Using a hierarchical file system for indexing data broadcast to a client from a network of servers

• US 6,405,239 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Addington, Timothy H., Defreese, Darryl L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FLYNN, KIMBERLY D
• Application Number:
  US09/319,844
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/238, 725/114, 725/91, 725/93, 725/87, 725/116, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A broadcast file system organizes data sent to a client by broadcast via a high capacity data broadcast delivery network from a plurality of servers. The data is organized into a hierarchical file system including a directory index. A server registers to send data via the broadcast file system of the present invention and is assigned a respective directory. The server may create, modify, or delete a subdirectory or a file under the respective directory of that server. The directory index is periodically broadcast. The client caches this directory index and presents the directory index to a client application. The client application may request a portion of data from the directory index. The data available from the plurality of servers is periodically broadcast to the client, and the client filters out the requested portion of data to be provided to the client application. In this manner, broadcast data available from a plurality of server appears to a client application as a hierarchical file system having a directory index similar to that of a computer operating system. Moreover, the client application may request specified data not within the directory index via a two-way communications network. If this data is found, this specified data may be sent to the client via the two-way communication network or via the broadcast delivery network. In addition, the broadcast file system of the present invention may be used for broadcasting data from a database with the directory index organized according to a database schema.

Claims

1. A method for delivering data from a plurality of servers to a client by broadcasting said data via a broadcast delivery network, said method including the steps of:

A. organizing said data into a hierarchical file system having a directory index, wherein each of the plurality of servers registers to send respective data under a respective directory within said directory index;

B. periodically broadcasting said directory index to said client via said broadcast delivery network, wherein said client caches and provides said directory index to a client application such that said data available from said plurality of servers appears as a hierarchical file system of a computer operating system; and

C. periodically broadcasting said data to said client via said broadcast delivery network such that portion of said data requested by said client application from said directory index is available to said client application;

and wherein said client requests specified data not available from said directory index, via a two-way communications network, and wherein said method further includes the steps of;

sending the specified data to said client via one of said two-way communications network and said broadcast delivery network if said specified data is available from any of said plurality of servers; and

notifying said client via said two-way communications network that said specified data is not available if said specified data is not available from any of the plurality of servers;

and wherein a database server of said plurality of servers maintains a database, wherein said respective data available from said database server includes tables from said database, and wherein said respective directory of said database server, within the directory index, indexes said tables according to a database schema, and wherein said client application specifies database schema parameters from said directory index when accessing data available from said database server, and wherein said client requests specified data not available in said directory index, from said database server via a two-way communications network.

2. A broadcast file system for delivering data from a plurality of servers to a client, said broadcast file system comprising:

a broadcast delivery network, operatively coupled to the client, for broadcasting said data to said client;

a broadcast file system server, operatively coupled to said broadcast data network and said plurality of servers, for organizing said data into a hierarchical file system having a directory index, wherein each of the plurality of servers registers to send respective data under a respective directory within said directory index; and

a server access network for coupling the plurality of servers to the broadcast file system server,

wherein the broadcast file system server periodically broadcasts said directory index to said client via said broadcast delivery network, wherein said client caches and provides said directory index to a client application such that said data available from said plurality of servers appears to said client application as a hierarchical file system of a computer operating system, and

wherein the broadcast file system server periodically broadcasts said data to said client via said broadcast delivery network such that portion of said data requested by said client application from said directory index is available to said client application.

3. The broadcast file system of claim 2, further comprising:

a two-way communications network, operatively coupled between said client and said broadcast file system server, said client requesting specified data not available from said directory index via the two-way communications network.

4. The broadcast file system of claim 3, wherein said broadcast file system server sends said specified data to said client via said two-way communications network if said specified data is available from any of said plurality of servers.

5. The broadcast file system of claim 3, wherein said broadcast file system server incorporates said specified data requested by said client into said hierarchical file system and broadcasts said specified data via said broadcast delivery network if said specified data is available from any of said plurality of servers.

6. The broadcast file system of claim 3, wherein said broadcast file system server notifies said client via said two-way communications network that said specified data is not available if said specified data is not available from any of the plurality of servers.

7. The broadcast file system of claim 2, further comprising:

a database operatively coupled to a database server of said plurality of servers, wherein said respective data available from said database server includes tables from said database, and wherein said respective directory of said database server, within the directory index, indexes said tables according to a database schema.

8. The broadcast file system of claim 7, wherein said client application specifies database schema parameters from said directory index when accessing data available from said database server.

9. The broadcast file system of claim 7, wherein said client requests specified data not available in said directory index, from said database server via a two-way communications network.

10. The broadcast file system of claim 2, wherein said directory index and said data available from said plurality of servers is broadcast via said broadcast delivery network on a broadcast data carousel mechanism.