Method and system for creating and maintaining version-specific properties in a distributed environment

• US 6,598,060 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2000
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Goldick, Jonathan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Application Number:
  US09/750,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20020123992A1
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 707/200, 707/201, 707/202, 707/203, 707/204, 707/103.R
• US Class Current: 707/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/955 Object-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/966 Distributed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method and system creates and maintains a version-specific property or property that is stored as part of an object in a distributed environment, contains specific version information relating to how or when the property was created and is automatically invalidated when a predetermined “update” event occurs. Third party applications generally create and access these versions-specific properties to thereby eliminate the need for external logs or databases to store persistent state information.

Claims

1. A method of providing version-specific information associated with an object stored in a computer system, the version specific information provided in a distributed environment, the method comprising:

receiving a request from an application to create a version-specific property, wherein the property is associated with the object;

maintaining the version-specific property to reflect relevant updates to the object by automatically invalidating the version-specific information in response to a predetermined access request;

receiving a request by the application to evaluate the version-specific property; and

providing the version specific information to the application in response to the request to evaluate the version specific property.

2. A method is defined in claim 1 wherein the application is a virus scan application.

3. A method is defined in claim 1 wherein the application is a replicator application.

4. A method is defined in claim 1 wherein the version-specific property comprises meta information and mask information, the mask information providing information related to which predetermined events invalidate the version-specific property.

5. A method is defined in claim 1 wherein the predetermined event is an update to object data.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

providing mask information as part of the version-specific property; and

determining the predetermined event based on the mask information.

7. A method of as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

providing security information within the version-specific property.

8. A method is defined in claim 1 wherein the invalidating act further comprises deleting the version-specific property.

9. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 1.

10. A method of accessing an object stored in a computer system, the object having an associated version-specific property, said method comprising:

receiving an access attempt relating to an access request;

determining whether the access attempt relates to an invalidating access;

if the access attempt relates to an invalidating access;

invalidating the version-specific property;

performing the access operation related to the access request; and

if the access attempt does not relate to an invalidating access then performing the access operation related to the access request.

11. A method of accessing an object stored in a computer system, the object having an associated version-specific property, said method comprising:

receiving an access attempt relating to an access request;

determining whether the access attempt relates to an invalidating access;

if the access attempt relates to an invalidating access;

invalidating the version-specific property;

performing the access operation related to the access request; and

if the access attempt does not relate to an invalidating access;

determining whether the access depends on the version specific property;

if the access does not depend on the version specific property, then performing the access operation related to the access request;

if the access depends on the version specific property;

determining whether the property is valid;

performing a predetermined operation based on whether the property is determined to be valid.

12. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing the method recited in claim 11.

13. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a version-specific object, wherein the version-specific object is associated with a data object, the version-specific object comprising:

a version specific property section, wherein the version-specific property section is created by a third party application, and wherein the version-specific property is invalidated in response to a predetermined event.

14. A computer-readable medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the version-specific property comprises:

a meta information section for storing the name of the property;

a version information section for storing information related to the version of the third party application used to create the version-specific application; and

a mask information section for storing information related to predetermined events for invalidating the version-specific property.

15. A computer-readable medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the third party application performs virus scanning functions and wherein the version information section stores information related to a virus definition file.

16. A computer-readable medium as defined in claim 15 wherein the predetermined event relates to a modification of the object.

17. A computer program product readable by a computer and encoding instructions for executing a computer process for managing version-specific information for a data object within a distributed environment, said computer process comprising:

storing version-specific information as an property associated with the data object to create a version-specific object for the data object; and

invalidating the version-specific object in response to a predetermined access attempt.

18. A computer program product as defined in claim 17 the computer comprises a services layer and the acts of storing and invalidating are performed by the services layer.

19. A computer program product as defined in claim 17 wherein the version-specific information relates to third party application information.

20. A computer program product as defined in claim 19 wherein the third party application performs virus scanning functions and wherein the predetermined access attempt relates to a modification of the object.

21. A computer program product as defined in claim 20 wherein the version-specific object remains intact following one of the following access attempts:

copy, rename or backup.