Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-24
2004-09-07
Channavajjala, Srirama (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06789094
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to computing systems. Specifically, a set of interfaces for adding support for general file attributes with an orthogonal namespace of file attributes is disclosed.
2. Description of Related Art
The UNIX file system is hierarchical in that it resembles a tree structure. The tree is anchored at a place called the root, designated by a slash “/”. Every item in the UNIX file system tree is either a file, or a directory that is like a file folder that can contain files, and other directories. A directory contained within another is called the child of the other. A directory in the files system tree may have many children, but it can only have one parent. UNIX files can have attributes (as represented in
FIG. 1
as UFS attribute namespace
100
) such as size, permissions, create time, etc associated with it. For example, every file and directory has associated with it ownership, and access permissions for which one is able to specify those to whom the permissions apply. Permissions are defined as read, write, and execute. Those to whom the permissions apply are the user who owns the file, those who are in the same group as the owner, and all others. In order to examine the various attributes of a particular UNIX file or directory (such as access permissions
102
) included in the UFS attribute space
100
, a UNIX attribute API
104
is used.
Unfortunately, however, if the API
104
was used to examine, for example, the attributes for a UDFS file or a PCFS file, only those UDFS file attributes (i.e., region I) or those PCFS attributes (i.e., region III) included in the UNIX attribute space
100
would be exposed by the API
104
. The UDFS or PCFS attributes outside the UNIX attribute space (i.e. regions II and IV, respectively) and the information associated therewith would lost.
Therefore what is desired is an attribute model and associated API, method, and system for providing an extensible set of file attributes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for providing a cascadable state machine for broadcast content is disclosed.
In one embodiment, a method a exposing a value of a selected extended attribute in an extended attribute namespace, wherein the extended attribute is associated with a node in a directory tree namespace that is orthogonal to the extended attribute namespace is disclosed. If a mapping for a selected extended attribute exists does not exist, then in the extended attribute namespace, a virtual directory is created, a virtual file is created, and the virtual file is associated with the virtual directory. The content of the virtual file is mapped to the selected extended attribute and a selected extended attribute operation is performed. The value of the selected extended attribute is then exposed.
In another embodiment, an apparatus for a exposing a value of a selected extended attribute in an extended attribute namespace, wherein the extended attribute is associated with a node in a directory tree namespace that is orthogonal to the extended attribute namespace is disclosed.
In still another embodiment, computer program product for exposing a value of a selected extended attribute in an extended attribute namespace, wherein the extended attribute is associated with a node in a directory tree namespace that is orthogonal to the extended attribute namespace is disclosed.
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patent: 6006018 (1999-12-01), Burnett et al.
patent: 6185574 (2001-02-01), Howard et al.
patent: 6389427 (2002-05-01), Faulkner
patent: 6470345 (2002-10-01), Doutre et al.
Rubini, Alessandro, Kernel Korner: The “Virtual File System” in Linux, Linux Journal vol. 1997, Issue 37, May 1997.*
McVoy et al., “Extent-like Performance from a UNIX File System”, USENIX, Winter 1991, Dallas, Tx, 12 pages.
Maybee Mark J.
Rudoff Andrew M.
Shellenbaum Mark L.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Channavajjala Srirama
Pham Khanh
Sun Microsystems Inc.
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