Cloud Based Operating and Virtual File System

• US 20110252071A1
• Filed: 02/22/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sookasa, Inc. (Barracuda Networks Incorporated)
• Inventors: CIDON, Asaf
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems

Abstract

A method for managing a virtual distributed file system, the method comprising: maintaining, by a master device located in a cloud computing environment, a metadata data structure that comprises metadata about locations of most updated versions of multiple file portions and of security levels of the file portions; wherein at least one file portion is stored at a user device that is coupled to the cloud computing environment; and managing, by the master device, transaction of file portions to user entities based on at least metadata stored in the metadata data structure about the file portions; wherein at least one user entity is hosted by the user device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a web-based operating system, the method comprises:

maintaining, by a master server located in a cloud computing environment, a metadata data structure that comprises metadata that comprises state information about states of multiple assets of at least one user; and

running applications, by the master server, across multiple assets;

wherein a running of an application comprises;

communicating with multiple assets that are coupled to the cloud computing environment or are hosted by a device that is either coupled to the cloud computing environment or belongs to the cloud computing environment; and

managing a state of at least a first asset according to (a) metadata of the metadata data structure that is associated with the first asset and (b) at least one of (b.i) metadata of the metadata data structure associated with a second asset and (b.ii) application related external information.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the asset is selected from a group consisting of a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, a personal data accessory, a camera, a television, a home entertainment device, a home gaming device, a home appliance, a home security system, fire control systems, a home irrigation system, home lighting control, a climate control system, a water heating system, an electrical control device, a movement sensor, a heat sensor, a personal web account, an email account, a user on-line calendar, a user on-line contact list, a social network account, a web document account, a user health account, a software as a service account, an enterprise internal file system, a user related storage at the master center and a user profile account at the master center.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the application related external information is selected from a group consisting of area weather conditions, area light condition, area visibility conditions, area online maps, area traffic conditions, asset maintenance and repair information, vendor information associated with operation and software update, information associated with asset remote control and monitoring capabilities, asset related commercial offerings, related advertising information, public location based services, information provided by emergency forces and local news information.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising using a first asset as a remote control for at least one other asset;

wherein the method comprises sending to the master server the first asset'"'"'s state information that comprises commands and changing, by the master server, a state of other assets in response to the commands.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the managing of the state of assets comprises transferring information through a direct network connection from a first asset to one or more other assets.

6. A method for managing a virtual distributed file system, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a master server located in a cloud computing environment, a metadata data structure that comprises metadata that comprises locations of the most updated versions of multiple files and directories;

wherein at least one file or directory is rooted at a user device that is coupled to the cloud computing environment; and

managing, by the master server, transaction of file portions between user assets based on metadata stored in the metadata data structure about the file and directory.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one user asset is selected from a group comprising a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, a personal data accessory, a home entertainment device, a home gaming device, a home appliance, a portable memory device, a personal web account, an email account, a social network account, a web storage, a network backup storage, a web document account, a software as a service account, an enterprise internal file system, an enterprise application account and file storage located at the master server.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the metadata of the file includes a description of a native file system of an asset on which the said file resides, a name of the asset, a type of the asset, an identity and structure of a directory for which the file belongs, absolute or relative location of the file in the directory, a time of a last change of the file, a file version number, a file description, a file encryption key, a list of file chunks composing the file, a position of the file chunks in the file.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the user asset stores at least a part of the metadata data structure that is associated with the user;

wherein the method comprises synchronizing at least part of the metadata structure associated with the user with the master server upon local and remote file and directory metadata changes.

10. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

receiving a request to transfer a file to a first asset;

determining at least one other asset from which missing file chunks are to be transferred based upon network connectivity metadata, indicative of a quality of communication between the first asset and at least one other asset.

11. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

receiving a request to transfer a file from a first asset to a second asset;

determining whether the file should be transferred through the master server or not, based upon network connectivity metadata, indicative of an available direct communication between the first and second assets.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one asset is an account of a user in a remote web service and wherein the metadata data structure comprises metadata about files accessible through the web account of the user, wherein the metadata structure comprises a representation of files accessible through the web account of the user in a form of a virtual file directory structure.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein at least one directory of the virtual directory structure describes an email account of a user, wherein the virtual file directory structure comprises metadata of at least one email attachment, wherein the metadata associated with said attachment includes the standard fields of the email message.

14. The method according to claim 6, comprising:

instructing a first user asset to fetch at least one file chunk from the master server or another user asset in a response to an indication that the first user asset network connectivity has changed.

15. The method according to claim 6, comprising instructing a first user asset to fetch at least one file chunk of a recently updated file from the master server or another user asset in a response to a recent file update and according to the first user asset'"'"'s network connectivity speed.

16. The method according to claim 6, comprising instructing a first user asset to fetch at least one file chunk of a recently updated file from the master server or another user asset in a response to a file or directory related command on a second user asset and according to the first user asset'"'"'s network connectivity speed.

17. A computer program product that comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for:

maintaining, by a master server located in a cloud computing environment, a metadata data structure that comprises metadata that comprises state information about a state of multiple assets of at least one user;

running applications, by the master server, across multiple assets;

wherein a running of an application comprises;

communicating with multiple assets that are coupled to the cloud computing environment or are hosted by a device that is either coupled to the cloud computing environment or belongs to the cloud computing environment; and

managing a state of at least a first asset according to (a) metadata of the metadata data structure that is associated with the first asset and (b) at least one of (b.i) metadata of the metadata data structure associated with a second asset and (b.ii) application related external information.

18. The computer program product according to claim 17 wherein the asset is selected from a group consisting of a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, a personal data accessory, a camera, a television, a home entertainment device, a home gaming device, a home appliance, a home security system, fire control systems, a home irrigation system, home lighting control, a climate control system, a water heating system, an electrical control device, a movement sensor, a heat sensor, a personal web account, an email account, a user on-line calendar, a user on-line contact list, a social network account, a web document account, a user health account, a software as a service account, an enterprise internal file system, a user related storage at the master center and a user profile account at the master center.

19. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the application related external information is selected from a group consisting of area weather conditions, area light condition, area visibility conditions, area online maps, area traffic conditions, asset maintenance and repair information, vendor information associated with operation and software update, information associated with asset remote control and monitoring capabilities, asset related commercial offerings, related advertising information, public location based services, information provided by emergency forces and local news information.

20. The computer program product according to claim 17 that stores instructions for using a first asset as a remote control for at least one other asset;

wherein the method comprises sending to the master server the first asset'"'"'s state information that comprises commands and changing, by the master server, a state of other assets in response to the commands.

21. The computer program product according to claim 17, wherein the managing of the state of assets comprises transferring information through a direct network connection from a first asset to one or more other assets.

22. A computer program product that comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for:

maintaining, by a master server located in a cloud computing environment, a metadata data structure that comprises metadata that comprises locations of the most updated versions of multiple files and directories;

wherein at least one file or directory is rooted at a user device that is coupled to the cloud computing environment; and

managing, by the master server, transaction of file portions between user assets based on metadata stored in the metadata data structure about the file and directory.

23. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein at least one user asset is selected from a group comprising a smart phone, a mobile phone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, a personal data accessory, a home entertainment device, a home gaming device, a home appliance, a portable memory device, a personal web account, an email account, a social network account, a web storage, a network backup storage, a web document account, a software as a service account, an enterprise internal file system, an enterprise application account and file storage located at the master server.

24. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the metadata of the file includes a description of a native file system of an asset on which the said file resides, a name of the asset, a type of the asset, an identity and structure of a directory for which the file belongs, absolute or relative location of the file in the directory, a time of a last change of the file, a file version number, a file description, a file encryption key, a list of file chunks composing the file, a position of the file chunks in the file.

25. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the user asset stores at least a part of the metadata data structure that is associated with the user;

wherein the method comprises synchronizing at least part of the metadata structure associated with the user with the master server upon local and remote file and directory metadata changes.

26. The computer program product according to claim 22 that stores instructions for receiving a request to transfer a file to a first asset;

determining at least one other asset from which missing file chunks are to be transferred based upon network connectivity metadata, indicative of a quality of communication between the first asset and at least one other asset.

27. The computer program product according to claim 22 that stores instructions for receiving a request to transfer a file from a first asset to a second asset;

determining whether the file should be transferred through the master server or not, based upon network connectivity metadata, indicative of an available direct communication between the first and second assets.

28. The computer program product according to claim 22, wherein at least one asset is an account of a user in a remote web service and wherein the metadata data structure comprises metadata about files accessible through the web account of the user, wherein the metadata structure comprises a representation of files accessible through the web account of the user in a form of a virtual file directory structure.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28, wherein at least one directory of the virtual directory structure describes an email account of a user, wherein the virtual file directory structure comprises metadata of at least one email attachment, wherein the metadata associated with said attachment includes the standard fields of the email message.

30. The computer program product according to claim 28 that stores instructions for:

instructing a first user asset to send to another user asset or to the master server at least one file chunk in a response to an indication that the first user asset network connectivity has changed.

31. The computer program product according to claim 28 that stores instructions for instructing a first user asset to send to another user asset or to the master server at least one file chunk of a recently updated file in a response to a recent file update and according to the first user asset'"'"'s network connectivity speed.

32. The computer program product according to claim 28 that stores instructions for instructing a first user asset to send to another user asset or to the master server at least one file chunk of a recently updated file in a response to a file or directory related command on a second user asset and according to the first user asset'"'"'s network connectivity speed.