Regulating file access rates according to file type

• US 6,907,421 B1
• Filed: 05/16/2000
• Issued: 06/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: DataCloud Technologies, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ensim Corporation (Techstep ASA)
• Inventors: Sharma, Rosen, Keshav, Srinivasan
• Primary Examiner(s): MOFIZ, APU M
• Application Number:
  US09/572,672
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/2, 707/9, 707/10, 707/200, 707/201, 707/205, 709/202, 709/229, 710/260, 713/193, 719/318, 725/96
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

File access rates of processes are regulated according to file type. An association table stores entries associating processes to be regulated with specific access rates for various file types. System calls that access files are intercepted, and a system call wrapper executes. The system call wrapper determines the type of file that is being accessed by the process. The system call wrapper examines the association table in order to determine if the calling process is associated with an access rate for the file type being accessed. If so, the system call wrapper regulates access to the file according to the appropriate rate.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for regulating file access rates of processes according to file type, the computer-implemented method comprising:

intercepting a system call attempts to access a file;

determining whether a process that made the intercepted system call is associated with an access rate corresponding to a type of the file being accessed;

in response to the attempt to access the file by the process, determining the associated access rate for the type of the file being accessed; and

regulating the process to access of the file at the determined rate.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing an association between a selected process the an access rate for at least one file type.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

storing the association is performed by a process executing in user address space.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a process to associate with an access rate for at least one file type;

loading the selected process into process address space by a modified loader program; and

storing, by the modified loader program, an association between the selected process and the access rate for at least one file type.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating at least two different access rates with a single process, each access rate corresponding to a different file type.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating at least two different access rates with at least two different processes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:

in response to the determination that the process is associated with the access rate, regulating the process to access of the file at the associated rate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the type of the file being accessed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at least one process with the access rate for at least one file type.

10. A computer-readable program product for regulating file rates of processes according to file type, the computer-readable program product comprising:

program code for intercepting a system call attempts to access a file;

program code for determining whether a process that made the intercepted system call is associated with an access rate corresponding to a type of the file being accessed;

program code for, in response to the attempt to access the file by the process, determining the associated access rate for the type of the file being accessed;

program code for regulating the process to access of the file at the determined rate; and

a computer readable medium on which the program codes are stored.

11. The computer-readable program product of claim 10 father comprising:

program code for storing an association between a selected process and an access rate for at least one file type.

12. The computer-readable program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for selecting a process to associate with the access rate for at least one file type;

program code for loading the selected process into process address space; and

program code for storing an association between the selected process and the access rate for at least one file type.

13. The computer-readable program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for associating at least two different access rates with a single process, each access rate corresponding to a different file type.

14. The computer-readable program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for associating at least two different access rates with at least two different processes.

15. The computer-readable program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for, in response to the determination that the process is associated with the access rate, regulating the process to access of the file at the associated rate.

16. The computer-readable program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for determining the type of the file being accessed.

17. The compute-readable program product of claim 10 further comprising:

program code for associating at least one process with the access rate for at least one file type.

18. A computer implemented system for regulating file access rates of processes according to a file type, the system comprising:

an interception module, for intercepting system calls that access files, the interception module being coupled to a determination module;

at least one system call wrapper, for determining whether a process that made an intercepted system call is associated with an access rate corresponding to a type of the file being accessed, the system call wrapper being coupled to the interception module;

the determination module for, in response to an attempt to access a file by the process, determining the associated access rate for the type of the file being accessed; and

coupled to the determination module, a file access rate regulation module, for regulating the process to access of the file at the determined rate.

19. The computer system of claim 18 further comprising:

a selection module for selecting the process to associate with the access rate for at least one file type, the selection module being coupled to the determination module; and

a modified loader program for loading the selected process into process address space, and for storing the association between the selected process and the access rate for at least one file type, the modified loader program being coupled to the selection module.

20. The computer system of claim 18 further comprising:

a storage module, for storing the association between a selected process and the access rate for at least one file type, the storage module being coupled to the determination module.

21. A computer-implemented method for regulating file access rates of processes according to file type, the method comprising:

associating processes with rates for accessing files of specific types;

detecting attempts by processes to access files by intercepting system calls that access files;

determining associated access rates for the types of files being accessed; and

regulating processes to access of the files at the associated rates.