Apple Inc.

Other

Donald J Brady

Deric S Horn

Mark Steven Day

Eric Brandon Tamura

David Alexander Majnemer

Prashant Patel

William P Kain, Iii

Susan A Manning

Methods and apparatuses that maintain an access history of a file allocated with allocation blocks in storage devices are described. In response to receiving a usage request to allocate additional space for the file, an allocation block size may be adjusted or adapted based on the access history. The storage devices may be allocated with one or more allocation blocks using the adapted allocation block size to provide requested space for the file.

Methods and apparatuses for usage based allocation block size tuning

Embodiments of the invention receive a search query from a user. In response to the search query, a snapshot of the file system in its current state is taken. A coherent search of the snapshot is performed using the search query. Results of the search are presented to a user. In other embodiments, a subsequent snapshot of the file system is taken after the first search is finished. A difference between the first snapshot and the subsequent snapshot is computed, and this difference is searched using the search query. Results of both searches are merged and results are presented to a user.

Snapshot based search

The invention receives a request to store a file having a filename written in a first text encoding, converts the filename into a Unicode filename and stores the Unicode filename and the file into memory. The invention then sets a flag, associated with the memory, indicating that a first text encoding has been used. To retrieve a Unicode filename, the invention receives a request to locate a Unicode filename from memory. Next, the invention uses a predetermined text encoding to convert the filename into Unicode. The invention then searches for the Unicode filename in the memory. If the Unicode filename is not found, the invention uses a next text encoding from the set of text encodings which have been used, to repeat the conversion and searches the memory until the Unicode filename is identified. Lastly, the Unicode file is retrieved.

System and method for storing and retrieving filenames and files in computer memory

A system and method for interfacing index based and iterator based file management routines. In general, the disclosed system maintains an iterator cache having multiple iterators. Each active iterator is associated with a most recently used directory entry. Upon receiving an index based request, the iterator closest to the index based request is identified. If the index based request is closer to the top of the directory than it is to the closest active iterator, the directory entries are sequentially examined beginning at the top of the directory with the first entry. Otherwise, the system deternines whether the index based request is located above or below the closest iterator. If the index based request is above the closest iterator, the system steps backward beginning with the directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the directory entry associated with the index based request is located. If the closest iterator is located below the closest iterator, the system steps forward through the directory entries beginning with the directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the requested directory entry is located.

System and method for interfacing index based and iterator based application programming interfaces

A system and method for interfacing index based and iterator based file management routines. In general, the disclosed system maintains an iterator cache having multiple iterators. Each active iterator is associated with a most recently used directory entry. Upon receiving an index based request, the iterator closest to the index based request is identified. If the index based request is closer to the top of the directory than it is to the closest active iterator, the directory entries are sequentially examined beginning at the top of the directory with the first entry. Otherwise, the system determines whether the index based request is located above or below the closest iterator. If the index based request is above the closest iterator, the system steps backward beginning with the directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the directory entry associated with the index based request is located. If the closest iterator is located below the closest iterator, the system steps forward through the directory entries beginning with the directory entry associated with the closest iterator until the requested directory entry is located.

The invention receives a request to store a file having a filename written in a first text encoding, converts the filename into a Unicode filename and stores the Unicode filename and the file into memory. The invention then sets a flag, associated with the memory, indicating that a first test encoding has been used. To retrieve a Unicode filename, the invention receives a request to locate a Unicode filename from memory. Next, the invention uses a predetermined text encoding to convert the filename in to Unicode. The invention then searches for the Unicode filename in the memory. If the Unicode filename is not found, the invention uses a next text encoding from the set of text encodings which have been used, to repeat the conversion and searches the memory until the Unicode filename is identified. Lastly, the Unicode file is retrieved.

System and method for storing and retrieving filenames and files in computer memory using multiple encodings

A system and method are disclosed for reducing file names and for retrieving files having reduced file names. In response to a request to access file names that are not supportable by an applications programming interface (API), a file manager program retrieves an original file name having an original file name length and an original file identifier. Next, the file manager divides the original file name into a set of primary characters and a set of extension characters. A shortened identifier having a set of shortened identifier characters is created by encoding the original file identifier. The primary characters are then truncated. A reduced file name is then created by combining the truncated characters, a reduced file name marker, the shortened identifier, and the extension characters. Files having reduced names are retrieved by a file manager that identifies a set of shortened identifier characters in a reduced file name, decodes the shortened identifier characters, and retrieves a file based on the decoded identifier characters from a data volume.

System and method for reducing file name length and for retrieving the reduced file name entitled files

In a computer including at least one client and at least one file system having an associated format, a system and method are provided for filtering requests for metadata from the client in a manner which is transparent to the client. An interface receives the client's request for metadata from the file system and forwards the request to a dispatcher. The dispatcher forwards the request to a format agent which fulfills the request. A third party filter system filters the requested metadata. If the filter system requires metadata to perform the filtering, the filter system requests additional metadata, and the format agent fulfills the client's request and the filter system's request. The format agent fulfills portions of the client's request and the filter system's request regarding metadata which is contained in the associated format of the file system directly from the file system. The format agent accesses a storage means to fulfill portions of the client's request and the filter system's request regarding metadata which is not included in the associated format of the file system. If the client's request is to write or modify metadata, the filter system filters metadata to be written or modified by the format agent. If the client's request is to retrieve metadata, the filter system filters metadata retrieved by the format agent. In this manner, third parties can modify metadata which is requested by a client from a file system or compute metadata based on the client's request without altering the format of the file system and can benefit from the modification and/or computation of such metadata by other parties.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Donald J Brady