Performing an action in response to a file system event

• US 8,176,007 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2011
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hoang, Thuvan, Idicula, Sam, Agarwal, Nipun, Murthy, Ravi, Tarachandani, Asha, Jain, Namit, Sedlar, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tim T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mobin, Hasanul
• Application Number:
  US13/026,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137963A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/609
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing an action in response to a file system event is provided. According to one aspect, sets of “event listeners” are associated with a file hierarchy and/or the nodes thereof. Each event listener contains a set of “event handlers.” Each event handler corresponds to a separate type of event that may occur relative to the file hierarchy'"'"'s nodes. When an event is going to occur relative to the hierarchy or a node thereof, all event listeners that are associated with that hierarchy/node are inspected to determine whether those event listeners contain any event handlers that correspond to the event'"'"'s type. Those event handlers that correspond to the event'"'"'s type are placed in an ordered list of event handlers to be invoked. As the event handlers in the list are invoked, programmatic mechanisms that correspond to those event handlers are executed to perform customized user-specified actions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing a first event handler that specifies a first method to be performed prior to an occurrence of a file system event of a first event type relative to one or more nodes in a file system, wherein execution of the first method causes a first action to be performed on a first database object;

storing a second event handler that specifies a second method to be performed after an occurrence of a file system event of the first event type relative to the one or more nodes in the file system, wherein execution of the second method causes a second action to be performed on a second database object;

storing one or more event handlers other than the first event handler and the second event handler, wherein the one or more other event handlers correspond to one or more event types other than the first event type;

a server detecting that execution of a received file system command will cause a particular file system event of the first event type relative to the one or more nodes in the file system;

in response to the server detecting that the received file system command will cause the particular file system event of the first event type relative to the one or more nodes in the file system;

(a) the server adding the particular file system event to a list of file system events to occur, and (b) the server invoking the first method prior to the occurrence of the particular file system event; and

in response to and after the occurrence of the particular file system event, the server invoking the second method;

wherein the first and second actions differ from the particular file system event;

wherein the first event handler, the second event handler, and the one or more other event handlers are stored in a configuration file, and wherein the configuration file contains an indication of whether a method corresponding to an event identifier is to be performed before or after the occurrence of a file system event;

wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a database server manages the file system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file is an extensible markup language (XML) file, and wherein the XML file contains a first tag that indicates “

pre”

before a particular event identifier to indicate that the first method is to be performed before the occurrence of a file system event that corresponds to the particular event identifier, and wherein the XML file contains a second tag that indicates “

post”

before the particular event identifier to indicate that the second method is to be performed after the occurrence of a file system event that corresponds to the particular event identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first database object stores information about the one or more nodes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second database object stores information about the one or more nodes.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the file system event is an event that occurs when a node of the one or more nodes is locked or unlocked.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the file system event is an event that occurs when a node of the one or more nodes is dynamically generated.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the file system event is an event that occurs when a symbolic link to a node of the one or more nodes is established or destroyed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first event type is one of:

render, create, delete, update, lock, unlock, link in, link to, unlink in, unlink from, check in, check out, uncheck out, version control, inconsistent update, or open; and

wherein the one or more other event types include one or more others of;

render, create, delete, update, lock, unlock, link in, link to, unlink in, unlink from, check in, check out, uncheck out, version control, inconsistent update, or open.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the received file system command is one of:

a command to copy files, a command to move files, a command to delete files, a command to create directories, a command to list directory contents, a command to remove directories, a command to rename files, or a command to rename directories.

4. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one of more processors to perform the steps of:

storing a first event handler that specifies a first method to be performed prior to an occurrence of a file system event of a first event type relative to one or more nodes in a file system, wherein execution of the first method causes a first action to be performed on a first database object;

storing a second event handler that specifies a second method to be performed after an occurrence of a file system event of the first event type relative to the one or more nodes in the file system, wherein execution of the second method causes a second action to be performed on a second database object;

storing one or more event handlers other than the first event handler and the second event handler, wherein the one or more other event handlers correspond to one or more event types other than the first event type;

a server detecting that execution of a received file system command will cause a particular file system event of the first event type relative to the one or more nodes in the file system;

in response to the server detecting that the received file system command will cause the particular file system event of the first event type relative to the one or more nodes in the file system;

(a) the server adding the particular file system event to a list of file system events to occur, and (b) the server invoking the first method prior to the occurrence of the particular file system event; and

in response to and after the occurrence of the particular file system event, the server invoking the second method;

wherein the first event handler, the second event handler, and the one or more other event handlers are stored in a configuration file, and wherein the configuration file contains an indication of whether a method corresponding to an event identifier is to be performed before or after the occurrence of a file system event;

wherein the first and second actions differ from the particular file system event.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein a database server manages the file system.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the configuration file is an extensible markup language (XML) file, and wherein the XML file contains a first tag that indicates “

pre”

before a particular event identifier to indicate that the first method is to be performed before the occurrence of a file system event that corresponds to the particular event identifier, and wherein the XML file contains a second tag that indicates “

post”

before the particular event identifier to indicate that the second method is to be performed after the occurrence of a file system event that corresponds to the particular event identifier.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the first database object stores information about the one or more nodes.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the second database object stores information about the one or more nodes.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the file system event is an event that occurs when a node of the one or more nodes is locked or unlocked.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the file system event is an event that occurs when a node of the one or more nodes is dynamically generated.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the file system event is an event that occurs when a symbolic link to a node of the one or more nodes is established or destroyed.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the first event type is one of:

render, create, delete, update, lock, unlock, link in, link to, unlink in, unlink from, check in, check out, uncheck out, version control, inconsistent update, or open; and

wherein the one or more other event types include one or more others of;

render, create, delete, update, lock, unlock, link in, link to, unlink in, unlink from, check in, check out, uncheck out, version control, inconsistent update, or open.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 4, wherein the received file system command is one of:

a command to copy files, a command to move files, a command to delete files, a command to create directories, a command to list directory contents, a command to remove directories, a command to rename files, or a command to rename directories.