Method and system for creating and maintaining version-specific properties in a file

• US 7,058,667 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Goldick, Jonathan S
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US09/750,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 707/203, 707/200, 707/201, 714/38
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and system creates and maintains a version-specific attribute or property that is stored as part of a file in a file system, contains specific version information relating to how or when the attribute was created and is automatically invalidated when a predetermined “update” event occurs. Third party applications generally create and access these versions-specific attributes to thereby eliminate the need for external logs or databases to store persistent state information.

Claims

1. A method of providing a file stored in a computer system with version-specific information relating to a virus scanning application that is independent from an application used to create the file, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the virus scanning application to create a version-specific attribute associated with the file, wherein the version-specific attribute contains version-specific information relating to the virus scanning application;

maintaining the version-specific attribute to reflect relevant updates to the file by automatically invalidating the version-specific information in response to a predetermined event, wherein the version-specific attribute comprises mask information providing information related to which predetermined events invalidate the version-specific information;

receiving a request from the virus scanning application to evaluate the version-specific attribute; and

providing the version specific information to the virus scanning application in response to the request to evaluate the version-specific attribute.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the version-specific information relates to a version of a virus definition file.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined event is an update to file data.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

providing security information within the version-specific attribute.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the invalidating act further comprises deleting the version-specific attribute.

6. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 1.

7. A method of accessing a file stored in a computer system, the file having an associated version-specific attribute provided by a virus scanning application that is independent from an application used to create the file, wherein the version-specific attribute comprises meta information relating to the virus scanning application and mask information providing information related to which predetermined events invalidate the version-specific attribute, said method comprising:

receiving an access attempt relating to an access request;

determining whether the access attempt relates to an invalidating access;

if the access attempt relates to an invalidating access;

invalidating the version-specific attribute; and

performing the access operation related to the access request; and

if the access attempt does not relate to an invalidating access then performing the access operation related to the access request.

8. A method of accessing a file as defined in claim 7 wherein if the access attempt does not relate to an invalidating access, then said method further comprises:

determining whether the access depends on the version specific attribute;

if the access does not depend on the version specific attribute, then performing the access operation related to the access request; and

if the access depends on the version specific attribute;

determining whether the attribute is valid; and

performing a predetermined operation with the virus scanning application based on whether the attribute is determined to be valid.

9. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 7.

10. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure, wherein the data structure comprises:

an actual file data section containing actual file data;

a header section; and

a version-specific attribute section, wherein the version-specific attribute section is created by a virus scanning application that is independent from an application used to create the actual file data, and wherein the version-specific attribute comprises a meta information section and a mask information section, the mask information section providing information related to which predetermined events invalidate the version-specific attribute, and wherein the version-specific attribute is invalidated in response to one of said predetermined events.

11. A computer-readable medium as defined in claim 10 wherein the meta information section stores the name of the attribute, and wherein the version-specific attribute further comprises:

a version information section for storing information related to the version of a virus definition file used with the virus scanning.

12. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 11 wherein the predetermined event relates to a modification of the data structure.

13. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing a computer process for managing version-specific information for a file within a file system, said computer process comprising:

storing version-specific information as a version-specific attribute associated with the file, wherein the version-specific attribute comprises meta information relating to a virus scanning application that is independent from an application used to create the file and mask information providing information related to predetermined events which invalidate the version-specific attribute; and

invalidating the version-specific attribute in response to a predetermined access attempt.

14. A computer program product as defined in claim 13 wherein the computer comprises a file system and the acts of storing and invalidating are performed by the file system.

15. A computer program product as defined in claim 13 wherein the version-specific information relates to a virus definition file used with the virus scanning application.

16. A computer program product as defined in claim 15 wherein the predetermined access attempt relates to a modification of the file.

17. A computer program product as defined in claim 16 wherein the version-specific attribute remains valid following one of the following access attempts:

copy, rename or backup.