Policy aware unified file system

A system for operating a policy aware unified file system of a computer system, the system comprising:

• a processing unit;
• and
• a non-transitory medium readable by the processing unit, the medium storing instructions that when executed by the processing unit cause the processing unit to:
• unify existing branches which are located in a group of separate file systems in the computer system to create the policy aware unified file system, wherein the policy aware unified file system includes virtual branch policies of the unified existing branches and a unification policy of the policy aware unified file system, and wherein each file system in the group of separate file systems is considered a branch, and wherein the unification policy comprises a file that is located at a different physical location within the computer system from the location of the unified existing branches, and
• wherein the policy aware unified file system is created at a different physical location within the computer system from the location of the unified existing branches;
• wherein each branch policy of each unified existing branch is located at its respective branch;
• wherein the virtual branch policies of the unified existing branches are located at the different physical location;
• receive a request from an application to access the policy aware unified file system;
• determine whether the request satisfies the unification policy and a corresponding branch policy;
• in response to the request satisfying the unification policy and the corresponding branch policy, allowing the application to access the policy aware unified file system.

A non-transitory machine readable storage medium having stored thereon processor executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to control a system to perform a method of operating a policy aware unified file system of a computer system, the method comprising:

• unifying existing branches which are located in a group of separate file systems in the computer system to create the policy aware unified file system wherein the policy aware unified file system includes branch policies of the unified existing branches and a unification policy of the policy aware unified file system, and wherein each file system in the group of separate file systems is considered a branch, and wherein the unification policy comprises a file that is located at a different physical location within the computer system from the location of the unified existing branches, and
• wherein the policy aware unified file system is created at a different physical location within the computer system from the location of the unified existing branches;
• wherein each branch policy of each unified existing branch is located at its respective branch;
• wherein the virtual branch policies of the unified existing branches are located at the different physical location;
• receiving a request from an application to access the policy aware unified file system;
• determining whether the request satisfies the unification policy and a corresponding branch policy;
• and
• in response to the request satisfying the unification policy and the corresponding branch policy, allowing the application to access the policy aware unified file system.