Sharing electronic file metadata in a networked computing environment

• US 9,122,696 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abuelsaad, Kelly, DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Jang, Soobaek, Krook, Daniel C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleurantin, Jean B
• Application Number:
  US13/706,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20140164446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: 707/758, 707/827
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/235 Update request formulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/908 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for sharing electronic file metadata in a networked computing environment (e.g., a cloud computing environment). In a typical embodiment, metadata related to electronic files stored in a shared storage device is maintained and updated. Such metadata may be viewable via a user interface of one or more applications used to access the files (e.g., from a plurality of computerized/electronic devices). Among other things, the metadata may identify previous accesses of the files (e.g., by user, date/time, etc.), and may be provided in a list or the like.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for sharing file metadata in a networked computing environment, comprising:

detecting an opening of an electronic file while the electronic file is being stored in a cloud-based shared storage device of the networked computing environment, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment, and the shared storage device comprising a cloud storage device;

updating a set of metadata associated with the electronic file to reflect the opening of the electronic file;

storing the updated set of metadata in the shared storage device and associating the updated set of metadata with the electronic file; and

providing access to the updated set of metadata via an application utilized to access the electronic file, the providing comprising displaying the updated set of metadata via a user interface associated with the application.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the opening being attempted from a first computerized device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising accessing the updated set of metadata from a second computerized device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the updated set of metadata being represented as a list of recently accessed electronic files in the shared storage device, the list identifying the electronic file.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, the updated set of metadata identifying a user to last access the electronic file.

6. A system for sharing file metadata in a networked computing environment, comprising:

a memory device comprising instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory device; and

a processor coupled to the bus that when executing the instructions causes the system to;

detect an opening of an electronic file while the electronic file is being stored in a cloud-based shared storage device of the networked computing environment, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment, and the shared storage device comprising a cloud storage device;

update a set of metadata associated with the electronic file to reflect the opening of the electronic file;

store the updated set of metadata in the shared storage device and associate the updated set of metadata with the electronic file; and

provide access to the updated set of metadata via an application utilized to access the electronic file, the providing comprising displaying the updated set of metadata via a user interface associated with the application.

7. The system of claim 6, the opening being attempted from a first computerized device.

8. The system of claim 7, the memory device further comprising instructions for causing the system to access the updated set of metadata from a second computerized device.

9. The system of claim 6, the updated set of metadata being represented as a list of recently accessed electronic files in the shared storage device, the list identifying the electronic file.

10. The system of claim 9, the updated set of metadata identifying a user to last access the electronic file.

11. A computer program product for sharing file metadata in a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable hardware storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable hardware storage device, to:

detect an opening of an electronic file while the electronic file is being stored in a cloud-based shared storage device of the networked computing environment, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment, and the shared storage device comprising a cloud storage device;

update a set of metadata associated with the electronic file to reflect the opening of the electronic file;

store the updated set of metadata in the shared storage device and associate the updated set of metadata with the electronic file; and

provide access to the updated set of metadata via an application utilized to access the electronic file, the providing comprising displaying the updated set of metadata via a user interface associated with the application.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, the opening being attempted from a first computerized device.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, the computer readable hardware storage device further comprising instructions to access the updated set of metadata from a second computerized device.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, the updated set of metadata being represented as a list of recently accessed electronic files in the shared storage device, the list identifying the electronic file.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the updated set of metadata identifying a user to last access the electronic file.

16. A method for deploying a system for sharing file metadata in a networked computing environment, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

detect an opening of an electronic file while the electronic file is being stored in a cloud-based shared hardware storage device of the networked computing environment, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment, and the shared storage device comprising a cloud storage device;

update a set of metadata associated with the electronic file to reflect the opening of the electronic file;

store the updated set of metadata in the shared storage device and associate the updated set of metadata with the electronic file; and

provide access to the updated set of metadata via an application utilized to access the electronic file, the providing comprising displaying the updated set of metadata via a user interface associated with the application.