FILE SYSTEM MONITORING IN A SYSTEM WHICH INCREMENTALLY UPDATES CLIENTS WITH EVENTS THAT OCCURRED IN A CLOUD-BASED COLLABORATION PLATFORM

• US 20140195485A1
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Box Incorporated
• Inventors: Dorman, Griffin
• Granted Patent: US 9,953,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/624
• 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 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for file system monitoring in a system which incrementally updates clients with what occurred in a cloud-enabled platform. In one embodiment, a method comprises, in response to an event which represents that a modification to an item has taken place on the cloud-based platform, identifying whether execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule. The method further comprises, if the execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule, buffering the event until a subsequent event arrives. The method further comprises identifying whether execution of an aggregate of the events is to violate any local file system rule.

Claims

1. A method for resolving race conditions when updating synchronization clients with what occurred in a cloud-based platform, the method comprising:

in response to an event which represents that a modification to an item has taken place on the cloud-based platform, identifying whether execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule;

if the execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule, buffering the event until a subsequent event arrives; and

identifying whether execution of an aggregate of the events is to violate any local file system rule.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the execution of the aggregate of the events is to violate any local file system rule, buffering the subsequent event until another subsequent event arrives.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the execution of the event is not to violate any local file system rule, executing the event; and

if the execution of the aggregate of the events is not to violate any local file system rule, executing the aggregate of the events.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding the event if the event remains buffered over a select amount of time; and

requesting a scan to the cloud-based platform for correct updates on the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein local file system rules include that the item cannot be added to a folder that does not exist.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein local file system rules include that a name of the item cannot be the same as another item in a same folder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein local file system rules include that a non-empty folder cannot be deleted.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a difference between a state of the item as represented in the event and a current state of the item,

wherein the identifications are based on the difference.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the state of the item includes one or more of:

a name, a parent folder, or a checksum of the item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the item is a file or a folder.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the platform is a collaboration environment shared among a user and collaborators of the user.

12. A system for resolving race conditions when incrementally updating remote clients with what occurred in a cloud-based platform, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

in response to an event which represents that a modification to an item has taken place on a cloud-based platform, identify whether execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule;

if the execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule, buffer the event until a subsequent event arrives; and

identify whether execution of an aggregate of the events is to violate any local file system rule.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further caused to:

if the execution of the aggregate of the events is to violate any local file system rule, buffer the subsequent event until another subsequent event arrives.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further caused to:

if the execution of the event is not to violate any local file system rule, execute the event; and

if the execution of the aggregate of the events is not to violate any local file system rule, execute the aggregate of the events.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further caused to:

discard the event if the event remains buffered over a select amount of time; and

request a scan to the cloud-based platform for correct updates on the item.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein local file system rules include that the item cannot be added to a folder that does not exist.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein local file system rules include that a name of the item cannot be the same as another item in a same folder.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein local file system rules include that a non-empty folder cannot be deleted.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further caused to:

determine a difference between a state of the item as represented in the event and a current state of the item,

wherein the identifications are based on the difference.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the state of the item includes one or more of:

a name, a parent folder, or a checksum of the item.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the item is a file or a folder.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the platform is a collaboration environment shared among a user and collaborators of the user.

23. A system, comprising:

means for, in response to an event which represents that a modification to an item has taken place on a cloud-based platform, identifying whether execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule;

means for, if the execution of the event is to violate any local file system rule, buffering the event until a subsequent event arrives; and

means for identifying whether execution of an aggregate of the events is to violate any local file system rule.