File system active symbolic link

• US 9,037,620 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2009
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ellison, Carl Melvin, Jeffries, Charles G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bullock, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US12/639,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 707/800, 707/828
• US Class Current: 707/828
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156

Abstract

Data stored on a storage medium can be referenced by multiple independently addressable active symbolic links, with each active symbolic link representing the data through a different transformation. The active symbolic links can be in the form of file system objects, such as files or directories. A single active symbolic link can reference the data stored in multiple collections, or, conversely, a subset of data from a single collection. Active symbolic links can be automatically created for common data transformations. Searching across active symbolic links referencing encrypted data can be performed by multiple protection-specific search engines, or a single search engine that can generate a protection-level aware search index.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable instructions for implementing active symbolic links, the computer-executable instructions directed to steps comprising:

presenting a first file system object that represents a first set of data stored on a storage medium, the first file system object comprising a hard link to the first set of data;

presenting a second file system object that represents a second set of data, the second file system object comprising an active symbolic link to the first set of data, the active symbolic link identifying transformation computer-executable instructions;

receiving a selection of the presented second file system object;

obtaining at least a portion of the first set of data from the storage medium;

providing the obtained at least a portion of the first set of data to the transformation computer-executable instructions; and

providing the second set of data in response to the selection of the presented second file system object;

wherein the second set of data is an unencrypted file and the first set of data that is stored on the storage medium is an encrypted version of the unencrypted file.

2. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the first file system object and the second file system object are each files.

3. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the second set of data represents a larger set of data, that is usable as a whole, of which the first set of data is one of a multiple subparts, and wherein further the second file system object comprises active symbolic links to all of the multiple subparts.

4. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, wherein the second set of data represents a smaller set of data, that is individually usable, and which is a subpart of the first set of data;

the computer-executable instructions performing further steps comprising presenting a third file system object that represents a third set of data that is different from the second set of data and that is also an individually usable subpart of the first set of data, the third file system object comprising the active symbolic link to the first set of data.

5. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for generating a first search index from the first set of data and generating a second search index, independent from the first search index, from the second set of data;

wherein the transformation computer-executable instructions comprise decryption instructions for decrypting the first set of data into the second set of data using a key.

6. The computer-readable memory of claim 5, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

receiving a search request comprising at least one search term;

referencing the first search index for the at least one search term if the search request was received from an entity that does not have access to the key; and

referencing the second search index for the at least one search term if the search request was received from an entity that does have access to the key.

7. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for generating a single search index from both the first set of data and the second set of data;

and associating a key with each entry in the search index that is based on the second set of data;

wherein the transformation computer-executable instructions comprise decryption instructions for decrypting the first set of data into the second set of data using the key.

8. The computer-readable memory of claim 7, comprising further computer-executable instructions for receiving a search request comprising at least one search term and referencing, for the at least one search term, those entries in the single search index that are associated with keys that are accessible to an entity submitting the search request.

9. The computer-readable memory of claim 1, comprising further computer-executable instructions for:

determining if the first set of data is traditionally utilized in a transformed state; and

automatically generating the second file system object comprising the active symbolic link if the determining determines that the first set of data is traditionally utilized in the transformed state;

wherein the transformed state in which the first set of data is traditionally utilized is the second set of data.

10. A method of implementing active symbolic links comprising the steps of:

generating a file listing comprising a first file that represents a first set of data stored on a storage medium and that comprises a hard link to the first set of data and a second file that that represents a second set of data, the second file comprising an active symbolic link to the first set of data, the active symbolic link identifying transformation computer-executable instructions;

receiving a selection of one of the files;

obtaining at least a portion of the first set of data from the storage medium;

providing the obtained at least a portion of the first set of data to the transformation computer-executable instructions; and

providing the second set of data in response to the selection;

wherein the second set of data is an unencrypted file and the first set of data that is stored on the storage medium is an encrypted version of the unencrypted file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second set of data represents a larger set of data, that is usable as a whole, of which the first set of data is one of a multiple subparts, and wherein further the second file comprises active symbolic links to all of the multiple subparts.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second set of data represents a smaller set of data, that is individually usable, and which is a subpart of the first set of data;

and wherein the file listing further comprises a third file that represents a third set of data that is different from the second set of data and that is also an individually usable subpart of the first set of data, the third file comprising the active symbolic link to the first set of data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

generating a first search index from the first set of data and generating a second search index, independent from the first search index, from the second set of data;

wherein the transformation computer-executable instructions comprise decryption instructions for decrypting the first set of data into the second set of data using a key.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request comprising at least one search term;

referencing the first search index for the at least one search term if the search request was received from an entity that does not have access to the key; and

referencing the second search index for the at least one search term if the search request was received from an entity that does have access to the key.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

generating a single search index from both the first set of data and the second set of data; and

associating a key with each entry in the search index that is based on the second set of data;

wherein the transformation computer-executable instructions comprise decryption instructions for decrypting the first set of data into the second set of data using the key.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a search request comprising at least one search term; and

referencing, for the at least one search term, those entries in the single search index that are associated with keys that are accessible to an entity submitting the search request.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the first set of data is traditionally utilized in a transformed state; and

automatically generating the second file system object comprising the active symbolic link if the determining determines that the first set of data is traditionally utilized in the transformed state;

wherein the transformed state in which the first set of data is traditionally utilized is the second set of data.

18. A computing device comprising:

a storage device comprising a first set of data; and

a central processing unit configured to perform acts comprising;

presenting a first file system object that represents the first set of data, the first file system object comprising a hard link to the first set of data;

presenting a second file system object that represents a second set of data, the second file system object comprising an active symbolic link to the first set of data, the active symbolic link identifying transformation computer-executable instructions;

receiving a selection of the presented second file system object;

obtaining at least a portion of the first set of data from the storage medium;

providing the obtained at least a portion of the first set of data to the transformation computer-executable instructions; and

providing the second set of data in response to the selection of the presented second file system object;

wherein the second set of data is an unencrypted file and the first set of data that is stored on the storage medium is an encrypted version of the unencrypted file.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the storage device further comprises a search index generated from both the first set of data and the second set of data, the search index comprising associations with a key for each that is based on the second set of data;

wherein the transformation computer-executable instructions comprise decryption instructions for decrypting the first set of data into the second set of data using the key.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the central processing unit is configured to perform further acts comprising:

determining if the first set of data is traditionally utilized in a transformed state; and

automatically generating the second file system object comprising the active symbolic link if the determining determines that the first set of data is traditionally utilized in the transformed state;

wherein the transformed state in which the first set of data is traditionally utilized is the second set of data.