Symantec Operating Corporation

Veritas Operating Corporation

Nur Premo

Dhrubajyoti Borthakur

Joseph Pasqua

Craig Harmer

A system and method for generating extensible file system metadata. 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 and to store file system content. The file system may be further configured to detect a file system content access event, and in response to detecting the file system content access event, to generate a metadata record, where the metadata record is stored in an extensible, self-describing data format.

System and method for generating extensible file system metadata

A system and method for providing a programming-language-independent interface for querying file system content. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device and to store file system content. The file system may include a programming-language-independent interface whereby an application queries the file system content. In various specific implementations of the system, file system content may include file data stored in one or more of the plurality of files, or metadata stored in a named stream corresponding to a given file, respectively. In another specific implementation of the system, the application querying file system content may include the application generating a query in a query language, the application submitting the query to a query engine via the programming-language-independent interface, and the query engine evaluating said query.

System and method for providing a programming-language-independent interface for querying file system content

A system and method for directing query traffic. In one embodiment, the system may include a plurality of query servers, each configured to evaluate queries, and a query traffic director. The query traffic director may be configured to receive a given query formulated in a query language for evaluation, to parse the given query, to identify a dataset targeted by the given query dependent upon parsing the given query, and to convey the given query to a particular query server dependent upon the identified dataset.

System and method for directing query traffic

A system and method for detecting and storing file identity change information within a file system. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device. The file system may be configured to detect an operation to modify an identity of a first file stored on the storage device and, subsequent to detecting the operation, store a record of the operation associated with the first file, where the record includes a signature corresponding to the first file.

System and method for detecting and storing file identity change information within a file system

A system and method for querying file system content. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device. The file system may be further configured to perform in-band detection of a file system content access event and to responsively generate a given metadata record. The system may further include a query system configured to query the given metadata record.

System and method for querying file system content

A system and method for detecting file content similarity within a file system. The system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device. The file system may be configured to compute a compressed size of at least a portion of a given file, and to store an indication of the compressed size in a named stream corresponding to the given file. In one specific implementation of the system, the file system may be further configured to determine a value of a file harmony metric from the compressed size of the concatenation of a first and second file and the compressed sizes of the first and second files, where the compressed sizes of the first and second files may be stored in a corresponding one of a plurality of respective named streams.

System and method for detecting file content similarity within a file system

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.

System and method for file system content processing

A system and method for determining file system data integrity. In one embodiment, the system includes a storage device configured to store data and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device, to store plurality of files, to store a respective signature of each of the plurality of files, and to compare a respective signature of a given file against a corresponding validation signature. In one specific implementation, the system further includes a validation signature inventory including a plurality of validation signatures, and the file system is further configured to validate a particular file by retrieving a corresponding particular validation signature from the validation signature inventory and comparing the corresponding particular validation signature against the respective signature of the particular file. In another specific implementation, the file system is further configured to store the corresponding validation signature of the given file in a write-once storage attribute.

System and method for determining file system data integrity

A system and method for efficient file content searching within a file system. 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. The file system may be configured to detect a search operation to determine the presence of a given data pattern within a first file stored on the storage device, and to store an indication of the given data pattern and an indication of result data of the search operation in a first record associated with the first file.

System and method for efficient file content searching within a file system

A system and method for applying a file system security model to a query system. 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, and to implement a first security model, where the first security model is configured to control access to the file system content. The system may further include a query system configured to query the file system content, and security mapping functionality configured to apply the first security model to the query system.

System and method for applying a file system security model to a query system

A system and method for communicating file system events using a publish-subscribe model. 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 and to store file system content. The file system may be further configured to detect a file system content access event, and in response to detecting the file system content access event, to publish a record of the file system content access event to a publish-subscribe channel accessible by one or more applications.

System and method for communicating file system events using a publish-subscribe model

A system and method for providing programming-language-independent access to file system content. In one embodiment, the system may include a storage device configured to store a plurality of files and a file system configured to manage access to the storage device and to store file system content. The file system may include a programming-language-independent interface whereby an application accesses the file system content.

System and method for providing programming-language-independent access to file system content

A method and mechanism for generating object signatures within a file system. A file system is configured to generate signatures for objects such as files. The file system periodically scans objects to identify those which require computation of a new signature. Upon identifying such an object, the file system divides the object into partitions. A transient signature value is then generated for each partition of the object and stored. Upon a subsequent access to the object, a determination may be made as to whether or not a valid signature exists for the object. If a valid signature does not exist for the object, a new signature may be generated for the object by using one or more previously stored valid transient signature values which correspond to particular partitions of the object. The transient signature values which are used may serve as a seed for computation of those transient signature values for object partitions which follow the particular partition. Both object signatures and transient signature values may be cached by the file system and returned in response to requests from user space processes.

Method for computing data signatures

In one embodiment, a system may include a storage device configured to provide a storage space for data storage and a file system configured to map files to the storage space for storage and to manage application accesses to the storage device. The file system may be configured to determine a signature of a first file stored on the storage device dependent upon at least a portion of the first file, detect an operation to access content of the first file, where the operation is generated by an application distinct from the file system, and, subsequent to detecting the operation, store a record of the operation associated with the first file, where the record includes a signature corresponding to the first file, information indicating the operation type and information identifying the application.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Nur Premo