Revision control system and method

• US 8,768,962 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DAJ Asparna Ltd.
• Original Assignee: DAJ Asparna Ltd.
• Inventors: Laron, Etamar
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US13/516,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/713, 707/722, 707/736, 707/758, 707/781
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files

Abstract

There is provided a file revision-control system, method and apparatus configured for storing and managing a revision history log, and for enabling to track and manage, compare and retrieve revisions including, current-revisions stored on a designated reference area, past-revisions stored in a predefined storage area and also past-revisions which were previously on a reference area. According to certain embodiments of the invention, each revision of a file is represented by a revision entry in a revision history log, which can be stored and managed in a designated data-repository. A revision entry stores data corresponding to at least one revision, while the revisions themselves may be stored on a designated data-repository. A progression path refers to one or more revision entries which represent the progression of a file over time. In case that a revision is branched into more than one revisions, each such revision will constitute a different progression path.

Claims

1. A revision control system comprising:

a revision engine operatively connected to at least one processor configured to access at least one file system and comprising;

a file system monitor configured to access and monitor said file system and identify a modification event which occurred in respect of a file or folder within a reference area in said file system;

a revision manager configured responsive to said modification event to;

create a new revision entry in a revision history log, the new revision entry corresponding to the modification event;

identify a relevant revision entry in said revision history log representing a revision of said file or folder with respect to which said modification event was implemented; and

link said new revision entry with said relevant revision entry, thereby extending a first progression path representing a progression of revisions of said file or folder;

wherein said revision manager is configured to identify that along a second progression path which comprises said relevant revision entry, an additional revision entry exists, which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said relevant revision entry;

said first progression path being another progression path linking said relevant revision entry with said new revision entry; and

maintain both said first progression path and said second progression path associated with said relevant revision entry, said relevant revision entry being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths, thereby enabling to continue and monitor both progression paths, each being indicative of modifications of a common file or folder.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a revision policy unit comprising information in respect of a policy defining rules for creating revision entries in said revision history log, said revision manager being configured to create said new revision entry in accordance with said policy.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein a revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element and wherein said revision engine is further configured to identify within said revision history log, at least one other revision entry with at least one identical data elements;

and determine, based on at least said identical data elements a historical relationship between revisions represented by said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein a revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element and wherein said revision engine is further configured to identify within said revision history log, at least one other revision entry with at least one respective data element which is identical to said at least one data element, wherein one of said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry is located in said second progression path and the other is located in said first progression path;

and determine, based on at least said at least one identical data element, a historical relationship between revisions represented by said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said revision engine is further configured to execute a copy-command in respect of a first revision;

said copy-command including a first identifier, identifying a revision entry corresponding to said first revision and a second identifier, identifying a second revision entry corresponding to a second revision;

said revision manager is configured, responsive to said copy-command for;

replacing one or more data elements in said first revision with corresponding data elements of said second revision, thereby creating a new revision;

creating a new revision entry in respect of said new revision; and

linking said new revision entry to said revision history log.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said revision engine is further configured to execute a merge-command executed in respect of two or more progression paths in said revision history log;

said merge-command includes at least information indicative of two or more progression paths within said revision history log and information identifying a merged revision-entry;

said revision manager being responsive to said merge-command for;

converging said two or more progression paths into said merged revision-entry, such that said two or more progression paths continue in a single progression path and maintain said two or more progression paths linked to said merged revision entry in said revision history log.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a network revision control unit configured to enable said revision engine to communicate over a communication network with a second revision engine connected to a second data repository;

said second data repository is defined with a second reference area;

said revision engine being configured to receive from said second revision engine an indication with respect to at least a first revision entry in a second revision history log, said second revision history log is managed by said second revision engine;

said first revision entry representing a respective revision generated in response to a modification event in said second reference area;

said revision manager being configured, responsive to the indication with respect to the first revision entry to;

determine whether said first revision entry is missing from said revision history log associated with said revision engine, and in case it is,

obtain a second revision entry, the second revision entry corresponding to said respective revision; and

link said second revision entry to a third revision entry within the revision history log, said third revision entry representing a previous revision of said respective revision, thereby extending a progression path representing a progression of revisions generated in response to modification events in the reference area and in the second reference area.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said revision engine is operatively connected to a data repository and configured to store in said data repository one or more revisions represented by one or more respective revision entries in said revision history log.

19. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one data element is a content hash code calculated from at least part of the content of a corresponding revision;

and wherein said revision engine is further configured to determine that the historical relationship between said revisions is a result of a copy event in case said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry contain identical content hash-codes.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein said revision manager is further configured to identify that along a given progression path comprising said third revision entry, an additional revision entry exists, which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said third revision entry, and wherein by said linking of said second revision entry to said third revision entry, said revision manager extends another progression path including said third revision entry and said second revision entry;

and maintain both said given progression path and said another progression path associated with said third revision entry, being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths, thereby enabling to continue and monitor said both progression paths, each being indicative of modifications of a common file or folder.

21. The system of claim 11 wherein said revision engine is configured to request, from said second revision engine, said revision represented by said first revision entry, receive said revision from said second revision engine, and store said revision in a data repository connected to said revision engine.

22. The system of claim 11 wherein in case said revision manager fails to identify said third revision entry in said revision history log, the revision engine is configured to:

create a query requesting missing information in respect of at least said third revision entry;

send said query to at least one other revision engine being member of the same channel as said revision engine; and

receive another indication, from at least said second revision engine, indicative of at least one additional revision entry corresponding to said third revision entry.

23. The system of claim 11 wherein a revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element and wherein said revision engine is further configured to:

identify within said revision history log, at least one other revision entry with at least one identical data element; and

determine, based on said at least one identical data element a historical relationship between revisions represented by said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry;

wherein one of said at least one other revision entry and said revision entry is a revision entry generated by said revision engine in response to a modification event in said reference area, and the other revision entry, of said at least one other revision entry and said revision entry, is a revision entry generated by said second revision engine in response to a modification event in said second reference area.

2. A method of revision control, the method comprising:

with the help of a processor;

accessing and monitoring a file system and identifying a modification event which occurred in respect of a file or folder within a reference area in said file system;

in response to said modification event;

creating a new revision entry in a revision history log, the new revision entry corresponding to the modification event;

identifying a relevant revision entry in said revision history log representing a revision of said file or folder with respect to which said modification event was implemented; and

linking said new revision entry with said relevant revision entry, thereby extending a first progression path representing a progression of revisions of said file or folder;

identifying that along a second progression path comprising said relevant revision entry, an additional revision entry exists, which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said relevant revision entry;

said first progression path being another progression path linking said relevant revision entry with said new revision entry; and

maintaining both said first progression path and said second progression path associated with said relevant revision entry, said relevant revision entry being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths, thereby enabling to continue and monitor both progression paths, each being indicative of modifications of a common file or folder.

13. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

obtaining information in respect of a policy defining rules for creating revision entries in said revision history log, said creating of said new revision entry is performed in accordance with said policy.

14. The method of claim 2 wherein a revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element the method further comprising:

identifying within said revision history log, at least one other revision entry with at least one identical data elements; and

determining, based on at least said identical data elements a historical relationship between revisions represented by said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein a revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element the method further comprising:

identifying within said revision history log, at least one other revision entry with at least one respective data element which is identical to said at least one data element, wherein one of said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry is located in said second progression path and the other is located in said first progression path; and

determining, based on at least said at least one identical data element, a historical relationship between revisions represented by said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry.

16. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

executing a copy-command in respect of a first revision, said copy-command including data indicative of at least an identifier for identifying a second revision entry corresponding to a second revision, and one or more data elements characterizing said revision;

and responsive to said copy-command;

replacing said data elements in said first revision with corresponding data elements of said second revision, thereby creating a new revision;

creating a new revision entry in respect of said new revision; and

linking said new revision entry to said revision history log.

17. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

executing a merge-command executed in respect of a two or more progression paths in said revision history log;

said merge-command includes at least information indicative of two or more progression paths within said revision history log and information identifying a merged revision-entry;

and responsive to said merge-command;

converging said two or more progression paths into said merged revision-entry, such that said two or more progression paths continue in a single progression path and maintain said two or more progression paths linked to said merged revision entry in said revision history log.

18. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

communicating over a communication network with at least one node connected to a data repository the data repository is defined with a second reference area;

receiving from said at least one node an indication with respect to at least a first revision entry in a second revision history log, said second revision history log is managed by said at least one node, said first revision entry representing a respective revision generated in response to a modification event in said second reference area;

responsive to the indication with respect to the first revision entry;

determining whether said first revision entry is missing from said revision history log associated with said revision engine, and in case it is,

obtaining a second revision entry, the second revision entry corresponding to said respective revision; and

linking said second revision entry to a third revision entry within the revision history log, said third revision entry representing a previous revision of said respective revision, thereby extending a progression path representing a progression of revisions generated in response to modification events in the reference area and in the second reference area.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein said at least one data element is a content hash code calculated from at least part of the content of a corresponding revision, the method further comprising:

determining that the historical relationship between said revisions is a result of a copy event in case said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry contain identical content hash-codes.

25. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

identifying that along a given progression path which comprises said third revision entry, an additional revision entry exists which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said third revision entry, and wherein by said linking of said second revision entry to said third revision entry, a new progression path including said third revision entry and said second revision entry is being extended; and

maintaining both said first progression path and said new progression path associated with said third revision entry, being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths.

26. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

requesting, from said at least one node, said revision represented by said first revision entry;

receiving said revision from said at least one node; and

storing said revision in a data repository.

27. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

in case said third revision entry is not found in said revision history log;

creating a query requesting missing information in respect of at least said third revision entry;

sending said query to one other revision engine being member of the same channel as said revision engine; and

receiving another indication from at least said at least one node indicative of at least one additional revision entry corresponding to said third revision entry.

28. The method of claim 18 wherein each revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element, the method further comprising:

identifying within said revision history log, at least two revision entries with at least one identical data elements; and

determining, based on at least said identical data element a historical relationship between revisions represented by said at least two revision entries;

wherein one of said at least two revision entries is a revision entry generated in response to a modification event in said reference area and one of said at least two revision entries is a revision entry generated in response to a modification event in said second reference area.

3. A revision control system comprising:

a revision engine operatively connected to at least one processor and configured to access at least one file system and comprising;

a file system monitor configured to access and monitor said file system and identify a modification event which occurred in respect of a file or folder within a reference area in said file system;

a revision manager configured, responsive to said modification event to;

create a new revision entry in a revision history log, the new revision entry corresponding to the modification event;

identify a relevant revision entry in said revision history log representing a revision of said file or folder with respect to which said modification event was implemented; and

link said new revision entry with said relevant revision entry, thereby extending a first progression path representing a progression of revisions of said file or folder;

identify that along a second progression path which comprises said relevant revision entry, a second revision entry exists, which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said relevant revision entry;

said first progression path being another progression path linking said relevant revision entry with said new revision entry; and

maintain both said first progression path and said second progression path associated with said relevant revision entry, said relevant revision entry being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths;

wherein a revision entry in said revision history log includes at least one data element;

said revision engine is further configured to identify within said revision history log, at least one other revision entry with at least one respective data element which is identical to said at least one data element, wherein one of, said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry, is located in said first progression path and the other is located in said second progression path; and

determine, based on at least said at least one identical data element, a historical relationship between revisions represented by said revision entry and said at least one other revision entry.

4. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform revision control, comprising:

accessing and monitoring a file system and automatically identifying a modification event which occurred in respect of a file or folder within a reference area in said file system;

in response to said modification event;

creating a new revision entry in a revision history log, the new revision entry corresponding to the modification event;

identifying a relevant revision entry in said revision history log representing a revision of said file or folder with respect to which said modification event was implemented; and

linking said new revision entry with said relevant revision entry, thereby extending a first progression path representing a progression of revisions of said file or folder;

identifying that along a second progression path which comprises said relevant revision entry, a second revision entry exists, which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said relevant revision entry;

said first progression path being another progression path linking said relevant revision entry with said new revision entry; and

maintaining both said first progression path and said second progression path associated with said relevant revision entry, said relevant revision entry being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths, thereby enabling to continue and monitor both progression paths, each being indicative of modifications of a common file or folder.

5. A revision control system comprising:

at least one processor operatively connected to a computer memory, the computer memory comprising instruction for the at least one processor for;

accessing at least one file system; and

responsive to a modification event which occurred in respect of a file or folder within a reference area in said file system, for;

creating a new revision entry in a revision history log, the new revision entry corresponding to the modification event;

identifying a relevant revision entry in said revision history log representing a revision of said file or folder with respect to which said modification event was implemented; and

linking said new revision entry with said relevant revision entry, thereby extending a first progression path representing a progression of revisions of said file or folder;

identifying that along a second progression path which comprises said relevant revision entry, a second revision entry exists, which corresponds to a modification of a revision represented by said relevant revision entry;

said first progression path being another progression path linking said relevant revision entry with said new revision entry; and

maintaining both said first progression path and said second progression path associated with said relevant revision entry, said relevant revision entry being indicative of a past revision common to both progression paths.