System, method and computer program product for superimposing attributes on hierarchically organized file systems
First Claim
1. A method for interacting with a computer'"'"'s operating system to superimpose attributes on the computer'"'"'s hierarchically organized file system, comprising the steps of:
- (1) interacting with an application program running on the computer to receive one of a plurality of hierarchically attribute superimposition subsystem (HASS) operations, wherein said one of the plurality of HASS operations specifies a file node or a directory node within the hierarchically organized file system;
(2) invoking one of a plurality of attribute database (ADB) operations, wherein said one of the plurality of ADB operations references attribute association information for said file node or said directory node; and
(3) invoking one of a plurality of attribute supplying file hierarchy (ASFH) operations, wherein said one of the plurality of ASFH operations physically interacts with the computer'"'"'s operating or hierarchically organized file system to accomplish said one of the plurality of HASS operations;
wherein said steps (1) to (3) allow attributes to be arbitrarily associated with said file node or said directory node.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for superimposing attributes on files stored in a hierarchically organized file system, having at least one file and at least one directory, is disclosed. The method initializes an attribute data base (ADB) with one or more entries having a path descriptor referencing a file in a hierarchical database, an attribute, and an attribute association option describing how the attribute is associated with the file referenced by the path descriptor. The method simplifies maintaining systems employing file attributes to describe files by using the hierarchy of the file system to superimpose attributes on the files. The method provides for handling explicit, implicit, and static associations of attributes with files in the file hierarchy. The method is invoked by a file manager, such as an attribute supplying file hierarchy (ASFH), which resides in the operating system of a computer system having a processor, memory, and a system bus for passing data between the processor and memory. The method can be part of a Hierarchical Attribute Superimposition Subsystem (HASS) which includes an ADB and an ASFH.
115 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for interacting with a computer'"'"'s operating system to superimpose attributes on the computer'"'"'s hierarchically organized file system, comprising the steps of:
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(1) interacting with an application program running on the computer to receive one of a plurality of hierarchically attribute superimposition subsystem (HASS) operations, wherein said one of the plurality of HASS operations specifies a file node or a directory node within the hierarchically organized file system; (2) invoking one of a plurality of attribute database (ADB) operations, wherein said one of the plurality of ADB operations references attribute association information for said file node or said directory node; and (3) invoking one of a plurality of attribute supplying file hierarchy (ASFH) operations, wherein said one of the plurality of ASFH operations physically interacts with the computer'"'"'s operating or hierarchically organized file system to accomplish said one of the plurality of HASS operations; wherein said steps (1) to (3) allow attributes to be arbitrarily associated with said file node or said directory node. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for superimposing attributes on the computer'"'"'s hierarchically organized file system hierarchically attribute superimposition subsystem method comprising:
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an ADB; an ASFH; a HASS, wherein said HASS comprises; receiving means for receiving a HASS operation request containing one or more parameters; determining means for determining if said received HASS operation request is one of the following; (i) file-- create( ); (ii) link-- create( ); (iii) link-- delete( ); and (iv) get-- attributes( ); and responding means, responsive to said determining means, for responding to said received HASS operation request, wherein said responding means comprises; first creating means for creating a file specified by said parameters in said ASFH and updates said ADB if said received HASS operation request is said file-- create( ) operation; second creating means for creating a link in said ASFH and updates the ADB if said received HASS operation request is said link-- create( ) operation; deleting means for deleting the link from said ASFH if said received HASS operation request is said link-- delete( ) operation; and retrieving means for retrieving attributes, specified by said parameters, from said ADB if said received HASS operation is said get-- attributes( ) operation.
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6. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that provides a system for managing a plurality of files each of which is capable of being referenced by a plurality of hardlinks, said computer readable program code means comprising:
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a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to maintain a database having stored therein a plurality of attribute association entries each having a path descriptor, an attribute, and an association option having a value of implicit; a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a database operation request specifying a path descriptor referencing a file; a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine if there is an entry in said database having an association option having a value of implicit, and also having a path descriptor matching a longest prefix of said path descriptor referencing said file; and a fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to return an attribute of said entry if said path descriptor of said entry matches said longest prefix of said path descriptor referencing said file, and also if said entry has an association option having a value of implicit. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that provides a system for managing a plurality of files each of which is capable of being referenced by a plurality of hardlinks, said computer readable program code means comprising:
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a first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to maintain a database having stored therein a plurality of entries each having a path descriptor, an attribute, and an association option having a value of implicit; a second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a database operation request specifying a path descriptor referencing a file, an attribute to be attributed to said file, and an association option for said attribute to be attributed to said file; a third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to determine if there is an entry in said database having an association option having a value of implicit, and also having a path descriptor matching said path descriptor referencing said file; and a fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to add into said database an attribute association entry having a path descriptor equal to said path descriptor referencing said file, an attribute equal to said attribute to be attributed to said file, and an association option equal to said association option for said attribute to be attributed to said file if there is no entry in said database having an association option having a value of implicit, and having a path descriptor matching said path descriptor referencing said file. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification