SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NOTIFYING LISTENERS OF EVENTS

• US 20100306786A1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Isilon Systems Incorporated (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Passey, Aaron J., Fachan, Neal T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

In one embodiment, systems and methods are provided for tracking events wherein an event system monitors certain areas of a system. When an event occurs in one area of the system, the event system notifies the processes listening to that area of the system of the event.

Claims

1. An event listening system, the event listening system comprising:

a file system including a plurality of files, the plurality of files logically stored in a tree;

a first data structure configured to track, for each of the plurality of files, a set of listening files that are listening for events that affect the corresponding file;

a plurality of processes that each listen for events that affect at least one of the plurality of files;

a second data structure configured to track, for each of the plurality of files, which of the plurality of processes are listening to the corresponding file;

a listening module configured to receive an identifier for a first file of the plurality of files and to determine, using the first data structure and the second data structure, whether the first file is relevant to any of the plurality of processes;

a traverse module configured to traverse a first set of first data structures that correspond to a subset of the plurality of files that represent one branch of the tree including the first file; and

an update module configured to update at least one of the first data structures in the first set corresponding to the file in at least one traversed level by reviewing a scope of at least one of the listening files of the first data structure that corresponds to the file'"'"'s parent.

2. The event listening system of claim 1, wherein the file system is a distributed file system comprising a plurality of nodes in communication via a network, each of the plurality of nodes comprising a processor and a memory, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of files are stored, in parts, across the memories of two or more of the plurality of nodes.

3. The event listening system of claim 1, wherein the files include files and directories.

4. The event listening system of claim 1, wherein the second data structure comprises:

for each of the plurality of files, a set of processes listening to the corresponding file.

5. The event listening system of claim 4, wherein the second data structure further comprises:

for each of the processes, a scope of files related to the corresponding file for which the corresponding process is listening.

6. The event listening system of claim 5, wherein the listening module is further configured to determine whether the processes listening to the file include a scope that encompasses the first file.

7. The event listening system of claim 4, wherein the second data structure further comprises:

for each of the processes, a set of events for which the corresponding process is listening.

8. The event listening system of claim 1, wherein the listening module is further configured to review the first data structure corresponding to the first file;

for each listening file in the set of listening files, to use the second data structure to determine whether there are any processes listening to the file.

9. The event listening system of claim 1 further comprising:

an event message module configured to send an event message to the plurality of processes that are relevant to the first file.

26. The event listening system of claim 1, wherein the listening module receives the identifier for the first file in response to an event related to the first file.

10. The event listening system of claim further comprising:

a plurality of message queues corresponding to the plurality of processes and configured to receive and queue the event messages.

11. A method for listening for events, the method comprising:

retrieving computer-executable instructions from computer storage;

executing the computer-executable instructions on at least one computer processor, causing computer hardware to perform operations comprising;

logically storing a plurality of files in a tree;

for each of the plurality of files, tracking a set of listening files that are listening for events that affect the corresponding file;

storing a plurality of processes that each listen for events that affect at least one of the plurality of files;

for each of the plurality of files, tracking which of the plurality of processes are listening to the corresponding file files;

receiving an identifier for a first file of the plurality of files;

determining, using the first data structure and the second data structure, whether the first file is relevant to any of the plurality of processes;

traversing a first set of first data structures that correspond to a subset of the plurality of files that represent one branch of the tree including the first file; and

updating at least one of the corresponding first data structures in the first set corresponding to the file in at least one traversed level, wherein updating includes reviewing a scope of at least one of the listening files of the first data structure that corresponds to the file'"'"'s parent.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the file system is a distributed file system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the files include files and directories.

27. The method of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending an event message to the plurality of processes that are relevant to the first file.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise receiving and queuing the event messages.

29. The method of claim 11, wherein the logically storing the plurality of files in a tree comprises storing at least a subset of the plurality of files in parts, across the memories of two or more of a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes in communication via a network.

14-25. -25. (canceled)

30. An event listening system, the event listening system comprising:

a file system including a plurality of files, the plurality of files logically stored in a tree;

a first data structure configured to track, for each of the plurality of files, a set of listening files that are listening for events that affect the corresponding file;

a plurality of processes that each listen for events that affect at least one of the plurality of files;

a second data structure configured to track, for each of the plurality of files, which of the plurality of processes are listening to the corresponding file;

a listening module configured to receive an identifier for a first file of the plurality of files and to determine, using the first data structure and the second data structure, whether the first file is relevant to any of the plurality of processes;

a traverse module configured to traverse a first set of first data structures that correspond to a subset of the plurality of files that represent one branch of the tree including the first file;

an update module configured to update at least one of the first data structures in the first set corresponding to the file in at least one traversed level by reviewing a scope of at least one of the listening files of the first data structure that corresponds to the file'"'"'s parent; and

an event message module configured to send an event message to the plurality of processes that are relevant to the first file.

31. The event listening system of claim 30, further comprising:

a plurality of message queues corresponding to the plurality of processes and configured to receive and queue the event messages.

32. The event listening system of claim 30, wherein the file system is a distributed file system comprising a plurality of nodes in communication via a network, each of the plurality of nodes comprising a processor and a memory, wherein at least a subset of the plurality of files are stored, in parts, across the memories of two or more of the plurality of nodes.