Layered Virtual File System
First Claim
1. A method of providing a virtualized workspace for a computing facility, the method comprising:
- configuring a physical workspace of the computing facility into a plurality of virtual layers, wherein the plurality of virtual layers include at least one of a base layer and a user layer, and where the base layer is configured as the bottom most layer of the plurality of virtual layers;
providing each of the plurality of virtual layers with its own file system hierarchy;
overlaying the file system hierarchy of each of the plurality of virtual layers such that a file system hierarchy in a first virtual layer is configured above a file system hierarchy in a second virtual layer and has priority; and
merging the plurality of virtual layers to provide a merged view file system to a user of the computing facility such that the presence of the plurality of virtual layers and overlaid prioritized file system hierarchy is transparent to the user.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual workspace can include an active instance of a layered virtual file system namespace. A layered virtual file system namespace is referred to by the virtual workspace and includes a collection of system data (e.g. layered virtual file system base layer), user data (e.g. layered virtual file system user layer), and virtualized applications (e.g. virtual app layer), metadata and policies (e.g. layered virtual file system layer scope). Because a virtual workspace can include software such as an operating system and one or more applications in addition to user data, a virtual workspace can be aligned with a namespace so that an operating system of the virtual workspace may be located at a “base layer”, one or more applications executing on the operating system may be located at an upper “virtual app” layer, and user data in a virtual workspace may be found at any layer at or above the user layer.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A method of providing a virtualized workspace for a computing facility, the method comprising:
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configuring a physical workspace of the computing facility into a plurality of virtual layers, wherein the plurality of virtual layers include at least one of a base layer and a user layer, and where the base layer is configured as the bottom most layer of the plurality of virtual layers; providing each of the plurality of virtual layers with its own file system hierarchy; overlaying the file system hierarchy of each of the plurality of virtual layers such that a file system hierarchy in a first virtual layer is configured above a file system hierarchy in a second virtual layer and has priority; and merging the plurality of virtual layers to provide a merged view file system to a user of the computing facility such that the presence of the plurality of virtual layers and overlaid prioritized file system hierarchy is transparent to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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3-4. -4. (canceled)
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8. (canceled)
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12-13. -13. (canceled)
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18-22. -22. (canceled)
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24-29. -29. (canceled)
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34-35. -35. (canceled)
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36. The method of claim 1, wherein priority allows for files in the first virtual layer to have priority over files with the same path name in the second virtual layer.
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36-42. -42. (canceled)
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43. A method of providing access to files in a virtual file system for a computing facility, the method comprising:
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providing each of a plurality of virtual layers with its own file system hierarchy, wherein the file system hierarchy of a first virtual layer has priority over the file system hierarchy of a second virtual layer; and merging the plurality of virtual layers to provide access to files in a merged-view that contains a file system hierarchy that comprises files from each of the plurality of virtual layers based on the priority of each of the plurality of virtual layers. - View Dependent Claims (44)
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45-47. -47. (canceled)
Specification