Finer grained data organization using data sublayers

• US 8,438,196 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2008
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Cook, Randall R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Susan Y
• Application Number:
  US12/059,785
• Time in Patent Office: 1,863 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/113 Details of archiving lifecycle management in storage systems G06F3/0649; backup systems G06F11/1446
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06

Abstract

A file system includes first, second, third, and fourth directories where the first and second directories are sub-directories of the third directory, the third directory is a sub-directory of the fourth directory, the first directory stores only files identified by a first file extension, the second directory stores only files identified by a second file extension, and the first and second file extensions are distinct. A method involves receiving first and second requests to open first and second files, respectively, that are contained in the file system. The first and second requests include first and second file system paths, respectively. The first file system path is modified by adding identities of the first, third, and fourth directories to the first file system path. The second file system path is modified by adding identities of the second, third, and fourth directories to the second file system path.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first request to open a first file that is contained in a file system, wherein

the file system comprises first, second, third, and fourth directories,

the first and second directories are sub-directories of the third directory,

the third directory is a sub-directory of the fourth directory,

the first directory stores only files identified by a first file extension,

the second directory stores only files identified by a second file extension,

the first and second file extensions are distinct, and

the first request comprises a first file system path, wherein the first file system path comprises a first file name, and wherein the first file name comprises the first file extension;

detecting whether a layer comprising at least one file comprising the first file extension is activated, wherein

the detecting comprises accessing an activation list;

modifying the first file system path by adding, to the first file system path, a redirect path component that comprises the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories to the first file system path;

receiving a second request to open a second file that is contained in the file system, wherein the second request comprises a second file system path, wherein the second file system path comprises a second file name, and wherein the second file name comprises the second file extension;

detecting whether a layer comprising at least one file comprising the second file extension is activated, wherein

the detecting whether the layer comprising the at least one file comprising the second file extension is activated comprises accessing the activation list;

modifying the second file system path by adding, to the second file system path, a redirect path component that comprises the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories to the second file system path, wherein the modifying the second file system path is performed by a computing device implementing the file system.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending the first request, including the modified first file system path, to a file system manager for processing;

sending the second request, including the modified second file system path, to the file system manager for processing.

3. The method of claim 1:

wherein the fourth directory is a sub-directory of a root directory of the file system;

wherein the first file system path, before modification, comprises an identity of the root directory, and wherein the first file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the first file name;

wherein the second file system path, before modification, comprises the identity of the root directory, and wherein the second file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the second file name.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

mapping the first file extension to the first directory, wherein the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories are added to the first file system path after the first file extension is mapped to the first directory;

mapping the second file extension to the second directory, wherein the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories are added to the first file system path after the first file extension is mapped to the first directory.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying data contained in the first file;

modifying data contained in the second file.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

extending a file length of the first file;

adding new data to the extended portion of the first file;

extending a file length of the second file;

adding new data to the extended portion of the second file.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request to open a file that is contained in the file system, wherein the request comprises a file system path, wherein the file system path comprises a file name and an identity of a directory,

modifying the file system path by adding identities of the third, and fourth directories to the file system path and by adding an identity of a fifth directory to the file system path, wherein the fifth directory is a sub-directory of the third directory, and wherein the fifth directory is configured to store a plurality of files that are identified by a plurality of file extensions, respectively.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the fourth directory is a sub-directory of a root directory of the file system, wherein the file system path, before modification, comprises the identity of the root directory, and wherein the file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the third, fourth, and fifth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the file name.

9. A computer readable medium that stores instructions executable by a computer system, wherein the computer system implements a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first request to open a first file that is contained in a file system, wherein the file system comprises first, second, third, and fourth directories wherein the first and second directories are sub-directories of the third directory, wherein the third directory is a sub-directory of the fourth directory, wherein the first directory stores only files identified by a first file extension, wherein the second directory stores only files identified by a second file extension, wherein the first and second file extensions are distinct, wherein the first request comprises a first file system path, wherein the first file system path comprises a first file name, and wherein the first file name comprises the first file extension;

detecting whether a layer comprising at least one file comprising the first file extension is activated, wherein

the detecting whether the layer comprising the at least on file comprising the second file extension is activated comprises accessing an activation list;

modifying the first file system path by adding, to the first file system path, a redirect path component that comprises the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories to the first file system path;

receiving a second request to open a second file that is contained in the file system, wherein the second request comprises a second file system path, wherein the second file system path comprises a second file name, and wherein the second file name comprises the second file extension;

detecting whether a layer comprising at least one file comprising the second file extension is activated, wherein

the detecting whether the layer comprising the at least one file comprising the second file extension is activated comprises accessing the activation list;

modifying the second file system path by adding, to the second file system path, a redirect path component that comprises the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories to the second file system path.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

sending the first request, including the modified first file system path, to a file system manager for processing;

sending the second request, including the modified second file system path, to the file system manager for processing.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9:

wherein the fourth directory is a sub-directory of a root directory of the file system;

wherein the first file system path, before modification, comprises an identity of the root directory, and wherein the first file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the first file name;

wherein the second file system path, before modification, comprises the identity of the root directory, and wherein the second file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the second file name.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

mapping the first file extension to the first directory, wherein the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories are added to the first file system path after the first file extension is mapped to the first directory;

mapping the second file extension to the second directory, wherein the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories are added to the first file system path after the first file extension is mapped to the first directory.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

modifying data contained in the first file;

modifying data contained in the second file.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

extending a file length of the first file;

adding new data to the extended portion of the first file;

extending a file length of the second file;

adding new data to the extended portion of the second file.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to open a file that is contained in the file system, wherein the request comprises a file system path, wherein the file system path comprises a file name and an identity of a directory,

modifying the file system path by adding identities of the third, and fourth directories to the file system path and by adding an identity of a fifth directory to the file system path, wherein the fifth directory is a sub-directory of the third directory, and wherein the fifth directory is configured to store a plurality of files that are identified by a plurality of file extensions, respectively.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the fourth directory is a sub-directory of a root directory of the file system, wherein the file system path, before modification, comprises the identity of the root directory, and wherein the file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the third, fourth, and fifth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the file name.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor comprising a file system, wherein the file system comprises first, second, third, and fourth directories wherein the first and second directories are sub-directories of the third directory, wherein the third directory is a sub-directory of the fourth directory, wherein the fourth directory is a sub-directory of a root directory of the file system, wherein the first directory stores only files identified by a first file extension, wherein the second directory stores only files identified by a second file extension, wherein the first and second file extensions are distinct;

a circuit for detecting whether a layer comprising at least one file comprising the first file extension is activated and a layer comprising at least one file comprising the second file extension is activated, wherein the detecting comprises accessing an activation list;

a circuit for modifying first and second file system paths of first and second requests, respectively, to open first and second files, respectively, that are contained in the file system, wherein the first file system path comprises a first file name, and wherein the first file name comprises the first file extension, wherein the second file system path comprises a second file name, and wherein the second file name comprises the second file extension;

wherein the circuit modifies the first file system path by adding, to the first file system path, a redirect path component that comprises the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories to the first file system path;

wherein the circuit modifies the second file system path by adding, to the second file system path, a redirect path component that comprises the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories to the second file system path.

18. The apparatus of claim 17:

wherein the circuit is configured to send the first request, including the modified first file system path, to a file system manager for processing;

wherein the circuit is configured to send the second request, including the modified second file system path, to the file system manager for processing.

19. The apparatus of claim 17:

wherein the first file system path, before modification, comprises an identity of the root directory, and wherein the first file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the first file name;

wherein the second file system path, before modification, comprises the identity of the root directory, and wherein the second file system path, after modification, comprises the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories positioned between the identity of the root directory and the second file name.

20. The apparatus of claim 17:

wherein the circuit is configured to map the first file extension to the first directory;

wherein the circuit is configured to add the identities of the first, third, and fourth directories to the first file system path after the first file extension is mapped to the first directory;

wherein the circuit is configured to map the second file extension to the second directory;

wherein the circuit is configured to add the identities of the second, third, and fourth directories to the first file system path after the first file extension is mapped to the first directory.