Apple Inc.

Susan A Manning

Richard F Andrews

Mark Steven Day

Donald J Brady

Gursharan S Sidhu

William P Kain, Iii

Prashant Patel

Shantanu Narayan

Mark A Gealy

Unique identifications are assigned to entities in a network and items in a database. In general, unique identifications are assigned to entities or data items within a network by a plurality of server entities, each server entity capable of obtaining a unique subset of identifications from other server entities, assigning an identification from its subset to another server entity, subdividing its own subset to form other unique subsets and assigning a unique subset to another server entity. Each server entity receives its own server entity identification when it is installed and also may request to receive a unique subset of entity identifications. A subset of entity identifications, also referred to interchangeably herein as a 'block' of entity identifications, comprises one or more entity identifications. Each server entity controls the assignment of the entity identifications within the subsets it receives. When items such as records or attributes within records are created in a server's database, the server entity generates a unique sequence identification which it combines with its entity identification to create a unique item identification.

Method and apparatus for creating and assigning unique identifiers for

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.

Method and system for filtering file manager attribute values

Growing community of inventors

Boulder Creek, CA, United States of America

Susan A Manning