Network file system

• US 8,156,146 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xcerion AB
• Original Assignee: Xcerion AB
• Inventors: Arthursson, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Vital, Pierre
• Assistant Examiner(s): Obisesan, Augustine
• Application Number:
  US12/240,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20090157627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/783
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/455 Emulation; Interpretation; Software simulation, e.g. virtualisation or emulation of application or operating system execution engines
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45529 Embedded in an application, e.g. JavaScript in a Web browser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Generally described, the present invention is directed to a network operating system that provides more effective ways of leveraging the connectivity of computer networks. In one embodiment, an XML virtual machine is implemented that accepts high-level application code written in an XML programming language as input. Functionality is provided to interpret or translate the application code written in an XML programming language into code that is suitable for execution across computer platforms. Moreover, the XML virtual machine supports the Model View Controller (MVC) design paradigm that facilitates true data abstraction from applications to a common data model. Multi-instance applications, with each instance potentially supporting multiple views, may be created and executed.

Claims

1. A method implemented in computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, produces a document for transmission to a client computing device that describes a folder tree, the method comprising:

in response to receiving a request from the client computing device to access a root folder, querying a folder database for information associated with the root folder describing a user'"'"'s access rights with regard to the root folder;

authenticating that the user has rights to access the root folder and creating the document that describes the folder tree;

adding metadata associated with the root folder to the document that describes the folder tree;

for each subfolder within the hierarchy of the root folder that has the same permissions with respect to the user as the root folder;

obtaining metadata of the subfolder from the folder database;

adding metadata associated with the subfolder to the document that describes the folder tree; and

for at least one subfolder within the hierarchy of the root folder that has different permissions with respect to the user as the root folder, inserting an XLink corresponding to the subfolder into the document, the XLink allowing the user to access the subfolder once the user'"'"'s right to access the subfolder is authenticated.

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

querying an index server for information describing each file in the root folder;

adding metadata associated with each file in the root folder to the document that describes the folder tree; and

wherein at least one file in the root folder is of a file type that initiates execution of an application upon the root folder being mounted as a virtual drive on the client computing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

accepting a request from a client computing device to perform a search for a file associated with specified content; and

identifying one or more files from an index having content that matches data provided in the request.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein adding metadata associated with the root folder to the document that describes the folder tree, includes:

obtaining an identifier of the root folder in the request from the client computing device to access the root folder; and

querying an index server to retrieve a list of files associated with the root folder.

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

searching the list of files for one or more restricted files, each restricted file having associated data that indicates that the user does not have access rights to the file;

removing the one or more restricted files from the list;

returning the list from the index server in the format of an atom feed; and

adding the list to the document that describes the folder tree.