line and graphical interfaces for tag management are provided. The interfaces let users assign tags to files or directories, remove tags assigned to files or directories, or list tags already assigned to files or directories. The interfaces also let users associate services and administrative policies with tags.

Claims

1. A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform certain steps including:

associating a tag with a directory;

after associating the tag with the directory, creating a new object within the directory associated with the tag; and

in response to creating the new object within the directory that is associated with the tag, associating the new object with the tag;

wherein only objects newly created in the directory after the tag has been associated with the directory inherit the tag;

wherein objects that already exist in the directory at a time that the tag is associated with the directory do not automatically become associated with the tag.

10. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 1.

2. A method comprising performing a machine-executed operation involving instructions, wherein said instructions are instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform certain steps including:

associating a tag with a set of file system objects;

associating the tag with a service and a set of attributes associated with the service; and

performing the service on the set of file system objects associated with the tag.

3. The method of claim 2 where the set of file system objects includes a file.

4. The method of claim 2 where the set of file system objects includes a directory.

5. The method of claim 2 where the set of file system objects are located in multiple file systems.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the service is a replication service.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the service is a hierarchical storage management service.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the service is a retention service.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the service is a backup service.

11. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 2.

12. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 3.

13. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 4.

14. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 5.

15. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 6.

16. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 7.

17. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 8.

18. A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the method recited in claim 9.