File management system

• US 5,047,918 A
• Filed: 12/19/1988
• Issued: 09/10/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Tektronix Incorporated (Fortive Corp.)
• Inventors: Delisle, Norman M., Schwartz, Mayer D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fears, Terrell W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rudolph, Rebecca L.
• Application Number:
  US07/289,395
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A file management system comprises a computerized data storage and retrieval utility for integrating data files produced by independent data processing operations by linking the data files according to user-definable relationships. The machine assigns user-definable attributes to the data files and their links and searches for groups of files and links having selected attributes. The machine also maintains an archive of versions of data files and their links referenced according to their creation time. The machine includes provisions for transmitting commands to a computer operating system when selected files are accessed or modified to invoke execution of user created programs.

Claims

1. A method for a computer for storing successive versions of successively changed data files stored in a computer accessed data storage device and for searching for a group of said versions, the method comprising the steps of:

creating and storing a version history record when the content of one of said data files undergoes a change, the version history record comprising a set of instructions for recreating a version of the content of said one data file existing immediately prior to the change by inserting data into and deleting data from said one data file existing immediately following the change, one such version history record being created and stored each time a data file is changed such that a version history record is associated with each successive version of the data file;

assigning to each version history record and storing a time parameter value established according to the time the version associated with the version history record was first stored as the content of a data file;

storing node records, each of said node records being associated with a corresponding one of said version history records and comprising first data indicating at least one file attribute parameter and second data indicating a value for said at least one file attribute parameter, said file attribute parameter value representing an attribute of a content of a data file recreated by the set of instructions comprising the associated version history record; and

searching for a group of said version history records in response to an input command identifying a particular file attribute parameter value and a first particular time, wherein each version history record of said group comprises the set of instructions recreating a data file as it existed as of said first particular time and is associated with a node record and wherein the step of searching comprises the substeps of;

reading data comprising the stored node records;

identifying from the node record data read a first subset of version history records associated with node records indicating said particular file attribute parameter value,

reading stored time parameter values assigned to version history records to determine a second subset of version history records comprising instructions recreating a data file as it existed as of said first particular time, and

identifying said group of version history records as all version history records included in both said first and second subsets.

2. A method for a computer for storing successive versions of successively changed data files stored in a computer accessed data storage device and for searching for a group of said versions, the method comprising the steps of:

creating and storing a version history record when the content of one of said data files undergoes a change, the version history record comprising a set of instructions for recreating a version of the content of said one data file existing immediately prior to the change by inserting data into and deleting data from said one data file existing immediately following the change, one such version history record being created and stored each time and a data file is changed such that a version history record is associated with each successive version of the data file;

assigning to each version history record and storing a time parameter value established according to the time the version associated with the version history record was first stored as the content of a data file;

storing link records, each link record comprising third data version history records, fourth data indicating at least one link attribute parameter, and fifth data indicating at least one link attribute parameter value for said at least one link attribute parameter, said at least one link attribute parameter value representing an attribute of a relationship between a pair of data file versions;

assigning to each link record and storing a second time parameter value established according to a time the link record was stored;

storing node records, each of said node records being associated with a corresponding one of said version history records and comprising first data indicating at least one file attribute parameter and second data indicating a value for said at least one file attribute parameter, said file attribute parameter value representing an attribute of a content of a data file recreated by the set of instructions comprising the associated version history record; and

searching for a group of version history records in response to an input command identifying a particular data file, a particular file attribute parameter value, a particular link attribute parameter value, and a particular time, wherein each version history record of said group comprises instructions recreating a data file having a relationship with said particular data file represented by said particular link attribute parameter value as of said particular time and is associated with a node record indicating said particular file attribute parameter value;

wherein the step of searching comprises the substeps of;

reading data comprising the stored link records;

reading stored time parameter values associated with said link records; and

determining from the link record data and time parameter values read said group of version history records.

3. An apparatus for storing and identifying successive versions of successively changed content of data files stored in a computer accessed data storage device, the apparatus comprising:

first means for creating and storing a version history record when the content of one of said data files undergoes a change, the version history record comprising a set of instructions for recreating a version of the content of said one data file existing immediately prior to the change by inserting data into and deleting data from the content of said one data file existing immediately following the change, one such version history record being created and stored each time the data file is changed such that a version history record is associated with each successive version of the content of a file, and for creating and storing node records, each data file and each version history being associated with one of said node records, each said node record comprising first data indicating at least one file attribute parameter and second data indicating a value for said at least one file attribute parameter, the value of said file attribute parameter representing a file content attribute, each node record being assigned a time parameter value established according to the time the file content version associated with the node record was first sored as the content of a data file; and

second means for identifying a first group of said node records wherein each node record of said first group comprises data indicating a user-selected file attribute parameter value and having an assigned time parameter value indicating the file content version associated with the node record was stored in a file as of a user-selected time.

4. An apparatus for storing an identifying successive versions of successively changed content of data files stored in a computer accessed data storage device, the apparatus comprising:

means for creating and storing a version history record when the content of one of said data files undergoes a change, the version history record comprising a set of instructions for recreating a version of the content of said one data file existing immediately prior to the change by inserting data into and deleting data from the content of said one data file existing immediately after the change, one such version history record being created and stored each time the data file is changed such that a version history record is associated with each successive version of the content of a file;

means for creating and storing node records, each data file and each version history being associated with one of said node records, each said node record comprising first data indicating at least one file attribute parameter and second data indicating a value for said at least one file attribute parameter, the value of said file attribute parameter representing a file content attribute;

means for creating a storing link records, each link record comprising third data identifying a pair of node records, fourth data indicating at least one link attribute parameter, and fifth data indicating a value for said at least one link attribute parameter, said link attribute parameter value representing an attribute of a relationship between a pair of data file content versions associated with said pair of data files;

each of said node records being assigned a time parameter value established according to the time the file content version associated with the node record was first stored as the content of a data file, and each said link record being assigned a time parameter value established according to the time the link record was stored; and

search means responsive to an input command for reading said node and link records and for identifying a group of said data files from data comprising the node and link records read, wherein the content of each one of said group of data files as of a particular time is related to the content of a particular data file as of said particular time according to a particular link attribute parameter value, said command reference said particular time, said particular data file and said particular link attribute parameter value.