Method and mechanism for supporting virtual content in performing file operations at a RDBMS
First Claim
1. A machine-implemented method for providing access to one or more files:
- wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices implementing an SQL-supporting database server that processes SQL commands and commands that conform to a file system protocol to store a plurality of files in folders within a hierarchical folder structure implemented by a repository;
wherein the method comprises;
receiving a file system command at the SQL-supporting database server, wherein the file system command conforms to the file system protocol, wherein the command references a file as if said file were stored in a particular folder within the hierarchical folder structure that is implemented by said repository;
determining whether the file is stored in said repository;
in response to determining that the file is not stored in the repository, the SQL-supporting database server responding to the file system command by accessing information associated with said file, said information being located in a location other than said repository;
wherein said repository is stored in a relational database managed by the SQL-supporting database server.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are provided for accessing and storing files within a virtual folder. A virtual folder is a folder that is logically a part of a hierarchical folder structure of a file system repository, but the contents of the virtual folder are not physically stored in the file system repository. A client may issue, to an access mechanism, a request to perform a file operation on a file in a virtual folder. The access mechanism, which may be a database server or a component therein, may perform the file operation on the file in the virtual folder as if the file was stored in a particular folder within the hierarchical folder structure implemented by the file system repository. Advantageously, files may be physically stored outside of the file system repository, but still be a part of the hierarchical folder structure implemented by the file system repository.
84 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A machine-implemented method for providing access to one or more files:
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wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices implementing an SQL-supporting database server that processes SQL commands and commands that conform to a file system protocol to store a plurality of files in folders within a hierarchical folder structure implemented by a repository; wherein the method comprises; receiving a file system command at the SQL-supporting database server, wherein the file system command conforms to the file system protocol, wherein the command references a file as if said file were stored in a particular folder within the hierarchical folder structure that is implemented by said repository; determining whether the file is stored in said repository; in response to determining that the file is not stored in the repository, the SQL-supporting database server responding to the file system command by accessing information associated with said file, said information being located in a location other than said repository; wherein said repository is stored in a relational database managed by the SQL-supporting database server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A volatile or non-volatile storage storing one or more sequences of instructions for providing access to one or more files, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
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implementing an SQL-supporting database server that processes SQL commands and commands that conform to a file system protocol to store a plurality of files in folders within a hierarchical folder structure implemented by a repository; receiving a file system command at the SQL-supporting database server, wherein the file system command conforms to the file system protocol, wherein the command references a file as if said file were stored in a particular folder within the hierarchical folder structure that is implemented by said repository; determining whether the file is stored in said repository; in response to determining that the file is not stored in the repository, the SQL-supporting database server responding to the file system command by accessing information associated with said file, said information being located in a location other than said repository; wherein said repository is stored in a relational database managed by the SQL-supporting database server. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification