Persistent caching directory level support

• US 7,702,745 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2005
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Yun, Virk, Navjot, Aust, Brian S., Steere, David C., Pardikar, Shishir P., Samji, Mohammed A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US11/064,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20050160096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,883 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709212-217, 709/227, 709/239, 707/200, 707/205
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching

Abstract

The present invention provides a novel client side caching (CSC) infrastructure that supports transition states at the directory level to facilitate a seamless operation across connectivity states between client and remote server. More specifically, persistent caching is performed to safeguard the user (e.g., client) and/or the client applications across connectivity interruptions and/or bandwidth changes. This is accomplished in part by caching to a client data store the desirable file(s) together with the appropriate file access parameters. Moreover, the client maintains access to cached files during periods of disconnect. Furthermore, portions of a path can be offline while other portions upstream can remain online. CSC operates on the logical path which cooperates with DFS which operates on the physical path to keep track of files cached, accessed and changes in the directories. In addition, truth on the client is facilitated whether or not a conflict of file copies exists.

Claims

1. A method performed by a client computing system including one or more processors and system memory that facilitates satisfying a create request on an online remote file system, the method comprising:

receiving the create request from an I/O manager, the create request indicating a request to create a file in a first directory on the remote file system, the first directory being a subdirectory of a larger second directory on the remote file system;

calling a pre-process handler of a client side caching (CSC) surrogate provider;

finding or creating a logical namespace structure if part of the logical namespace on which a target of the create request resides is already offline;

passing the create request to a Distributed File System (DFS) surrogate provider to translate the logical namespace to an physical server share;

passing the create request to a redirector component to allow a redirector to claim the physical path;

calling a post-process handler of the CSC surrogate provider to express an interest to cache a copy of the file indicated by the request; and

in response to the post-process handler of the CSC expressing an interest to cache a copy of the file indicated by the request, partially caching the larger second directory by caching a copy of the first directory and the contents of the first directory as a whole on the client computing system without caching other subdirectories of the larger second directory.

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

displaying, on a display device of the client computing system, a first view of the larger second directory including the first directory and the other subdirectories; and

in response to the remote file system going offline, displaying, on the display device of the client computing system, a partial view of the larger second directory that includes the first directory without the other subdirectories.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein I/O manager receives the create request via a kernel of the operating system of the client computing system.

4. A method performed by a client computer including one or more processors and system memory that facilitates satisfying a create request on the client computer when disconnected from a remote file system, the method comprising:

receiving the create request from an I/O manager, the create request indicating a request to create a file in a first directory on the remote file system, the first directory being a subdirectory of a larger second directory on the remote file system;

calling a pre-process handler of a client side caching (CSC) surrogate provider to handle the request by mapping the logical path to local cache data on the client computer since redirectors are unavailable to claim the path; and

caching a copy of the file on the client computer, the client computer including a cached copy of the first directory and the contents of the first directory as a whole, wherein the larger second directory is partially cached on the client computer such that other subdirectories of the larger secondary are not cached on the client computer.

5. The method as in claim 4, further comprising:

displaying, on a display device of the client computer, a partial view of the larger second directory that includes the first directory without the other subdirectories; and

in response to the client computer connecting to the remote file system, displaying, on the display device of the client computing system, a view of the larger second directory including the first directory and the other subdirectories.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein I/O manager receives the create request via a kernel of the operating system of the client computer.

7. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable components that perform a method that facilitates satisfying a create request on a client computer when disconnected from a remote file system, the client computer including one or more processors and system memory, the method comprising:

receiving the create request from an I/O manager, the create request indicating a request to create a file in a first directory on the remote file system, the first directory being a subdirectory of a larger second directory on the remote file system;

calling a pre-process handler of a client side caching (CSC) surrogate provider to handle the request by mapping the logical path to local cache data on the client computer since redirectors are unavailable to claim the path; and

caching a copy of the file on the client computer, the client computer including a cached copy of the first directory and the contents of the first directory as a whole, wherein the larger second directory is partially cached on the client computer such that other subdirectories of the larger secondary are not cached on the client computer.

8. The computer readable medium as in claim 7, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying, on a display device of the client computer, a partial view of the larger second directory that includes the first directory without the other subdirectories; and

in response to the client computer connecting to the remote file system, displaying, on the display device of the client computing system, a view of the larger second directory including the first directory and the other subdirectories.

9. The computer readable medium as in claim 7, wherein I/O manager is configured to receive the create request via a kernel of the operating system of the client computer.