System and method for detecting and storing file content access information within a file system

• US 7,272,606 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2003
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Veritas Operating Corporation (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Premo, Nur, Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti, Pasqua, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/723,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 3, 707/10, 707/100, 707/102, 707/200, 707/104.1, 709/217, 709/224, 709/225, 711/147
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/16 File or folder operations, e.g. details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

In one embodiment, a system may include a storage device configured to provide a storage space for data storage and a file system configured to map files to the storage space for storage and to manage application accesses to the storage device. The file system may be configured to determine a signature of a first file stored on the storage device dependent upon at least a portion of the first file, detect an operation to access content of the first file, where the operation is generated by an application distinct from the file system, and, subsequent to detecting the operation, store a record of the operation associated with the first file, where the record includes a signature corresponding to the first file, information indicating the operation type and information identifying the application.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a storage device configured to provide a storage space for data storage; and

a file system configured to map a plurality of files to said storage space for storage and to manage application accesses to said storage device, wherein said file system is configured to;

determine a signature of a first one of said plurality of files dependent upon at least a portion of said first file;

detect an operation to access content of said first file stored on said storage device, wherein said operation is generated by an application distinct from said file system; and

in response to detecting said operation, store a record of said operation associated with said first file, wherein said record includes said signature corresponding to said first file, information indicating a type of said operation, and information identifying said application.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation corresponds to a file read operation or a file write operation.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said record is stored in a named stream corresponding to said first file, wherein said file system comprises a history stream, and wherein said file system is further configured to store an indication of said operation in said history stream in response to storing said record in said named stream.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said record is stored in a database configured to store a plurality of entries, and wherein said database is further configured to respond to a query of said plurality of entries.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said record is stored in extensible markup language (XML) format.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein subsequent to storing said record, said file system is further configured to associate said record with a second file in response to detecting a second operation to modify the identity of said first file, wherein said second operation corresponds to a file copy operation specifying said first file as a copy source and said second file as a copy destination.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said file system is further configured to:

determine respective signatures of ones of said plurality of files, wherein each signature is determined dependent on at least a portion of a corresponding one of said files;

detect respective operations to access content of said ones of said plurality of files stored on said storage device, wherein each of said operations is generated by a corresponding application distinct from said file system;

in response to detecting each given one of said respective operations to access content of a given corresponding one of said plurality of files, store a corresponding record of said given respective operation in a named stream associated respectively with said given corresponding file within said file system, wherein said corresponding record includes said respective signature corresponding to said given corresponding file, information indicating a type of said given respective operation, and information identifying said application corresponding to said given respective operation; and

subsequent to storing said corresponding record for said given respective operation in said named stream associated respectively with said given corresponding file, storing said corresponding record for said given respective operation in a database.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said file system is further configured to:

submit a query to said database to identify a class including one or more of said plurality of files, wherein each member of said class has one or more corresponding records of detected operations to access content that satisfy constraints specified in said query; and

assign a storage policy to each member of said class, wherein said storage policy is determined dependent upon said class.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein said storage policy identifies a type of storage device for storing members of said class, wherein said type is determined dependent upon a characteristic of said class.

10. A method, comprising:

a file system mapping a plurality of files to a storage space for data storage provided by a storage device, wherein said file system is configured to manage application accesses to said storage device;

said file system determining a signature of a first one of said plurality of files dependent upon at least a portion of said first file;

said file system detecting an operation to access content of said first file, wherein said operation is generated by an application distinct from said file system; and

in response to detecting said operation, said file system storing a record of said operation associated with said first file, wherein said record includes said signature corresponding to said first file, information indicating a type of said operation, and information identifying said application.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said operation corresponds to a file read operation or a file write operation.

12. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said record is stored in a named stream corresponding to said first stored file, and wherein the method further comprises said file system storing an indication of said operation in a history stream in response to storing said record in said named stream.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said record is stored in a database configured to store a plurality of entries, and wherein said database is further configured to respond to a query of said plurality of entries.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said record is stored in extensible markup language (XML) format.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising said file system associating said record with a second stored file in response to detecting a second operation to modify the identity of said first stored file, wherein said second operation corresponds to a file copy operation specifying said first file as a copy source and said second file as a copy destination.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

said file system determining respective signatures of ones of said plurality of files, wherein each signature is determined dependent on at least a portion of a corresponding one of said files;

said file system detecting respective operations to access content of said ones of said plurality of files stored on said storage device, wherein each of said operations is generated by a corresponding application distinct from said file system;

in response to detecting each given one of said respective operations to access content of a given corresponding one of said plurality of files, said file system storing a corresponding record of said given respective operation in a named stream associated respectively with said given corresponding file within said file system, wherein said corresponding record includes said respective signature corresponding to said given corresponding file, information indicating a type of said given respective operation, and information identifying said application corresponding to said given respective operation; and

subsequent to storing said corresponding record for said given respective operation in said named stream associated respectively with said given corresponding file, said file system storing said corresponding record for said given respective operation in a database.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

said file system submitting a query to said database to identify a class including one or more of said plurality of files, wherein each member of said class has one or more corresponding records of detected operations to access content that satisfy constraints specified in said query; and

said file system assigning a storage policy to each member of said class, wherein said storage policy is determined dependent upon said class.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said storage policy identifies a type of storage device for storing members of said class, wherein said type is determined dependent upon a characteristic of said class.

25. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions are further executable to implement:

said file system determining respective signatures of ones of said plurality of files, wherein each signature is determined dependent on at least a portion of a corresponding one of said files;

said file system detecting respective operations to access content of said ones of said plurality of files stored on said storage device, wherein each of said operations is generated by a corresponding application distinct from said file system;

in response to detecting each given one of said respective operations to access content of a given corresponding one of said plurality of files, said file system storing a corresponding record of said given respective operation in a named stream associated respectively with said given corresponding file within said file system, wherein said corresponding record includes said respective signature corresponding to said given corresponding file, information indicating a type of said given respective operation, and information identifying said application corresponding to said given respective operation; and

subsequent to storing said corresponding record for said given respective operation in said named stream associated respectively with said given corresponding file, said file system storing said corresponding record for said given respective operation in a database.

26. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the instructions are further executable to implement:

said file system submitting a query to said database to identify a class including one or more of said plurality of files, wherein each member of said class has one or more corresponding records of detected operations to access content that satisfy constraints specified in said query; and

said file system assigning a storage policy to each member of said class, wherein said storage policy is determined dependent upon said class.

27. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 26, wherein said storage policy identifies a type of storage device for storing members of said class, wherein said type is determined dependent upon a characteristic of said class.

19. A tangible, computer-accessible storage medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to implement:

a file system mapping a plurality of files to a storage space for data storage provided by a storage device, wherein said file system is configured to manage application accesses to said storage device;

said file system determining a signature of a first one of said plurality of files dependent upon at least a portion of said first file;

said file system detecting an operation to access content of said first file, wherein said operation is generated by an application distinct from said file system; and

in response to detecting said operation, said file system storing a record of said operation associated with said first file, wherein said record includes said signature corresponding to said first file, information indicating a type of said operation, and information identifying said application.

20. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said operation corresponds to a file read operation or a file write operation.

21. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said record is stored in a named stream corresponding to said first stored file, and wherein said program instructions are further computer-executable to implement said file system storing an indication of said operation in a history stream in response to storing said record in said named stream.

22. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said record is stored in a database configured to store a plurality of entries, and wherein said database is further configured to respond to a query of said plurality of entries.

23. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said record is stored in extensible markup language (XML) format.

24. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said program instructions are further computer-executable to implement said file system associating said record with a second stored file in response to detecting a second operation to modify the identity of said first stored file, wherein said second operation corresponds to a file copy operation specifying said first file as a copy source and said second file as a copy destination.