Organizing versioning according to permissions

• US 8,868,502 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Misra, Ronnie G., Carlson, Eric Olaf
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Miranda
• Application Number:
  US13/250,807
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,117 Days
• Field of Search: 707/638, 707/999.203, 707/634
• US Class Current: 707/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for storing data according to permissions. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of identifying a version of a data item to be stored; determining permissions associated with the version of the data item; and storing the version of the data item at a storage location that is based on the determined permissions.

Claims

1. A method performed by a data processing apparatus, the method comprising:

identifying a first version of a data item to be stored, the first version of a data item having been generated based on modifications to a second version of the data item;

determining a first set of permissions associated with the first version of the data item;

identifying, in a permissions tree that includes one or more nodes each associated with specific permissions, a first node based on a similarity between the first set of permissions and permissions associated with the first node, the first node being associated with permissions matching the first set of permissions associated with the first version of the data item;

wherein identifying the first node comprises;

determining whether an existing node of the permissions tree is associated with permissions matching the first set of permissions;

if so, identifying that existing node as the first node;

if not, generating a new node of the permissions tree associated with the first set of permissions, and identifying the new node as the first node; and

storing the first version of the data item at the identified first node of the permissions tree,

wherein the permissions tree stores a second version of the data item at a second node, the second node being associated with a second set of permissions not matching the first set of permissions, and

wherein permissions of the data item changed between a time at which the second version of the data item was stored in the permissions tree and a time at which the first version of the data item is stored in the permissions tree.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first version is stored without regard to the location of the data item with respect to a file system hierarchy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein access to the first version of the data item by a user is controlled by the permissions associated with the storage location in which the first version of the data item is stored.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data item is stored in a file system hierarchy separate from the permissions tree storing the version of the first data item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the first version in the permissions tree comprises updating a versions database that includes an ordered list of versions of the data item and a respective location of each version of the data item in the permissions tree.

6. A system comprising:

one or more computing devices operable to perform operations comprising;

identifying a first version of a data item to be stored, the first version of a data item having been generated based on modifications to a second version of the data item;

determining a first set of permissions associated with the first version of the data item;

identifying, in a permissions tree that includes one or more nodes each associated with specific permissions, a first node based on a similarity between the first set of permissions and permissions associated with the first node, the first node being associated with permissions matching the first set of permissions associated with the first version of the data item,

wherein identifying the first node comprises;

determining whether an existing node of the permissions tree is associated with permissions matching the first set of permissions;

if so, identifying that existing node as the first node;

if not, generating a new node of the permissions tree associated with the first set of permissions, and identifying the new node as the first node; and

storing the first version of the data item at the identified first node of the permissions tree, wherein the permissions tree stores a second version of the data item at a second node, the second node being associated with a second set of permissions not matching the first set of permissions, and

wherein permissions of the data item changed between a time at which the second version of the data item was stored in the permissions tree and a time at which the first version of the data item is stored in the permissions tree.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first version is stored without regard to the location of the data item with respect to a file system hierarchy.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein access to the first version of the data item by a user is controlled by the permissions associated with the storage location in which the first version of the data item is stored.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first data item is stored in a file system hierarchy separate from the permissions tree storing the first version of the data item.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein storing the first version in the permissions tree comprises updating a versions database that includes an ordered list of versions of the data item and a respective location of each version of the data item in the permissions tree.

11. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program, the program comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

identifying a first version of a data item to be stored, the first version of a data item having been generated based on modifications to a second version of the data item;

determining a first set of permissions associated with the first version of the data item;

identifying, in a permissions tree that includes one or more nodes each associated with specific permissions, a first node based on a similarity between the first set of permissions and permissions associated with the first node, the first node being associated with permissions matching the first set of permissions associated with the first version of the data item;

wherein identifying the first node comprises;

determining whether an existing node of the permissions tree is associated with permissions matching the first set of permissions;

if so, identifying that existing node as the first node;

if not, generating a new node of the permissions tree associated with the first set of permissions, and identifying the new node as the first node; and

storing the first version of the data item at the identified first node of the permissions tree, wherein the permissions tree stores a second version of the data item at a second node, the second node being associated with a second set of permissions not matching the first set of permissions, and

wherein permissions of the data item changed between a time at which the second version of the data item was stored in the permissions tree and a time at which the first version of the data item is stored in the permissions tree.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the first version is stored without regard to the location of the data item with respect to a file system hierarchy.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein access to the first version of the data item by a user is controlled by the permissions associated with the storage location in which the first version of the data item is stored.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein the data item is stored in a file system hierarchy separate from the permissions tree storing the first version of the data item.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 11, wherein storing the first version in the permissions tree comprises updating a versions database that includes an ordered list of versions of the data item and a respective location of each version of the data item in the permissions tree.