System and method for querying file system content

• US 7,831,552 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Premo, Nur, Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti, Pasqua, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham; John R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khakhar; Nirav K
• Application Number:
  US10/862,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,346 Days
• Field of Search: 707/100, 707/615, 707/703, 707/822
• US Class Current: 707/615
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A system and method for querying file system content. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device. The file system may be further configured to perform in-band detection of a file system content access event and to responsively generate a given metadata record. The system may further include a query system configured to query the given metadata record.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store file system content including a plurality of files;

a host device configured to implement a file system, wherein the file system is configured to manage access to said storage device and to store file system content on said storage device, wherein said file system is further configured to perform in-band detection of file system content access events and to responsively generate respective metadata records indicative of said file system content access events; and

a query system configured to evaluate a query specifying one or more conditions for selecting one or more of said respective metadata records, wherein said query is formulated in a query language.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said query system is further configured to query file data stored in one or more of said plurality of files.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system is further configured to generate respective event records in response to said in-band detection of said file system content access events, and wherein said query further specifies one or more conditions for selecting one or more of said respective event records.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a content processing daemon configured to notify said query system of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is further configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said file system content access events.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least some of said metadata records are stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said query language comprises a version of XML Query (XQuery) language.

8. A method, comprising:

a file system storing file system content including a plurality of files on a storage device, wherein said file system is implemented by a host device and is configured to manage access to said storage device;

said file system performing in-band detection of file system content access events;

in response to performing said in-band detection, said file system generating a respective metadata records indicative of said file system content access events; and

a query system evaluating a query specifying one or more conditions for selecting one or more of said respective metadata records, wherein said query is formulated in a query language.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising said query system querying file data stored in one or more of said plurality of files.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

said file system generating respective event records in response to said in-band detection of said file system content access events, wherein said query further specifies one or more conditions for selecting one or more of said respective event records.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

said query system maintaining an index of said file system content;

said query system receiving notification of said file system content access events;

in response to receiving said notification, said query system maintaining referential integrity of said index with respect to said file system content access events.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein at least some of said metadata records are stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said query language comprises a version of XML Query (XQuery) language.

15. A tangible, computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement:

a file system storing file system content including a plurality of files on a storage device, wherein said file system is configured to manage access to said storage device;

said file system performing in-band detection of file system content access events;

in response to performing said in-band detection, said file system generating respective metadata records indicative of said file system content access events; and

a query system evaluating a query specifying one or more conditions for selecting one or more of said respective metadata records, wherein said query is formulated in a query language.

16. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement said query system querying file data stored in one or more of said plurality of files.

17. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

said file system generating respective event records in response to said in-band detection of said file system content access events, wherein said query further specifies one or more conditions for selecting one or more of said respective event records.

18. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement:

said query system maintaining an index of said file system content;

said query system receive notification of said file system content access events;

in response to receiving said notification, said query system maintaining referential integrity of said index with respect to said file system content access events.

19. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein at least some of said metadata records are stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

20. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

21. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein said query language comprises a version of XML Query (XQuery) language.