Efficient metadata storage

• US 9,020,892 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Chan, Kevin Andrew, Copeland, Bruce Wayne, Kambuj, Aakash
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DEBBIE M
• Application Number:
  US13/178,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 707/636, 707/736, 707/812, 707/827, 711/137
• US Class Current: 707/636
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for efficiently storing metadata of partitioned data (e.g., directed to a specific individual/user). A first subset of data is identified from the set of partitioned data. The first subset of data comprises data that has a high frequency of access, and may be identified, at least in part, by frequency of access metadata that is associated with the data in the set. Metadata, such as discovery information, permissions, version info, etc., that is associated with the data in the first subset can be stored in low latency (e.g., fast) storage, proving more efficient access. Metadata associated with data from the set of partitioned data that is not in the first subset (e.g., that is not accessed frequently) can be stored in higher latency (e.g., slower, less expensive) storage.

Claims

1. A method for efficiently storing metadata, comprising:

identifying, from a set of data, a first subset of data comprising data that has a high frequency of access;

storing first metadata associated with the first subset in low latency storage based upon the first subset comprising the data that has the high frequency of access, the first metadata comprising file synchronization system metadata configured to facilitate synchronization of at least some of the first subset; and

storing second metadata associated with data from the set outside the first subset in higher latency storage based upon the data from the set outside the first subset comprising data that does not have the high frequency of access.

2. The method of claim 1, identifying the first subset comprising identifying metadata that indicates a frequency of access.

3. The method of claim 2, identifying metadata that indicates a frequency of access comprising identifying one or more of:

a first value that is incremented when first data is accessed;

a second value that is incremented when second data is moved;

a first time stamp that indicates a first time when third data is moved;

or

a second time stamp that indicates a second time when fourth data is accessed.

4. The method of claim 1, identifying the first subset comprising identifying metadata that meets a desired frequency of access threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, the set comprising one or more files.

6. The method of claim 1, the set comprising data partitioned for a user.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

identifying a second subset of data that has a lower frequency of access relative to the first subset; and

storing metadata associated with the second subset in the higher latency storage.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

upon receiving a request for metadata,

identifying if the requested metadata is stored in the low latency storage;

retrieving at least a portion of the requested metadata from the low latency storage if identified; and

retrieving at least a portion of the requested metadata from the higher latency storage if not identified in the low latency storage.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising storing an image of at least some of the retrieved metadata in a metadata layer coupled with at least one of the low latency storage or the higher latency storage.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising moving at least some metadata stored in the higher latency storage to a lower latency storage if a frequency of access indicator meets a desired frequency of access threshold.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising

moving at least some metadata stored in lower latency storage to the higher latency storage if frequency of access metadata for the metadata does not meet a desired frequency of access threshold.

12. A system for efficiently storing metadata, comprising:

a computer-based processor configured to process data for the system;

a data sorting component configured to identify, from a set of data, a first subset of data comprising data that has a high frequency of access; and

a metadata storing component configured to;

store first metadata associated with the first subset in low latency storage based upon the first subset comprising the data that has the high frequency of access, the first metadata comprising file synchronization system metadata configured to facilitate synchronization of at least some of the first subset; and

store second metadata associated with data from the set not in the first subset in higher latency storage based upon the data from the set outside the first subset comprising data that does not have the high frequency of access.

13. The system of claim 12, comprising one or more of:

a low latency storage component configured to store the first metadata for low latency retrieval;

or

a higher latency storage component configured to store the second metadata for higher latency retrieval.

14. The system of claim 13, the higher latency storage component comprising:

a first higher latency storage component configured to store a first portion of the second metadata for a first level of higher latency retrieval; and

a second higher latency storage component configured to store a second portion of the second metadata for a second level of higher latency retrieval.

15. The system of claim 12, comprising a partitioning component configured to group data for a user into a same set of partitioned data.

16. The system of claim 12, at least one of:

the low latency storage comprising an indexed database;

or

the higher latency storage comprising binary large object storage.

17. The system of claim 12, at least one of the first metadata or the second metadata associated with one or more of:

a first monotonically incrementing value indicating first data access;

a second monotonically incrementing value indicating second data movement;

a first time stamp indicating third data access;

or

a second time stamp indicating fourth data movement.

18. The system of claim 12, comprising a metadata retrieval component configured to perform one or more of:

move at least some of the second metadata to a lower latency storage if frequency of access metadata meets a desired frequency of access threshold;

store an image of at least some of at least one of the first metadata or the second metadata in a metadata layer;

or

retrieve requested metadata from the low latency storage if the requested metadata is stored in the low latency storage, else retrieve the requested metadata from the higher latency storage.

19. The system of claim 12, the set of data associated with a user.

20. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that when executed via a processing unit perform a method for efficiently storing metadata, comprising:

identifying, from a set of data, a first subset of data comprising data that has a high frequency of access;

storing first metadata associated with the first subset in low latency storage based upon the first subset comprising the data that has the high frequency of access, the first metadata comprising file synchronization system metadata; and

storing second metadata associated with data from the set outside the first subset in higher latency storage based upon the data from the set outside the first subset comprising data that does not have the high frequency of access.