File Update Availability Checking In a Hierarchal File Store

• US 20080133922A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Clark
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/137 Hash-based content-based indexing of textual data G06F16/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/196 Specific adaptations of the file system to access devices and non-file objects via standard file system access operations, e.g. pseudo file systems dedicated interfaces to storage systems G06F3/0601
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A device includes a computer processor and a file store coupled to the computer processor. The file store includes a hierarchal file system. A plurality of files is located in the hierarchal file system. Each of the plurality of files is associated with digital signature metadata determined by a content of the file. A plurality of directories is located in the hierarchal file system. Digital signature metadata is associated with each of the plurality of directories and determined by the digital signature metadata associated with the directories and the files that are direct descendants of the directory. An update module determines if an update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata associated with a root directory in the plurality of directories.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a computer processor;

a file store coupled to the computer processor, the file store including a hierarchal file system;

a plurality of files located in the hierarchal file system, each of the plurality of files associated with digital signature metadata determined by a content of the file;

a plurality of directories located in the hierarchal file system, digital signature metadata associated with each of the plurality of directories being determined by digital signature metadata associated with the directories and the files that are direct descendants of the directory; and

an update module that determines if an update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata associated with a root directory in the plurality of directories.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the update module determines if an update to any of the plurality of files is available by transmitting the digital signature metadata to a server that determines the availability of the update by using the digital signature metadata to access a database, and receiving an indication of the availability of the update from the server.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the update module further determines if an update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of directories that are descendants of the root directory if the root directory is untagged.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the update module determines if an update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of each of the plurality of files if the directory from which the plurality of files are direct descendants is untagged.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the untagged directory is associated with digital signature metadata having the null value.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the untagged directory is not associated with digital signature metadata.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein the root directory wherein the root directory was associated with digital signature metadata and became untagged as the result of a file operation on a file that was associated with digital signature metadata.

8. A method of checking files located in a hierarchal file system for availability of an update, the method comprising:

associating each of a plurality of files located in the hierarchal file system with digital signature metadata determined by a content of the file;

associating each of a plurality of directories located in the hierarchal file system with digital signature metadata determined by digital signature metadata associated with the directories and the files that are direct descendants of the directory; and

determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata associated with a root directory in the plurality of directories.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available includes transmitting the digital signature metadata to a server that determines the availability of the update by using the digital signature metadata to access a database, and receiving an indication of the availability of the update from the server.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein:

there is at least one untagged file located in the hierarchal file system that was previously a tagged file; and

each of the directories from which the untagged file is a descendant is untagged;

the method further comprises determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of directories that are descendants of the root directory.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of each of the plurality of files if the directory from which the plurality of files are direct descendants is untagged.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the untagged directory is associated with digital signature metadata having a null value

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the untagged directory is not associated with digital signature metadata.

14. A device for checking files located in a hierarchal file system for availability of an update, the device comprising:

means for associating each of a plurality of files located in the hierarchal file system with digital signature metadata determined by a content of the file;

means for associating each of a plurality of directories located in the hierarchal file system with digital signature metadata determined by digital signature metadata associated with the directories and the files that are direct descendants of the directory; and

means for determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata associated with a root directory in the plurality of directories.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the means for determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available includes means for transmitting the digital signature metadata to a server that determines the availability of the update by using the digital signature metadata to access a database, and means for receiving an indication of the availability of the update from the server.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein:

there is at least one untagged file located in the hierarchal file system that was previously a tagged file; and

each of the directories from which the untagged file is a descendant is untagged;

the device further comprising means for determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of directories that are descendants of the root directory.

17. The device of claim 16 further comprising means for determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of each of the plurality of files if the directory from which the plurality of files are direct descendants is untagged.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the untagged directory is associated with digital signature metadata having a null value

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the untagged directory is not associated with digital signature metadata.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a processor-readable medium having a sequence of instructions, the sequence of instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform a method for checking files located in a hierarchal file system for availability of an update, the method comprising:

associating each of a plurality of files located in the hierarchal file system with digital signature metadata determined by a content of the file;

associating each of a plurality of directories located in the hierarchal file system with digital signature metadata determined by digital signature metadata associated with the directories and the files that are direct descendants of the directory; and

determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata associated with a root directory in the plurality of directories.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available includes transmitting the digital signature metadata to a server that determines the availability of the update by using the digital signature metadata to access a database, and receiving an indication of the availability of the update from the server.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 21 wherein:

there is at least one untagged file located in the hierarchal file system that was previously a tagged file; and

each of the directories from which the untagged file is a descendant is untagged;

the method further comprises determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of directories that are descendants of the root directory.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein the method further comprises determining if the update to any of the plurality of files is available based on the digital signature metadata of each of the plurality of files if the directory from which the plurality of files are direct descendants is untagged.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein the untagged directory is associated with digital signature metadata having a null value

26. The article of manufacture of claim 24 wherein the untagged directory is not associated with digital signature metadata.