Optimizing content storage through stubbing

A method comprising:

• sending, by a first client device associated with a first user, to a service computing device over a network, a request for information related to a change to a file system associated with the first client device;
• receiving, by the first client device, from the service computing device, a list of one or more changes to the file system including a change to a first file received, by the service computing device, from a second client device associated with a second user;
• receiving, based at least on the list of one or more changes, first file metadata including a first file-content hash calculated by the second client device from file content of the first file following the change to the first file;
• creating or updating, by the first client device, a stub file corresponding to the first file based at least partially on the received list of one or more changes, the stub file including a stub data structure stored on a local storage of the first client device, wherein the first client device creates or updates the stub file to include, in the stub data structure, the first file-content hash calculated by the second client device, wherein the file content of the first file is stored by the service computing device at a storage over the network;
• receiving, by the first client device, a first user input to access the file content of the first file via a request directed to the stub file on the first client device;
• intercepting, by an operation-system-level component of the first application executing on the first client device, the request directed to the stub file, and redirecting, to the service computing device, the request directed to the stub file as a request for the file content of the first file;
• receiving, by the first client device, from the service computing device, retrieved file content retrieved by the service computing device in response to the redirected request for the file content of the first file;
• verifying, based on the first file-content hash included in the stub data structure, that the retrieved file content is the file content of the first file;
• responding to the first user input based on receipt of the file content of the first file from the service computing device;
• receiving, by the first client device, a second user input including an update to the file content of the first file;
• synchronizing the updated file content of the first file with the service computing device over the network;
• determining, based at least on a storage management policy, whether the first file is to be represented as the stub file on the first client device or maintained as a local file including the updated file content of the first file;
• based at least on determining that the first file is to be represented as a stub file, calculating a second file-content hash from the updated file content of the first file;
• updating the stub data structure with the second file-content hash calculated from the updated file contents;
• and
• based on determining that the first file is to be represented as the stub file and further based on updating the stub data structure with the second file-content hash, deleting the updated file content of the first file from the local storage on the first client device.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first client device, program the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

• sending, by the first client device associated with a first user, to a service computing device over a network, a request for information related to a change to a file system associated with the first client device;
• receiving, by the first client device, from the service computing device, a list of one or more changes to the file system including a change to a first file received, by the first service computing device, from a second client device associated with a second user;
• receiving, based at least on the list of one or more changes, first file metadata including a first file-content hash calculated by the second client device from file content of the first file following the change to the first file;
• creating or updating, by the first client device, stub file corresponding to the first file based at least partially on the received list of one or more changes, the stub file including a stub data structure stored on a local storage of the first client device, wherein the first client device creates or updates the stub file to include, in the stub data structure, the first file-content hash calculated by the second client device, wherein the file content of the first file is stored by the service computing device at a storage over the network;
• receiving, by the first client device, a first user input to access the file content of the first file via a request directed to the stub file on the first client device;
• intercepting, by an operating-system-level component of the first application executing on the first client device, the request directed to the stub file, and redirecting, to the service computing device, the request directed to the stub file as a request for the file content of the first file;
• receiving by the first client device, from the service computing device, retrieved file content retrieved file content retrieved by the service computing device in response to the redirected request for the file content of the first file;
• verifying, based on the first file-content hash included in the stub data structure, that the retrieved file content is the file content of the first file;
• responding to the first user input based on receipt of the file content of the first file from the service computing device;
• receiving, by the first client device, a second user input including an update to the file content of the first file;
• synchronizing the updated file content of the first file with the service computing device over the network;
• determining, based at least on a storage management policy, whether the first file is to be represented as the stub file on the first client device or maintained as a local file including the updated file content of the first file;
• based at least on determining that the first file is to be represented as a stub file, calculating a second file-content hash from the updated file content of the first file;
• updating the stub data structure with the second file-content hash calculated from the updated file contents;
• and
• based on determining that the first file is to be represented as the stub file and further based on updating the stub data structure with the second file-content hash, deleting the updated file content of the first file from the local storage on the first client device.