Methods and systems for managing data

• US 8,156,106 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Arrouye, Yan, Giampaolo, Dominic, Carol, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US12/748,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 707/711, 707/741
• US Class Current: 707/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata or indexes of content of files. In one exemplary method, notifications to update a metadata database or an index database are combined into a combined notification. According to other aspects, an order among logical locations on a storage device is determined in order to specify a sequence for scanning for files to be indexed. According to another aspect, a method includes determining whether to index a file based on a path name of the file relative to a plurality of predetermined path names.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, using one or more processing units, one or more storage locations within a file system, wherein each storage location includes one or more files, and wherein each file has associated metadata;

determining, using the one or more processing units, a definition for each storage location, wherein the definition includes which of the one or more files are stored at that storage location, each file having an associated relevance corresponding to that storage location;

assigning, using the one or more processing units, a priority to each storage location using the determined definition for that storage location;

specifying, using the one or more processing units, a sequence of storage locations using the assigned priorities;

scanning, using the one or more processing units, through each storage location according to the sequence, wherein scanning includes determining whether to import the metadata associated with the one or more files stored at that storage location, and wherein the metadata associated with the one or more files is imported into a metadata database;

scanning, using the one or more processing units, through each storage location according to the sequence, wherein scanning includes determining whether to index content associated with the one or more files stored at that storage location; and

adding, using the one or more processing units, a file to an indexing queue when the content associated with the file is to be indexed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding, using the one or more processing units, a file to a metadata import queue when the metadata associated with the file is to be imported into the metadata database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a final scan starting at a root of the file system, wherein the final scan includes filtering out the previously scanned storage locations.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the filtering is performed by a software component.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying a sequence includes using the relevance.

6. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer-readable memory containing instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including;

identifying one or more storage locations within a file system, wherein each storage location includes one or more files, and wherein each file has associated metadata;

determining a definition for each storage location, wherein the definition includes which of the one or more files are stored at that storage location, each file having an associated relevance corresponding to that storage location;

assigning a priority to each storage location using the determined definition for that storage location;

specifying a sequence of storage locations using the assigned priorities;

scanning through each storage location according to the sequence, wherein scanning includes determining whether to import the metadata associated with the one or more files stored at that storage location, and wherein the metadata associated with the one or more files is imported into a metadata database;

scanning through each storage location according to the sequence, wherein scanning includes determining whether to index content associated with the one or more files stored at that storage location; and

adding a file to an indexing queue when the content associated with the file is to be indexed.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

adding a file to a metadata import queue when the metadata associated with the file is to be imported into the metadata database.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising instructions to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

a final scan starting at a root of the file system, wherein the final scan includes filtering out the previously scanned storage locations.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the filtering is performed by a software component.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein specifying a sequence includes using the relevance.

11. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

identify one or more storage locations within a file system, wherein each storage location includes one or more files, and wherein each file has associated metadata;

determine a definition for each storage location, wherein the definition includes which of the one or more files are stored at that storage location, each file having an associated relevance corresponding to that storage location;

assign a priority to each storage location using the determined definition for that storage location;

specify a sequence of storage locations using the assigned priorities;

scan through each storage location according to the sequence, wherein scanning includes determining whether to import the metadata associated with the one or more files stored at that storage location, and wherein the metadata associated with the one or more files is imported into a metadata database;

scan through each storage location according to the sequence, wherein scanning includes determining whether to index content associated with the one or more files stored at that storage location; and

add a file to an indexing queue when the content associated with the file is to be indexed.

12. The computer-program product of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

add a file to a metadata import queue when the metadata associated with the file is to be imported into the metadata database.

13. The computer-program product of claim 11, further comprising:

a final scan starting at a root of the file system, wherein the final scan includes filtering out the previously scanned storage locations.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13, wherein the filtering is performed by a software component.

15. The computer-program product of claim 11, wherein specifying a sequence includes using the relevance.