PLATFORM AGNOSTIC FILE ATTRIBUTE SYNCHRONIZATION

• US 20120150801A1
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mantri, Siddharth, Chung, Richard Yiu-Sai
• Application Number:
  US12/963,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/626
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for providing platform agnostic synchronization for a custom functionality attribute of a file in a distributed data management system. An application and/or device may create or utilize a custom functionality attribute for a file in the distributed data management system. A custom attribute field, comprising data representative of the custom functionality attribute, can be attached to the file, such as with other metadata for the file. The custom attribute field can be stored with the file in the distributed data management system, and can remain unchanged and be synchronized with the file when the file is touched by a device on the distributed data management system.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for providing platform agnostic synchronization for a custom functionality attribute of a file in a distributed data management system, comprising:

attaching a custom attribute field to the file, using a computer-based processor, the custom attribute field comprising data representative of the custom functionality attribute; and

storing the custom attribute field with the file in the distributed data management system.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising setting the custom functionality attribute for the file when the file is realized on a device connected to the distributed data management system.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising setting the custom functionality attribute for the file when the file is realized in a storage hierarchy on a device connected to the distributed data management system.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising providing for a consumer of the data representative of the custom functionality attribute to define a behavior for the custom functionality attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, the consumer comprising a device connected to the distributed data management system that is configured to apply the custom functionality attribute.

6. The method of claim 4, the consumer comprising an application resident on the distributed data management system that is configured to apply the custom functionality attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising providing for a non-consumer of the data representative of the custom functionality attribute to ignore the custom functionality attribute.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising keeping the custom attribute field with the file when the file is at least one of copied, changed, or moved in the distributed data management system.

9. The method of claim 1, the custom functionality attribute comprising one or more of:

a file system attribute;

an action associated with the file;

a synchronization exclusion; and

a synchronization inclusion.

10. The method of claim 1, storing the custom attribute field comprising storing the custom functionality attribute as a bit flag associated with the file.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising synchronizing the file in the distributed data management system, comprising assigning a bit that is representative of the custom functionality attribute in a metadata file associated with the file.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising an application resident on the distributed data management system creating the custom functionality attribute for the file.

14. The system of claim 12, comprising a custom functionality setting component configured to set the custom functionality attribute when the file is realized on a device connected to the distributed data management component.

15. The system of claim 12, the platform agnostic custom attribute field configured to remain unchanged when a non-consumer of the custom functionality attribute interacts with the platform agnostic custom attribute field.

16. The system of claim 12, the custom functionality attribute for a file comprising one or more of:

a distributed data management system-wide behavior for the file; and

a file system attribute for the file in the distributed data management system.

17. The system of claim 12, the distributed data management component comprising a mesh network comprising a plurality of devices.

18. The system of claim 12, the representation of the custom functionality attribute comprising a bit flag in the platform agnostic custom attribute field.

19. The system of claim 12, comprising a synchronization component configured to at least one of:

synchronize the file between two or more devices in the distributed data management component; and

synchronize the platform agnostic custom attribute field attached to the file between two or more devices in the distributed data management component.

13. A system for providing platform agnostic synchronization for a custom functionality attribute of a file in a distributed data management system, comprising:

a processor configured to process data for the system;

a distributed data management component operably coupled with the processor and configured to store data distributed over a plurality of devices;

a custom functionality creation component operably coupled with the distributed data management component, and configured to create a custom functionality attribute for a file resident on the distributed data management component; and

a platform agnostic custom attribute field attached to the file on the distributed data management component, and configured to store a representation of the custom functionality attribute.

20. A computer-based method for providing platform agnostic synchronization for a custom functionality attribute of a file in a distributed data management system, comprising:

an application resident on the distributed data managements system creating the custom functionality attribute for the file;

attaching a custom attribute field to the file, using a computer-based processor, the custom attribute field comprising data representative of the custom functionality attribute;

storing the custom attribute field with the file in the distributed data management system, comprising storing the custom functionality attribute as a bit flag associated with the file;

setting the custom functionality attribute for the file when the file is realized on a device connected to the distribute data management system, comprising;

providing for a consumer of the data representative of the custom functionality attribute to define a behavior for the custom functionality attribute; and

providing for a non-consumer of the data representative of the custom functionality attribute to ignore the custom functionality attribute; and

keeping the custom attribute field with the file when the file is copied or moved in the distributed data management system.