System and method for file system content processing

• US 7,657,530 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Premo, Nur, Borthakur, Dhrubajyoti, Pasqua, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam; Hosain T
• Assistant Examiner(s): JOHNSON, JOHNESE T
• Application Number:
  US10/862,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 726/4
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

A system and method for file system content processing. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store data and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device, to store file system content, to perform in-band detection of a file system content access event, and to responsively generate an event record. The system may further include a content processor configured to perform out-of-band detection of the event record and to responsively generate additional file system content.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a host device configured to implement a file system, wherein the file system is configured to;

organize storage space provided by one or more storage devices, into file system content, the content including a plurality of files and a plurality of metadata records associated with the files and to manage access by applications to the file system;

perform in-band detection of file system content access events to one or more of the files via the file system, wherein the content access events are generated by applications distinct from said file system and at least some content access events include operations to read or write, one or more of the files wherein to perform in-band detection of a particular one of said file system content access events, said file system is configured to detect said particular file system content access event synchronously with respect to occurrence of the particular file system content access event;

in response to performing in-band detection of said file system content access events, perform in-band generation of respective event records indicative of said file system content access events; and

store said respective event records within said file system content on said storage device; and

a content processor distinct from said applications configured to perform out-of-band detection of said event records;

wherein members of at least a subset of said applications are not configured for direct interprocess communication with one another or with said content processor, and wherein to perform out-of-band detection of a particular one of said event records, said content processor is configured to detect said particular event record asynchronously with respect to storage of the particular event record;

wherein said content processor is further configured to perform a transaction dependent upon said performing out-of-band detection of at least some of said event records, wherein said transaction is dependent upon said file system content access events indicated by said at least some of said event records, and wherein said transaction is further dependent upon the operation of two or more of said at least a subset of said applications and is further dependent upon said file system content; and

wherein said content processor is further configured to notify a query system of a given one of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of n index of said file system content with respect to said given file system content access event.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein to perform said transaction, said content processor is further configured to invoke at least one of said applications in response to performing out-of-band detection of said at least some of said event records.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said content processor is further configured to notify a query system of a given one of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said given file system content access event.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least some of said metadata records are stored in named streams corresponding respectively to said files.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein said metadata records are stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

19. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein to perform said transaction, said content processor is further configured to evaluate at least a portion of said file system content and to responsively determine whether a given state of said at least a portion of said file system content has occurred.

20. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein to perform said transaction, said content processor is further configured to invoke one or more of said applications to modify at least a portion of said file system content.

7. A method, comprising:

a file system storing file system content on a storage device, wherein said file system content includes a plurality of files and a plurality of metadata records associated with said files;

said file system performing in-band detection of file system content access events generated by applications distinct from said file system, wherein at least some of said file system content access events generated by said applications and detected in-band by said file system include operations to read or write ones of said files included in said file system content, and wherein said file system performing in-band detection of a particular one of said file system content access events comprises said file system detecting said particular file system content access event synchronously with respect to occurrence of the particular file system content access event;

in response to performing said in-band detection of said file system content access events, said file system performing in-band generation of respective event records indicative of said file system content access events and storing said respective event records within said file system content on said storage device;

a content processor distinct from said applications performing out-of-band detection of said event records, wherein members of at least a subset of said applications are not configured for direct interprocess communication with one another or with said content processor, and wherein said content processor performing out-of-band detection of a particular one of said event records comprises said content processor detecting said particular event record asynchronously with respect to storage of the particular event record; and

dependent upon performing said out-of-band detection of at least some of said event records, said content processor performing a transaction, wherein said transaction is dependent upon said file system content access events indicated by said at least some of said event records, and wherein said transaction is further dependent upon the operation of two or more of said at least a subset of said applications and is further dependent upon said file system content; and

said content processor notifying a query system of a given one of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is confused to maintain referential integrity of an in4ex of said file system content with respect to said given file system content access event.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said content processor performing said transaction further comprises said content processor invoking at least one of said applications in response to performing out-of-band detection of said at least some of said event records.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising said content processor notifying a query system of a given one of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said given file system content access event.

10. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein at least some of said metadata records are stored in named streams corresponding respectively to said files.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said metadata records are stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

21. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said content processor performing said transaction further comprises said content processor evaluating at least a portion of said file system content and responsively determining whether a given state of said at least a portion of said file system content has occurred.

22. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said content processor performing said transaction further comprises said content processor invoking one or more of said applications to modify at least a portion of said file system content.

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

a file system storing file system content on a storage device, wherein said file system content includes a plurality of files and a plurality of metadata records associated with said files;

said file system performing in-band detection of file system content access events generated by applications distinct from said file system, wherein at least some of said file system content access events generated by said applications and detected in-band by said file system include operations to read or write ones of said files included in said file system content, and wherein said file system performing in-band detection of a particular one of said file system content access events comprises said file system detecting said particular file system content access event synchronously with respect to occurrence of the particular file system content access event;

in response to performing said in-band detection of said file system content access events, said file system performing in-band generation of respective event records indicative of said file system content access events and storing said respective event records within said file system content on said storage device;

a content processor distinct from said applications performing out-of-band detection of said event records, wherein members of at least a subset of said applications are not configured for direct interprocess communication with one another or with said content processor, and wherein said content processor performing out-of-band detection of a particular one of said event records comprises said content processor detecting said particular event record asynchronously with respect to storage of the particular event record; and

dependent upon performing said out-of-band detection of at least some of said event records, said content processor performing a transaction, wherein said transaction is dependent upon said file system content access events indicated by said at least some of said event records, and wherein said transaction is further dependent upon the operation of two or more of said at least a subset of said applications and is further dependent upon said file system content; and

said content processor notifying a query system of a given one of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said given file system content access event.

14. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein to implement said content processor performing said transaction, the program instructions are further executable to invoke at least one of said applications in response to performing out-of-band detection of said at least some of said event records.

15. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement said content processor notifying a query system of a given one of said file system content access events, in response to which said query system is configured to maintain referential integrity of an index of said file system content with respect to said given file system content access event.

16. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein at least some of said metadata records are stored in named streams corresponding respectively to said files.

17. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said metadata records are stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

18. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said extensible, self-describing data format is compliant with a version of the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

23. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein to implement said content processor performing said transaction, the program instructions are further executable to implement said content processor evaluating at least a portion of said file system content and responsively determining whether a given state of said at least a portion of said file system content has occurred.

24. The computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein to implement said content processor performing said transaction, the program instructions are further executable to implement said content processor invoking one or more of said applications to modify at least a portion of said file system content.