Method for dynamically expanding and rapidly accessing file directories
First Claim
1. In a system including a CPU and an external store, said external store having resistant thereon files of records and directories, said CPU having an operating system (OS), internal storage, and means including the OS and internal storage for establishing an access path to said files, records, and directories on the external store, a method for attribute oriented accessing of files having at least zero records, each record having at least one field, any access path from the CPU to files and records on said external store being defined by at least one directory, comprising the steps of:
- (a) forming a first directory of records by said OS in internal storage and copied to said external store, in which each record entry includes a token, attributes, and an external storage address or pointer thereto, each token comprising a unique identifier for the record entry and a unique identifier for any parent file or record of the record entry, said entries being arranged in token sorted order, traverse of said tokens constituting a leaf search B-tree, the identifiers constituting each token being members of an infinite set such that when once the token is removed from the directory the token is never repeated;
(b) forming a second directory from said first directory by said OS in internal storage and copied to said external store, each entry including a predetermine attribute (e.g. record name) and a counterpart token, said entries being arranged in the second directory in predetermined attribute sorted order; and
(c) responsive to a selected instance of the predetermined attribute as a search argument, accessing target records by way of a leaf searchable path through the second and first directories conducted by the OS in internal storage and the accessing means.
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Abstract
A computer-implemented method for the name-oriented accessing of files having at least zero records, any access path to files and records through an external store coupling the computer being defined by a pair of related directories. A first directory of record entries is sorted on a two-part token. The token consists of a unique sequence number assigned to the record and the sequence number of any parent record entry. Each record entry includes the token, file or record name, and external store address or pointer A traverse through the tokens constitutes a leaf-searchable B-tree.
Rapid access to target records is by way of a name-sorted, inverted directory of names and tokens as a subset and which is reconstitutable from the first directory in the event of unavailability.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. In a system including a CPU and an external store, said external store having resistant thereon files of records and directories, said CPU having an operating system (OS), internal storage, and means including the OS and internal storage for establishing an access path to said files, records, and directories on the external store, a method for attribute oriented accessing of files having at least zero records, each record having at least one field, any access path from the CPU to files and records on said external store being defined by at least one directory, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a first directory of records by said OS in internal storage and copied to said external store, in which each record entry includes a token, attributes, and an external storage address or pointer thereto, each token comprising a unique identifier for the record entry and a unique identifier for any parent file or record of the record entry, said entries being arranged in token sorted order, traverse of said tokens constituting a leaf search B-tree, the identifiers constituting each token being members of an infinite set such that when once the token is removed from the directory the token is never repeated; (b) forming a second directory from said first directory by said OS in internal storage and copied to said external store, each entry including a predetermine attribute (e.g. record name) and a counterpart token, said entries being arranged in the second directory in predetermined attribute sorted order; and (c) responsive to a selected instance of the predetermined attribute as a search argument, accessing target records by way of a leaf searchable path through the second and first directories conducted by the OS in internal storage and the accessing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9)
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5. In a system including a CPU and an external store having resident thereon files of records and directories, said CPU having an operating system (OS), internal storage, and means including the OS and internal storage for establishing an access path to the files, records, and directories on the external store, a method for the name oriented accessing of files having at least zero records, each record having at least one field, each parent record or file having a unique sequence number assigned thereto, any access path from the CPU to files and records on said external store being defined by at least one directory, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a first directory of record entries by said OS an internal storage and copied to said external store said record entries being sorted on a unique sequence number as the first field of an ordered pair of fields, each record entry including the ordered pair, record or file name, and external address or pointer fields, the second number of the ordered pair being the same as the unique sequence number assigned to a parent record or file of the record entry, a traverse through said ordered pairs constituting a leaf searchable B-tree, the ordered pair constituting each token being members of an infinite set such that when once the token is removed from the directory the token is never repeated; (b) forming a second directory from the first directory by said OS in internal storage and copied to said external store, each entry including a name and an ordered pair, said entries being arranged in the second directory in name sorted order; (c) responsive to a selected instance of a file or record name as a search argument, accessing any target records by establishing a leaf searchable B-tree path through said second and first directories as conducted by the OS in internal storage and the enclosing means; and (d) assigning a unique sequence number by the OS, not previously assigned, responsive to causing any new record entry to be made in the first directory.
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6. In a system including a CPU and an external store having resident thereon files of records and directories, said CPU having an operating system (OS), internal storage, and means including the OS and internal storage for establishing an access path to the files, records, and directories on the external store, a space efficient method for the name oriented accessing of files having key based variable length records using at least one directory, comprising the steps of:
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(a) forming a leaf search B-tree organized key or storage location directory of records and their descriptive attributes by said OS in internal storage and copied to said external store, and, expanding, populating, and amending said directory responsive to a write access, said attribute directory having a domain relatively infinite to the domain of keys, each key including a unique identifier for a counterpart record and a unique identifier for any parent file or record, the identifiers constituting each key being members of an infinite set such that when once the token is removed from the directory the token is never repeated; (b) forming from said attribute directory of a leaf search B-tree organized directory of names or pointers to said attribute directory entries, said name directory being formed by the OS in internal storage and copied to said external store; and (c) responsive to a selected instance of a file name, accessing target records by establishing a leaf search path through the name and attribute directories as conducted by the OS in internal storage and the accessing means.
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Specification