Providing a shadow directory and virtual files to store metadata
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- a non-volatile storage to store a particular directory having files that contain data, wherein the non-volatile storage is to further store metadata associated with the files;
at least one processor to form a shadow directory and virtual files that correspond to the files of the particular directory, wherein the virtual files contain a copy of the metadata; and
a volatile memory to store the shadow directory and the virtual files,wherein the at least one processor is to form an inode data structure for storing on the volatile memory, wherein the inode data structure comprises;
an inode type field that indicates that the inode data structure represents one of a file and a directory, anda sub-type field that indicates a type of an object represented by the inode data structure, wherein the sub-type field is settable to a first value to indicate that the object is a shadow directory, and to another value to indicate that the object is another type,wherein the at least one processor is to;
determine, by accessing the sub-type field in the inode data structure, that a given object represented by the inode data structure is the shadow directory, based on detecting the sub-type field set to the first value, anddetermine, by accessing the inode type field in the inode data structure, that the given object is a directory, based on detecting the inode type field set to a value indicating a directory.
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Abstract
Metadata is stored in non-volatile storage. The metadata is associated with files in a directory. A shadow directory and virtual files that correspond to the files of the directory are formed. The virtual files contain the metadata.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a non-volatile storage to store a particular directory having files that contain data, wherein the non-volatile storage is to further store metadata associated with the files; at least one processor to form a shadow directory and virtual files that correspond to the files of the particular directory, wherein the virtual files contain a copy of the metadata; and a volatile memory to store the shadow directory and the virtual files, wherein the at least one processor is to form an inode data structure for storing on the volatile memory, wherein the inode data structure comprises; an inode type field that indicates that the inode data structure represents one of a file and a directory, and a sub-type field that indicates a type of an object represented by the inode data structure, wherein the sub-type field is settable to a first value to indicate that the object is a shadow directory, and to another value to indicate that the object is another type, wherein the at least one processor is to; determine, by accessing the sub-type field in the inode data structure, that a given object represented by the inode data structure is the shadow directory, based on detecting the sub-type field set to the first value, and determine, by accessing the inode type field in the inode data structure, that the given object is a directory, based on detecting the inode type field set to a value indicating a directory. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method comprising:
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storing metadata in non-volatile storage, wherein the metadata describes a hierarchical arrangement of directories and files containing data; creating, by a system including a processor, shadow directories corresponding to the directories of the hierarchical arrangement, wherein each of the shadow directories includes virtual files corresponding to respective files containing data, wherein each of the virtual files contains metadata corresponding to the respective file containing data; forming, by the system, an inode data structure for storing on volatile memory, wherein the inode data structure comprises an inode type field settable to a first value to indicate that the inode data structure represents a directory, and to a second value to indicate that the inode data structure represents a file, and the inode data structure further comprising a sub-type field that indicates a type of an object represented by the inode data structure, wherein the sub-type field is settable to one value to indicate that the object is a shadow directory, and to another value to indicate that the object is another type; determining, by accessing the sub-type field in the inode data structure, that a given object represented by the inode data structure is one of the shadow directories, based on detecting the sub-type field set to the one value; and determining, by accessing the inode type field in the inode data structure, that the given object is a directory, based on detecting the inode type field set to the first value. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19)
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16. An article comprising at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a system to:
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store metadata in non-volatile storage, wherein the metadata describes a hierarchical arrangement of directories and files containing data; create shadow directories corresponding to the directories of the hierarchical arrangement, wherein each of the shadow directories includes virtual files corresponding to respective files containing data, wherein each of the virtual files contains metadata corresponding to the respective file containing data; form an inode data structure for storing on volatile memory, wherein the inode data structure comprises; an inode type field that indicates that the inode data structure represents one of a file and a directory, and a sub-type field that indicates a type of an object represented by the inode data structure, wherein the sub-type field is settable to a first value to indicate that the object is a shadow directory, and to another value to indicate that the object is another type; determine, by accessing the sub-type field in the inode data structure, that a given object represented by the inode data structure is one of the shadow directories, based on detecting the sub-type field set to the first value; and determine, by accessing the inode type field in the inode data structure, that the given object is a directory, based on detecting the inode type field set to a value indicating a directory. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification