Method and apparatus for operating a computer based file system

• US 5,388,257 A
• Filed: 05/23/1994
• Issued: 02/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bauer, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/247,619
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 395/400, 395/425, 395/600, 395/700
• US Class Current: 707/741
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/148 File search processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1794 Details of file format conversion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/956 Hierarchical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A computer-based file system accesses files with search requests evoked by file identifiers that are embedded in standard operating system calls. The file identifiers can be different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname of the file, and it can include criterion type/value pairs, multiple syntax structures, substrings of the files, database calls, and phonetic spellings.

Claims

1. A computer-based file apparatus for accessing any of a plurality of previously-stored data files, each of said data files identified by a filename, the apparatus comprising

means for receiving a file identifier comprised of a string of characters as part of a standard operating system call, said file identifier being different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname for said desired data file, said file identifier containing one or more search criterion type/value pairs, wherein each search type/value pair includes a search criterion type and a search criterion value, and

means for locating one or more desired data files by matching at least one of said search criterion type/value pairs directly against a characteristic of said data files, the locating of the desired data files being performed in the absence of requiring a presorting of said data files.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including

means for returning a key value and a filename associated with each located data file to the user, each key value being used by said apparatus for identifying the location of an associated data file.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said file name and said key value are returned to the user in a directory entry format.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the key value is an inode index value.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the key value includes an inode index value and a generation number.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one search criterion type/value pair is a phonetic spelling of a file name.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one search criterion type/value pair identifies two or more of said data files.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one search criterion value is a data substring which is to be matched against the contents of said data files.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one search criterion type/value pair is a file attribute value of a desired one or more data files, said file attribute value being stored in a structure of a file.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the file identifier includes a base name segment and one or more appended segments and wherein said locating means utilizes at least one of said appended segments as a search criterion type and uses said base name segment as a matching search criterion value to locate said one or more data files.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of said appended segments is a suffix of said base name segment.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein at least one of said appended segments is a prefix of said base name segment.

13. A client/server network including a server apparatus arranged to communicate over a facility to one or more client apparatuses, said server apparatus storing a plurality of previously-stored data files, each identified by a filename, wherein

each client apparatus includes means for generating and transmitting a file identifier comprised of a string of characters as part of a standard operating system call to said server apparatus, said file identifier being different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname for said desired data file, said file identifier containing one or more search criterion type/value pairs, each search criterion type/value pair having a search criterion type and value, each search criterion type/value pair being matched directly against a characteristic of the previously-stored data files, and

said server apparatus includes a computer-based file apparatus for directly accessing any of the previously-stored data files using at least one of said search criterion type/value pairs, each search criterion type/value pair being matched directly against a characteristic of the previously stored data files, the accessing being performed in the absence of requiring presorting of said data files.

14. A computer-based file apparatus for accessing a desired data file from a group of previously-stored data files, each of said data files identified by a filename, the apparatus comprising

means for receiving a file identifier comprised of a string of characters as part of a standard operating system call, said file identifier being different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname for said desired data file, said file identifier including one or more search criterion type/value pairs, each including a search criterion type and a search criterion value,

means for dividing said file identifier to obtain at least one search criterion type/value pair, and

means for locating a desired data file by matching said at least one of search criterion type/value pairs directly against a characteristic of each of said data files, the locating of said desired data file being performed in the absence of requiring a presorting of said data files.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said search criterion type/value pair is an inode value.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said locating means uses two search criterion type/value pairs including an inode value in combination with a generation number of said inode value.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said search criterion type/value pair is a "fileid" file identifier of a MACINTOSH system.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said search criterion type/value pair is a "dirid" directory identifier of a MACINTOSH system.

19. A client/server network including a server apparatus arranged to communicate over a facility to one or more client apparatuses, said server apparatus storing a plurality of previously-stored data files, each identified by a filename, wherein

each client apparatus includes means for generating and transmitting a file identifier comprised of a string of characters as part of a standard operating system call, said file identifier being different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname for said desired data file, said file identifier including one or more search criterion type/value pairs, each search criterion type/value pair having a criterion type and a criterion value and,

said server apparatus including

means for dividing said file identifier to obtain at least one search criterion type/value pair and

means for locating a desired data file by matching said at least one search criterion type/value pair directly against a characteristic of each of said data files, the locating of said desired data file being performed in the absence of requiring a presorting of said data files.

20. In a computer-based file system, a method of accessing any desired data file of a plurality of previously-stored data files stored in a memory accessible by a computer of said system, each of said data files identified by a file name, the method comprising the steps of

receiving a file identifier comprised of a string of characters at said system as part of a standard operating system call, said file identifier being different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname for said desired data file, said file identifier containing one or more search criterion type/value pair, each search criterion type/value pair having a search criterion type and value, and

locating at least one desired data file, in said memory, by matching at least one of said search criterion type/value pairs directly against a characteristic of said data files, the locating of the desired at least one data files being performed in the absence of requiring a presorting of said data files.

21. The method of claim 20 further including the step of

returning a key value, obtained from said memory, associated with each located data file to the user, each key value identifying the location of an associated data file.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the returning step also returns from said memory a file name associated with said key value.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the key value is an inode index value.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the key value includes an inode index value and a generation number.

25. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one search criterion type/value pair is a phonetic spelling of a name.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one search criterion value is a relational characteristic which exists between two or more of said data files.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one search criterion value is a data substring which is to be matched against the contents of said data files.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein at least one search criterion value is a file characteristic of the desired data files.

29. In a computer-based file system, a method of accessing a desired data file from a group of previously-stored data files stored in a memory accessible by a computer of said system, each of said data files identified by a file name, the method comprising the steps of

receiving a file identifier comprised of a string of characters as part of a standard operating system call, said file identifier being different from the standard operating system hierarchical pathname for said desired data file, said file identifier including one or more search criterion type/value pairs, each search criterion type/value pair including a search criterion type and a search criterion value,

dividing said file identifier, by said computer, to obtain at least one search criterion type/value pair, and

locating a desired data file, in said memory, by matching said at least one search criterion type/value pair directly against a characteristic of each of said data files, the locating of the desired data file being performed in the absence of requiring a presorting of said data files.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein said search criterion type/value pair is an inode value.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein said locating step uses two search criterion type/value pairs including an inode value in combination with a generation number of said inode value.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said search criterion type/value pair is a "fileid" file identifier of a MACINTOSH system.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein said search criterion type/value pair is a "dirid" directory identifier of a MACINTOSH system.