Installable file system for client in a computer network

• US 6,519,633 B1
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 02/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wagner, Jonathan Mark, Sullivan, Michael Joseph, Kubik, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US09/321,790
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 709/300, 709/220, 709/222, 707/1, 707/10, 703/22, 703/23
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A client station on computer network uses an operating system such as JavaOS which is permanently stored at the server rather than on storage media at the client location. The JavaOS is loaded and installed at the client upon bootup of the client. The client loads certain standard file systems as part of the basic OS code that it receives from the server. These employ a generic file system driver, which is located in Java code rather than in native code at the client. In addition to the standard file systems, other file systems may be installed, using this generic file system driver. For example, a file system for a hard drive may be installed at a particular client, even though this file system is not part of the set of standard file systems. Providing the generic file system driver or handler switch in Java code rather than native code allows file systems to be dynamically added to a running system.

Claims

1. A method of accessing a file in a computer, said computer having a native file system and an installable file system, said method comprising:

parsing a request command for a file to determine if said request is for a file in a native file system or an installable file system;

routing said request command to said native file system if said request command is for a native file in said native file system, wherein said native file system retrieves said native file;

routing said request to a generic file system if said request command is for an installable file on an installable file system persistently registered with said generic file system; and

retrieving said installable file from said installable file system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if said installable file system has not been created, then said method further comprises:

creating a new installable file system in a Java Virtual Machine;

registering said new installable file system with said generic file system; and

retrieving said installable file from said new installable file system.

3. A data processing system comprising:

a native file system;

a generic file system;

an installable file system;

means for parsing a request command for a file to determine if said request is for a file in said native file system or said installable file system;

means for routing said request command to said native file system if said request command is for a native file in said native file system, wherein said native file system retrieves said native file;

means for routing said request to said generic file system if said request command is for an installable file on said installable file system persistently registered with said generic file system; and

means for retrieving said installable file from said installable file system.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein if said installable file system has not been created, then said data processing system further comprises:

means for creating a new installable file system in a Java Virtual Machine;

means for registering said new installable file system with said generic file system; and

means for retrieving said installable file from said new installable file system.

5. A computer program product, with instructions residing on an instruction bearing medium, for accessing a file in a computer, said computer program product comprising:

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for parsing a request command for a file to determine if said request is for a file in a native file system or an installable file system;

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for routing said request command to said native file system if said request command is for a native file in said native file system, wherein said native file system retrieves said native file;

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for routing said request to a generic file system if said request command is for an installable file on an installable file system persistently registered with said generic file system; and

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for retrieving said installable file from said installable file system.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein if said installable file system has not been created, then said computer program product further comprises:

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for creating a new installable file system in a Java Virtual Machine;

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for registering said new installable file system with said generic file system; and

instructions within said instruction bearing medium for retrieving said installable file from said new installable file system.