Synchronized file management across multiple disparate endpoints

• US 9,213,718 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Hrebicek, Ondrej, Chung, Leonard, Hall, Isaac
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwivedi, Mahesh
• Application Number:
  US13/530,706
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 707/610
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Techniques to manage files and other stored objects are disclosed. An identification is received of a plurality of files associated with a synchronization set. An identification of a plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set is received. Synchronization is maintained across the endpoints with respect to at least a subset of the files included in the plurality of files. In some embodiments, maintaining synchronization across the endpoints includes materializing each file, and updates thereto, at each endpoint at which the file is stored in a manner required by that endpoint while maintaining an awareness of which files or other objects as stored at each endpoint at which files are stored correspond to which files or other objects as stored at other endpoints at which files are stored.

Claims

1. A method of managing files, comprising:

receiving an identification of a plurality of files associated with a synchronization set;

receiving an identification of a plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set; and

maintaining, by a file management system, synchronization across the endpoints with respect to at least a subset of the files included in the plurality of files, wherein the file management system comprises an orchestration layer;

wherein maintaining synchronization across the endpoints includes;

propagating a file modification made at a first endpoint to one or more other endpoints associated with the synchronization set, wherein the propagating of the file modification includes;

receiving an indication of the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set at one of the plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set,

selecting, by the orchestration layer, an Application Program Interface (API) with which to communicate modification information relating to the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set for another of the plurality of endpoints based at least in part on a type of file system used by the other endpoint; and

communicating the modification information relating to the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set to another of the plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set, the modification information corresponding to information from which the other endpoint materializes the file modification to a corresponding one or more files stored at the other endpoint in a format that is required by an application executed at the other endpoint; and

maintaining an awareness of which files or other objects as stored at each endpoint at which files are stored correspond to which files or other objects as stored at other endpoints at which files are stored.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an identification of a plurality of files associated with a synchronization set comprises receiving an indication of one or more folders or other logical containers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of endpoints includes one or more endpoints that store and provide access to user content differently than one or more other endpoints included in the plurality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of endpoints includes one or more of the following:

a client computer system;

a file server or other server;

a web application;

a web based service;

a mobile smartphone or other mobile computing device; and

a tablet computer.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing on each of at least a subset of the endpoints a synchronization client, agent, or other software to facilitate synchronization of files as stored on that endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing via at least a subset of the endpoints a file management user interface that provides a hierarchical or other view of the plurality of files.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining synchronization includes receiving an indication that a file has been created, modified, or deleted at an endpoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the communicating the modification information includes:

communicating information that invokes the other endpoint to perform file management operations to modify the corresponding one or more files that are stored in a format required by the application executed at the other endpoint.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification information communicated to the other of the plurality of endpoints comprises an Information Rights Management (IRM) directive that causes particular IRM rights to be enforced in relation to the one or more files.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint comprises a client or agent that monitors for the file modification, and in response to the client or agent detecting the file modification, a message notifying of the file modification is sent to the orchestration layer of the file management system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein propagating the detected file modification includes generating at a central node an internal representation of associated file data, storing the internal representation centrally, and using the internal representation to communicate the modification information relating to the file modification to materialize the file modification at one or more endpoints.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more of the other endpoints stores file data in a manner that is different than the first endpoint.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining synchronization includes tracking centrally for each endpoint state information indicating for each file in the plurality of files that is stored at that endpoint a state of the file at that endpoint.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the state information includes one or more of the following:

a file name, a file identifier, a file size, and a file version.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at an endpoint a configuration data that identifies at least a subset of the plurality of files of the synchronization set to be stored and maintained in synchronization at that endpoint.

16. A file management system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an identification of a plurality of files associated with a synchronization set;

receive an identification of a plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set; and

maintain synchronization across the endpoints with respect to at least a subset of the files included in the plurality of files; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device coupled to the processor and configured to store metadata used by the processor to maintain synchronization across the endpoints with respect to at least a subset of the files included in the plurality of files;

wherein maintaining synchronization across the endpoints includes;

propagating a file modification made at a first endpoint to one or more other endpoints associated with the synchronization set, wherein the propagating of the file modification includes;

receiving an indication of the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set at one of the plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set,

selecting an Application Program Interface (API) with which to communicate modification information relating to the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set for another of the plurality of endpoints based at least in part on a type of file system used by the other endpoint; and

communicating the modification information relating to the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set to another of the plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set, the modification information corresponding to information from which the other endpoint materializes the file modification to a corresponding one or more files stored at the other endpoint in a format that is required by an application executed at the endpoint; and

maintaining an awareness of which files or other objects as stored at each endpoint correspond to which files or other objects as stored at other endpoints.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of endpoints includes one or more endpoints that store and provide access to user content differently than one or more other endpoints included in the plurality.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein maintaining synchronization includes receiving an indication that a file has been created, modified, or deleted at an endpoint.

19. A computer program product to manage files, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving an identification of a plurality of files associated with a synchronization set;

receiving an identification of a plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set; and

maintaining synchronization across the endpoints with respect to at least a subset of the files included in the plurality of files;

wherein maintaining synchronization across the endpoints includes;

propagating a file modification made at a first endpoint to one or more other endpoints associated with the synchronization set, wherein the propagating of the file modification includes;

receiving an indication of the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set at one of the plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set,

selecting an Application Program Interface (API) with which to communicate modification information relating to the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set for another of the plurality of endpoints based at least in part on a type of file system used by the other endpoint; and

communicating modification information relating to the file modification to one or more files associated with the synchronization set to another of the plurality of endpoints associated with the synchronization set, the modification information corresponding to information from which the other endpoint materializes the file modification to a corresponding one or more files stored at the other endpoint in a format that is required by an application executed at the endpoint; and

maintaining an awareness of which files or other objects as stored at each endpoint correspond to which files or other objects as stored at other endpoints.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein maintaining synchronization includes tracking centrally for each endpoint state information indicating for each file in the plurality of files that is stored at that endpoint a state of the file at that endpoint.