Integrated file catalog

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code executable by a processor to perform an operation comprising:
• receiving a first request to download, by a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in a local network, a first object, wherein the first request indicates that the first object is stored at a first location outside of the local network;
• prior to completing the first request to download the first object, searching an object catalog in a mail server using an identifier associated with the first object, wherein the object catalog includes a plurality of pointers to a plurality of objects stored on one or more devices in the local network, and wherein the plurality of objects are stored separately from the object catalog;
• determining that the first object is not available on any of the plurality of computing devices in the local network, based on determining that the object catalog does not include the identifier of the first object;
• upon determining that the first object is not available on any of the plurality of computing devices in the local network:
• downloading the first object from the first location outside of the local network;
• storing the first object at a first storage location on the first computing device;
• computing a hash value for the first object;
• and
• storing a record associated with the first object in the object catalog, wherein the record includes an indication of the hash value and the first storage location on the first computing device;
• receiving a second request to download, by the first computing device, a second object, wherein the second request indicates that the second object is stored at a second location outside of the local network;
• and
• prior to completing the second request to download the second object, searching the object catalog in the mail server using an identifier associated with the second object;
• determining that the second object is available on at least one of the plurality of computing devices in the local network, based on determining that the object catalog includes an entry associated with the identifier of the second object;
• and
• upon determining that the second object is available on at least one of the plurality of computing devices in the local network:
• refraining from downloading the second object from the second location outside of the local network.

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing one or more instructions which, when executed by the processor, performs an operation comprising:
• receiving a first request to download, by a first computing device of a plurality of computing devices in a local network, a first object, wherein the first request indicates that the first object is stored at a first location outside of the local network;
• prior to completing the first request to download the first object, searching an object catalog in a mail server using an identifier associated with the first object, wherein the object catalog includes a plurality of pointers to a plurality of objects stored on one or more devices in the local network, and wherein the plurality of objects are stored separately from the object catalog;
• and
• determining that the first object is not available on any of the plurality of computing devices in the local network, based on determining that the object catalog does not include the identifier of the first object;
• upon determining that the first object is not available on any of the plurality of computing devices in the local network:
• downloading the first object from the first location outside of the local network;
• storing the first object at a first storage location on the first computing device;
• computing a hash value for the first object;
• and
• storing a record associated with the first object in the object catalog, wherein the record includes an indication of the hash value and the first storage location on the first computing device;
• receiving a second request to download, by the first computing device, a second object, wherein the second request indicates that the second object is stored at a second location outside of the local network;
• and
• prior to completing the second request to download the second object, searching the object catalog in the mail server using an identifier associated with the second object;
• determining that the second object is available on at least one of the plurality of computing devices in the local network, based on determining that the object catalog includes an entry associated with the identifier of the second object;
• and
• upon determining that the second object is available on at least one of the plurality of computing devices in the local network:
• refraining from downloading the second object from the second location outside of the local network.