Specialized Network Fileserver

• US 20110179096A1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mireku, Kwasi G., Galloway, Curtis C., Masputra, Adi, Wright, John Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A method and apparatus of a portable storage device that provides a specialized network fileserver is described. In an exemplary method, the portable storage device retrieves a list of applications on the portable storage device, where each of the applications has a private filesystem. For each of the applications, the portable storage device determines if that application will share the corresponding private filesystem and adds that private filesystem to a shared filesystem of the portable storage device is that is shareable. The portable storage device further advertises the shared filesystem to a host that is coupled to the portable storage device.

Claims

1. A computerized method comprising:

retrieving, with a portable storage device, a list of a plurality of applications resident on the portable storage device, wherein each of the plurality of applications has a private filesystem of files;

for the each of the plurality of applications,

determining if that application will share the private filesystem corresponding to that application to a shared filesystem of the portable storage device,

adding, to the shared filesystem of the portable storage device, a link to the private filesystem of that application if the private filesystem is shareable;

advertising the shared filesystem of the portable storage device to a host that is coupled to the portable storage device.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the applications is in a security sandbox that prevents one of the plurality of applications from accessing a file in a private filesystem of another one of the plurality of applications.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the shared filesystem appears as a shared volume to the host.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the advertising comprising:

transmitting an advertisement includes that an identifier of the portable storage device to the host.

5. The computerized method of claim 4, wherein the identifier is a serial number of the portable storage device.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein an application resident on the host has access to files in the shared filesystem.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the portable storage device to the host with a universal serial bus link.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a private internet protocol (IP) address to an interface, wherein a portable storage service that serves the shared filesystem is bound to the interface.

9. The computerized method of claim 8, wherein the shared filesystem is accessible via the interface with a private IP address.

11. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the applications is in a security sandbox that prevents one of the plurality of applications from accessing a file in a private filesystem of another one of the plurality of applications.

12. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the shared filesystem appears as a shared volume to the host.

13. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the advertising comprising:

transmitting an advertisement includes that an identifier of the portable storage device to the host.

14. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the portable storage device to the host with a universal serial bus link.

15. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a private internet protocol (IP) address to an interface, wherein a portable storage service that serves the shared filesystem is bound to the interface.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more processing units to perform a method, the method comprising:

retrieving a list of a plurality of applications resident on the portable storage device, wherein each of the plurality of applications has a private filesystem of files;

for the each of the plurality of applications,

determining if that application will share the private filesystem corresponding to that application to a shared filesystem of the portable storage device,

adding, to the shared filesystem of the portable storage device, a link to the private filesystem of that application if the private filesystem is shareable;

advertising the shared filesystem of the portable storage device to a host that is coupled to the portable storage device.

16. An apparatus comprising:

means for retrieving a list of a plurality of applications resident on the portable storage device, wherein each of the plurality of applications has a private filesystem of files;

for the each of the plurality of applications,

means for determining if that application will share the private filesystem corresponding to that application to a shared filesystem of the portable storage device,

means for adding, to the shared filesystem of the portable storage device, a link to the private filesystem of that application if the private filesystem is shareable;

means for advertising the shared filesystem of the portable storage device to a host that is coupled to the portable storage device.

17. A computerized method of allowing access to a shared filesystem of a portable storage device to a host coupled to the portable storage device, the computerized method comprising:

receiving a request, by the portable storage device, to access the shared filesystem from the host, wherein the shared filesystem includes files corresponding to a plurality of applications and a security policy that disallows one of the plurality of applications from accessing a file in the shared filesystem that corresponds to another one of the plurality of applications; and

fulfilling that request.

18. The computerized method of claim 17, wherein the security policy is implemented with a sandbox for each of the plurality of applications.

19. The computerized method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of applications are resident on the portable storage device.

20. The computerized method of claim 17, wherein the request to access the shared filesystem is a request selected from a group consisting of writing a file to the shared filesystem, reading a file from the shared filesystem, and listing one of more files in the shared filesystem.

21. The computerized method of claim 17, wherein the shared filesystem appears as a shared volume on the host.

22. The computerized method of claim 17, wherein the portable storage device is coupled to the host with a universal serial bus link.

23. The computerized method of claim 17, wherein the shared filesystem comprises a plurality of links and each link in the plurality of links references a private filesystem of an application resident on the portable storage device.

24. The computerized method of claim 23, wherein the reference to the private filesystem is a reference to a shared directory in the private filesystem.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having executable instructions to cause one or more processing units to perform a method of allowing access to a shared filesystem of a portable storage device to a host coupled to the portable storage device, the method comprising:

receiving a request to access the shared filesystem from the host, wherein the shared filesystem includes files corresponding to a plurality of applications and a security policy that disallows one of the plurality of applications from accessing a file in the shared filesystem that corresponds to another one of the plurality of applications; and

fulfilling that request.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the security policy is implemented with a sandbox for each of the plurality of applications.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the plurality of applications are resident on the portable storage device.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the request to access the shared filesystem is a request selected from a group consisting of writing a file to the shared filesystem, reading a file from the shared filesystem, and listing one of more files in the shared filesystem.

29. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the shared filesystem appears as a shared volume on the host.

30. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the shared filesystem comprises a plurality of links and each link in the plurality of links references a private filesystem of an application resident on the portable storage device.

31. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the reference to the private filesystem is a reference to a shared directory in the private filesystem.

32. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request to access the shared filesystem from the host, wherein the shared filesystem includes files corresponding to a plurality of applications and a security policy that disallows one of the plurality of applications from accessing a file in the shared filesystem that corresponds to another one of the plurality of applications; and

means for fulfilling that request.