System and method for providing a programming-language-independent interface for querying file system content

• US 8,306,991 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti, Premo, Nur
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen, Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoffler, Raheem
• Application Number:
  US10/862,504
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,074 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/100, 707/4, 707/200
• US Class Current: 707/760
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A system and method for providing a programming-language-independent interface 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 and to store file system content. The file system may include a programming-language-independent interface whereby an application queries the file system content. In various specific implementations of the system, file system content may include file data stored in one or more of the plurality of files, or metadata stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file, respectively. In another specific implementation of the system, the application querying file system content may include the application generating a query in a query language, the application submitting the query to a query engine via the programming-language-independent interface, and the query engine evaluating said query.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store a plurality of files; and

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 content comprises metadata stored in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, wherein said file system comprises a programming-language-independent interface configured to receive a query directed to said file system content from an application, wherein said programming-language-independent interface is further configured to receive said query from said application without dependence on a programming language in which said application is implemented;

wherein said programming-language-independent interface comprises a program that is executable by said host device in response to a generic system call by said application, wherein said generic system call is executable by said application with one or more parameters that specify one or more programs external to said application, wherein said generic system call is further executable to cause said one or more programs external to said application to be executed by said host device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system content comprises file data stored in one or more of said plurality of files.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system content comprises metadata stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to being invoked by said generic system call, said programming-language-independent interface is executable to read said query from a text file.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein in response to being invoked by said generic system call, said programming-language-independent interface is executable to read said query dependent upon command-line parameters associated with said generic system call.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system implements a security model, and wherein said file system is further configured to evaluate application queries of said file system content contingently dependent upon said security model.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said programming-language-independent interface is further configured to allow each of a plurality of applications to query said file system content, wherein at least two of said plurality of applications are implemented in different programming languages.

8. A method, comprising:

a file system storing file system content on a storage device configured to store a plurality of files, wherein said file system is implemented by a host device, and wherein said file system content comprises metadata stored in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format;

an application executing a generic system call with a parameter specifying a programming-language independent interface, wherein the programming-language independent interface comprises an executable program external to said application, wherein the generic system call is executable by said application with one or more parameters that specify one or more programs external to said application, wherein said generic system call is further executable to cause said one or more programs external to said application to be executed by said host device;

in response to said application executing said generic system call, said programming-language-independent interface receiving a query directed to said file system content from said application, wherein said receiving occurs without dependence on a programming language in which said application is implemented.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said file system content comprises file data stored in one or more files.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said file system content comprises metadata stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said programming-language-independent interface receiving said query further comprises said programming-language-independent interface reading said query from a text file.

12. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said programming-language-independent interface receiving said query further comprises said programming-language-independent interface reading said query dependent upon command-line parameters associated with said generic system call.

13. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising said file system evaluating application queries of said file system content dependent upon a security model implemented by said file system.

14. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising each of a plurality of applications querying said file system content via said programming-language-independent interface, wherein at least two of said plurality of applications are implemented in different programming languages.

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

store file system content on a storage device configured to store a plurality of files, wherein said file system content comprises metadata stored in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format; and

present a programming-language-independent interface to an application, wherein said programming-language-independent interface is configured to receive a query directed to said file system content from said application without dependence on a programming language in which said application is implemented;

wherein said programming-language-independent interface comprises a program that is executable by said host device in response to a generic system call by said application, wherein said generic system call is executable by said application with one or more parameters that specify one or more programs external to said application, wherein said generic system call is further executable to cause said one or more programs external to said application to be executed by said host device.

16. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein said file system content comprises file data stored in one or more files.

17. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein said file system content comprises metadata stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file.

18. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein said program instructions are further executable to implement a security model and to evaluate application queries of said file system content dependent upon said security model.

19. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 15, wherein said programming-language-independent interface is further configured to allow each of a plurality of applications to query said file system content, wherein at least two of said plurality of applications are implemented in different programming languages.

20. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to store a plurality of files; and

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 comprises an XML Query (XQuery) query language interface configured to receive a query directed to said file system content from an application, wherein said file system content comprises metadata stored in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format;

wherein said XQuery query language interface comprises a program that is executable by said host device in response to a generic system call by said application, wherein said generic system call is executable by said application with one or more parameters that specify one or more programs external to said application, wherein said generic system call is further executable to cause said one or more programs external to said application to be executed by said host device.