Methods and systems for managing data

• US 9,213,708 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Arrouye, Yan, Giampaolo, Dominic, Ording, Bas, Christie, Gregory, Lemay, Stephen Olivier, Van Os, Marcel, Chaudhri, Imran, Tiene, Kevin, Cisler, Pavel
• Primary Examiner(s): ROBINSON, GRETA LEE
• Application Number:
  US14/256,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/625, 707/705, 707/707, 707/708, 707/709, 707/711, 707/764, 707/821, 707/830, 707/822, 707/825
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• 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

Systems and methods for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

Claims

1. A machine readable medium providing executable program instructions for causing a data processing system to perform a method of managing data, the method comprising:

storing, in an index database, text content of a plurality of data files, the index database created by a text indexing program which indexes the text content, the index database being separate from the plurality of data files;

storing metadata corresponding to the plurality of data files, including a first data file, created by at least one software application which is executable on a data processing system, wherein the type of metadata for data files of a first type differs from the type of metadata for data files of a second type, and wherein metadata for the first data file includes a persistent identifier that provides a persistent association between the metadata for the first data file and the first data file even through modifications of the first data file;

storing a file system directory which maintains information specifying the persistent association between the metadata for the first data file, and the first data file;

receiving a notification indicating modification of the first data file which results in the creation of a modified first data file;

identifying, in response to receiving the notification and using the persistent identifier, the location of the metadata for the first data file based on the persistent association between the metadata for the first data file and the modified first data file; and

searching the text content and the metadata in response to a search query.

2. The medium as in claim 1 wherein metadata for the first data file includes the persistent identifier in a metadata database.

3. The medium as in claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying a single search user interface for searching both metadata and text content of the plurality of data files.

4. The medium as in claim 3, wherein an operating system component provides the notification which indicates the modification of the first data file.

5. The medium as in claim 4, the method further comprising:

capturing metadata of the modified first data file in response to the notification from the operating system component.

6. The medium as in claim 5 wherein metadata of the plurality of data files and text content of the plurality of data files are concurrently searched through the single search user interface.

7. The medium as in claim 6 wherein the capturing of metadata is performed by one or more of a plurality of importers of metadata.

8. The medium as in claim 7 wherein the plurality of importers include a first importer and a second importer, and wherein the first importer captures metadata from a first file having a first file type and the second importer captures metadata from a second file having a second file type which is different than the first the type.

9. The medium as in claim 1, wherein metadata for the first data file includes the persistent identifier in a metadata database, and wherein the file system directory is separate from the metadata database.

10. A machine implemented method comprising:

storing, in an index database, text content of a plurality of data files, the index database created by a text indexing program which indexes the text content, the index database being separate from the plurality of data files;

storing metadata corresponding to the plurality of data files, including a first data file, created by at least one software application which is executable on a data processing system, wherein the type of metadata for data files of a first type differs from the type of metadata for data files of a second type, and wherein metadata for the first data file includes a persistent identifier that provides a persistent association between the metadata for the first data file and the first data file even through modifications of the first data file;

storing a file system directory which maintains information specifying the persistent association between the metadata for the first data file and the first data file;

receiving a notification indicating modification of the first data file which results in the creation of a modified first data file;

identifying, in response to receiving the notification and using the persistent identifier, the location of the metadata for the first data file based on the persistent association between the metadata for the first data file and the modified first data file; and

searching the text content and the metadata in response to a search query.

11. The method as in claim 10 wherein metadata for the first data file includes the persistent identifier in a metadata database.

12. The method as in claim 10, the method further comprising:

displaying a single search user interface for searching both metadata and text content of the plurality of data files.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein an operating system component provides the notification which indicates the modification of the first data file.

14. The method as in claim 13, the method further comprising:

capturing metadata of the modified first data file in response to the notification from the operating system component.

15. The method as in claim 14 wherein metadata of the plurality of data files and text content of the plurality of data files are concurrently searched through the single search user interface.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the capturing of metadata is performed by one or more of a plurality of importers of metadata.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein the plurality of importers include a first importer and a second importer, and wherein the first importer captures metadata from a first file having a first file type and the second importer captures metadata from a second file having a second file type which is different than the first file type.

18. The method as in claim 10, wherein metadata for the first data file includes the persistent identifier in a metadata database, and wherein the file system directory is separate from the metadata database.