System and method for designating and deleting expired files

• US 6,978,284 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wortman, Michael W., McBrearty, Gerald Francis, Shieh, Johnny Meng-Han, Tran, Vi Trieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Corrielus, Jean M.
• Application Number:
  US10/104,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 713/300, 714/4, 386/46, 717/171, 711/162, 700/121, 707/204
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99957 Garbage collection

Abstract

A system and method for designating and deleting expired files includes a means for storing expiration dates along with file identification data maintained by the file system. An earliest expiration date is stored in data maintained by the file system pertaining to each directory. In this manner, a check of the directory data indicates whether one or more expired files exist in the directory. The system date is compared to the earliest expiration date for a directory, for example when a “list contents of directory” command is received. If the earliest expiration date is earlier than the system date then a comparison is made with the files in the directory and individual files with expiration dates earlier than the current date are deleted. The earliest expiration date is then update to the correspond to the next earliest expiration date falling after the current date.

Claims

1. A method for managing files on a computer system, said method comprising:

receiving a file expiration date that corresponds to a file stored in a directory;

storing the file expiration date in a first data area managed by a file system, wherein the first data area includes a file identifier corresponding to the file;

determining an earliest expiration date from one or more file expiration dates, wherein each of the file expiration dates correspond to a different file stored in the directory; and

saving the earliest expiration date in a second data area managed by the file system, wherein the second data area includes a directory identifier corresponding to the directory.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request, wherein the request includes the directory identifier;

retrieving a current date from a computer system and the earliest expiration date from the second data area;

comparing the earliest expiration date to the current date; and

deleting one or more files from the directory in response to the earliest expiration date being earlier than the current date.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

determining a next earliest expiration date from one or more remaining file expiration dates, wherein the remaining file expiration dates correspond the files remaining in the directory following the deleting; and

saving the next earliest expiration date in the second data area.

4. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

comparing one or more file expiration dates corresponding to one or more files stored in the directory to the current date; and

deleting at least one of the files in response to the file expiration date being earlier than the current date.

5. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

displaying one or more files from the directory in response to the earliest expiration date not being earlier than the current date.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a plurality of directories, each of the directories including an earliest expiration date;

comparing each of the earliest expiration dates to a current date; and

deleting one or more files from one or more of the directories in response to the earliest expiration date for the respective directory being earlier than the current date.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the first and second data areas are each part of an inode area managed by a UNIX operating system.

8. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device managed by a file system, the nonvolatile storage device including one or more directories that include one or more files;

an file management tool for managing files on the nonvolatile storage device, the file management tool including;

means for receiving a file expiration date that corresponds to a file stored in a directory;

means for storing the file expiration date in a first data area managed by a file system, wherein the first data area includes a file identifier corresponding to the file;

means for determining an earliest expiration date from one or more file expiration dates, wherein each of the file expiration dates correspond to a different file stored in the directory; and

means for saving the earliest expiration date in a second data area managed by the file system, wherein the second data area includes a directory identifier corresponding to the directory.

9. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for receiving a request, wherein the request includes the directory identifier;

means for retrieving a current date from a computer system and the earliest expiration date from the second data area;

means for comparing the earliest expiration date to the current date; and

means for deleting one or more files from the directory in response to the earliest expiration date being earlier than the current date.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for determining a next earliest expiration date from one or more remaining file expiration dates, wherein the remaining file expiration dates correspond the files remaining in the directory following the means for deleting; and

means for saving the next earliest expiration date in the second data area.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for comparing one or more file expiration dates corresponding to one or more files stored in the directory to the current date; and

means for deleting at least one of the files in response to the file expiration date being earlier than the current date.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for displaying one or more files from the directory in response to the earliest expiration date not being earlier than the current date.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 8 further comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of directories, each of the directories including an earliest expiration date;

means for comparing each of the earliest expiration dates to a current date; and

means for deleting one or more files from one or more of the directories in response to the earliest expiration date for the respective directory being earlier than the current date.

14. A computer program product stored in a computer operable media for managing files, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a file expiration date that corresponds to a file stored in a directory;

means for storing the file expiration date in a first data area managed by a file system, wherein the first data area includes a file identifier corresponding to the file;

means for determining an earliest expiration date from one or more file expiration dates, wherein each of the file expiration dates correspond to a different file stored in the directory; and

means for saving the earliest expiration date in a second data area managed by the file system, wherein the second data area includes a directory identifier corresponding to the directory.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for receiving a request, wherein the request includes the directory identifier;

means for retrieving a current date from a computer system and the earliest expiration date from the second data area;

means for comparing the earliest expiration date to the current date; and

means for deleting one or more files from the directory in response to the earliest expiration date being earlier than the current date.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for determining a next earliest expiration date from one or more remaining file expiration dates, wherein the remaining file expiration dates correspond the files remaining in the directory following the means for deleting; and

means for saving the next earliest expiration date in the second data area.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for comparing one or more file expiration dates corresponding to one or more files stored in the directory to the current date; and

means for deleting at least one of the files in response to the file expiration date being earlier than the current date.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 15 further comprising:

means for displaying one or more files from the directory in response to the earliest expiration date not being earlier than the current date.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 14 further comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of directories, each of the directories including an earliest expiration date;

means for comparing each of the earliest expiration dates to a current date; and

means for deleting one or more files from one or more of the directories in response to the earliest expiration date for the respective directory being earlier than the current date.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 14 wherein the first and second data areas are each part of an inode area managed by a UNIX operating system.