Method and apparatus for synchronizing file deletions in computer systems

• US 5,680,609 A
• Filed: 06/10/1994
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Reinhardt, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US08/259,920
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/610
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1435 using file system or storage system metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1787 Details of non-transparently synchronising file systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for synchronizing the deleting of files across similarly configured file-systems is described. The present invention is used in computer systems which have similarly configured file-systems and as such have similar files existing in the file-systems. The present invention includes a method of identifying files deleted in an originating computer or file-system and automatically propagating the deleted file entries to a receiving file-system where they are deleted.

Claims

1. A method for synchronizing file deletions across similarly configured file-systems in computer systems electronically linked together, wherein said file deletions originate from a source computer to a target computer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) scanning the operating system directory of said source computer system to identify files deleted in a source file-system upon said file deletion being initiated in said source computer, wherein a first list of entries of said deleted file is generated from said identified files in said source file-system;

(b) propagating said first list from said source file-system on said source computer to said target file-systems on said target computer, wherein said target file-system upon receiving said first list compares file entries in said target file-systems with file entries in said propagated first list; and

(c) deleting files identified in said propagated first list having corresponding entries in said target file-system from said target file-system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further includes a delete policy wherein file deletions in said target file-system are subject to an optional user verification with respect to file entries in said target file-system before said files are deleted from said target file-system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes using said computer system'"'"'s operating system file identification characteristics to identify files deleted from said source file-system.

4. A method for synchronizing file deletions across similarly configured file-systems in a plurality of computer systems electronically linked together, wherein said file deletions originate from a source computer to a target computer which receives said file deletions, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) creating a synchronized database of file entries existing in said source and said target file-systems respectively prior to said file deletions in said source file-system;

(b) scanning said source file-system upon an initialization of said file deletion to identify files deleted in said source file-system, wherein a list of file entries of said deleted files is generated, wherein said identification step is reciprocated in said target file system;

(c) propagating said identified deleted files list from said source file-system to said target file-system, wherein said propagation step is reciprocated in said target file-system;

(d) comparing file entries in said propagated deleted files list with file entries in said target file-system, such that corresponding file entries in said target file-system and said propagated files list are identified; and

(e) deleting said corresponding file entries in said propagated deleted files list and in said target file-system from said target file-system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said step (d) is performed in said source file-system.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said step (f) is performed in said source file-system.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said step (b) includes a step of comparing files presently existing in said source file-system with file entries in said synchronized source database, such that said deleted files list is generated in said source file-system upon detecting file entry differences between said synchronized source database and said files presently existing in said source file-system.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said step (b) further includes comparing file characteristics of said deleted files in said source file-system with file entries in said synchronized source database, such that only files existing in said source synchronized database and absent in said source file-system are identified as deleted.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said step (e) includes the step of comparing files presently existing in said target file-system with said propagated deleted files list from said source file-system to determine whether file entries in said deleted files list have corresponding entries in said target file-system, wherein said identified corresponding file entries in said target file-system are deleted from said target file-system.

10. The method of claim 4 further including the step of automatically checking file-system space in said target file-system immediately prior to the copying each of said propagated deleted files from said source file-system.

11. An apparatus for synchronizing file deletion across similarly configured file-systems in a plurality of computer systems, wherein said computer systems are electronically linked, said apparatus comprising:

an activating means for activating said file deletions in said computer systems;

an identifying means for identifying files deleted in said source file-system, wherein a list of said deleted files is created; and

a propagating means for propagating said deleted files list from said source file-system to a target file-system, wherein said deleted files list is deleted from said target file-system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said identification means in said source file-system includes an operating system dependent means in said computer system for identifying files deleted in said source file-system.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said file deletion means in said target file-system includes a delete policy means for confirming files identified to be deleted from said target file-system.

14. An apparatus for synchronizing file deletion across similarly configured file-systems in a plurality of computer systems, wherein said computer systems are electronically linked such that said file deletion originates from a source computer and said file deletion is received in a target computer, said apparatus comprising:

a database creating means for creating a synchronized database of file entries existing in said file-systems prior to initiating file deletions from said source computer;

an identifying means for identifying files deleted from a source file-system, wherein a list of deleted file entries is generated;

a propagating means for propagating said list of deleted file entries from said source file-system to a target file-system, wherein said list of deleted file entries is compared with existing file entries in said target file-system such that corresponding file entries in said target file-system are identified; and

a file deleting means for deleting said identified corresponding file entries from said target file-system.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said identification means of files deleted in said source file-system comprises a comparing means for comparing files currently existing in said source file-system with files entries in said synchronized database in said source computer, such that files present in said synchronized database but absent in said source file-system are identified as deleted.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said propagation of said list of deleted files from said source file-system is subject to a delete policy means in said target file-system, such that files identified in said propagated list are verified with respect to files presently existing in said target file-system before being deleted.

17. In a computer system having similarly configured file-systems, an apparatus for synchronizing file deletion across said similarly configured file-systems, said apparatus comprising:

a database creating means for creating a synchronized database in said source file-system;

an identifying means for identifying files deleted from said source file-system, wherein a list deleted file entries is generated;

a propagating means for propagating said deleted file entries list from said source file-system to said target file-system, wherein said list is subsequently compared with file entries in said target file-system; and

a file deleting means for deleting files entries in said propagated list with corresponding file entries in said target file-system is deleted.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said identifying means of identifying files deleted in said source file-system comprises a means for comparing files currently existing in said source file-system with files entries in said synchronized database in said source file-system, such that said files present in said synchronized database but absent in said source file-system are identified as deleted.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said propagation of said first list from said source file-system is subject to a delete policy upon receipt in said target file-system such that files identified in said first list are verified with respect to files presently existing in said target file-system before being deleted.