Mechanism for making changes to server file system

• US 8,516,015 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Giannini, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): BURKE, JEFF A
• Application Number:
  US12/832,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055288A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 707/805, 707/822, 707/828, 715/748, 717/109
• US Class Current: 707/805
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer product are provided for implementing changes to a file system of computing device. A virtual file system is created as a copy of a hierarchical structure of a file system of a computing device. The virtual file system appears as the actual file system when displayed and is a graphical representation of the file system. Changes can be made to the virtual file system without affecting the file system. Responsive to the changes, an appearance of the virtual file system is correspondingly modified to reflect the changes. Responsive to the changes, commands are generated corresponding to the changes. The commands reflect changes to the virtual file system, and the commands are stored. The commands are provided for execution on the computing device, and the commands cause the file system of the computing device to reflect changes made to the virtual file system.

Claims

1. A method for implementing changes to a file system of a computing device, the file system comprising a plurality of individual files, the method comprising:

creating a virtual file system as a copy of a hierarchical structure of a file system of a computing device, the virtual file system appearing as the actual file system of the computing device when displayed and being a graphical representation of the file system of the computing device;

allowing a user to make changes to the individual files of the virtual file system without affecting the file system of the computing device;

modifying an appearance of the virtual file system responsive to the user making changes to the individual files of the virtual file system to reflect the changes made by the user, wherein the changes to the individual files of the virtual file system are stored;

updating the virtual file system responsive to a modification to the file system of the computing device so that the virtual file system is current with respect to the file system of the computing device and in addition updating the virtual file system with the changes to the individual files made by the user, wherein the appearance of the virtual file system shows an integration of both the modification to the file system of the computing device and the changes made by the user;

generating commands in the virtual file system responsive to the user making changes to the individual files of the virtual file system, wherein the commands reflect the changes to the individual files of the virtual file system, and wherein the commands are stored; and

providing the commands for execution on the computing device, the commands causing the file system of the computing device to reflect the changes made to the individual files of the virtual file system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the virtual file system and commands on a display of a communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection identifying the computing device having the file system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands are to reflect only each of the changes made by the user to the virtual file system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the commands are computer executable instructions that can be executed on the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the appearance of the virtual file system pictorially illustrates the hierarchical structure of files in the file system of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual file system appearing as the file system of the computing device when displayed allows the user to interact with the virtual file system as though the user is interacting with the file system of the computing device;

and

wherein the user can make changes to the virtual file system by utilizing operations comprising at least one of create, open, edit, view, print, execute, play, rename, move, copy, and delete.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising copying files from a first device.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying files of the virtual file system, a listing of the commands that reflect only changes to the virtual file system, and a first file system of a first device;

wherein the user can make changes to the virtual file system by copying files from the displayed first file system of the first device to the virtual file system; and

wherein the listing of the commands and the virtual file system both reflect the copying of files from the first file system of the first device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification of the file system of the computing device is distinct and different from the changes made by the user.

11. A communication device configured to implement changes to a file system of a computing device, the file system of the computing device comprising a plurality of individual files, the communication device comprising:

memory for storing a deployment planner; and

a processor, functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the deployment planner and operative for;

creating a virtual file system as a copy of a hierarchical structure of a file system of a computing device, the virtual file system appearing as the actual file system of the computing device when displayed and being a graphical representation of the file system of the computing device;

allowing a user to make changes to the individual files of the virtual file system without affecting the file system of the computing device;

in response to the user making changes to the individual files of the virtual file system, correspondingly modifying an appearance of the virtual file system to reflect the changes made by the user, wherein the changes to the individual files of the virtual file system are stored;

updating the virtual file system responsive to a modification to the file system of the computing device so that the virtual file system is current with respect to the file system of the computing device and in addition updating the virtual file system with the changes to the individual files made by the user, wherein the appearance of the virtual file system shows an integration of both the modification to the file system of the computing device and the changes made by the use;

in response to the user making changes to the virtual file system, generating commands corresponding to the changes the individual files of the virtual file system made by the user, wherein the commands reflect changes to the individual files of the virtual file system, and wherein the commands are stored; and

providing the commands in a file for execution on the computing device, the commands causing the file system of the computing device to reflect the changes made to the individual files of the virtual file system.

12. The communication device of claim 11, further comprising displaying the virtual file system and commands on a display of the communication device.

13. The communication device of claim 11, further comprising receiving a selection identifying the computing device having the file system.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the commands are to reflect only each of the changes made by the user to the virtual file system.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the commands are computer executable instructions that can be executed on the computing device.

16. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the appearance of the virtual file system pictorially illustrates the hierarchical structure of files in the file system.

17. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the virtual file system appearing as the file system of the computing device when displayed allows the user to interact with the virtual file system as though the user is interacting with the file system of the computing device;

and

wherein the user can make changes to the virtual file system by utilizing operations comprising at least one of create, open, edit, view, print, execute, play, rename, move, copy, and delete.

18. A computer program product for implementing changes to a file system of a computing device, the file system of the computing device comprising a plurality of individual files, the computer program product comprising:

a nontransitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to create a virtual file system as a copy of a hierarchical structure of a file system of a computing device, the virtual file system appearing as the actual file system of the computing device when displayed and being a graphical representation of the file system of the computing device;

computer readable program code configured to allow a user to make changes to the individual files of the virtual file system without affecting the file system of the computing device;

computer readable program code configured to modify an appearance of the virtual file system responsive to the user making changes to the individual files of the virtual file system to reflect the changes made by the user, wherein the changes to the individual files of the virtual file system are stored;

computer readable program code configured to update the virtual file system responsive to a modification to the file system of the computing device so that the virtual file system is current with respect to the file system of the computing device and in addition to update the virtual file system with the changes to the individual files made by the user, wherein the appearance of the virtual file system shows an integration of both the modification to the file system of the computing device and the changes made by the user;

computer readable program code configured to generate commands in the virtual file system responsive to the user making changes to the individual files of the virtual file system, wherein the commands reflect changes to the individual files of the virtual file system, and wherein the commands are stored; and

computer readable program code configured to provide the commands in a file for execution on the computing device, the commands causing the file system of the computing device to reflect the changes made to the individual files of the virtual file system.