Methods and apparatus for managing the replication of content

At least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on a computer system, perform a method of accessing a replicated content unit on a computer, the replicated content unit being replicated at a first time and being stored in a hierarchical file system on the computer, the hierarchical file system having a plurality of directories arranged in a hierarchical tree, comprising at least one root directory and a plurality of non-root directories that each has a parent directory, wherein at least one of the plurality of directories in the tree correspond to a period of time subsumed by a period of time corresponding to its respective parent directory, the method comprising acts of:

• (A) receiving, at the computer, a request to identify content units stored to the computer during a specified time range that includes the first time;
• (B) determining that the replicated content unit was stored during the specified time range;
• and
• (C) returning an indication that the replicated content unit was stored to the computer during the specified time range.

At least one computer that has a replicated content unit stored thereon, the replicated content unit being replicated at a first time and being stored in a hierarchical file system on the computer, the hierarchical file system having a plurality of directories arranged in a hierarchical tree, comprising at least one root directory and a plurality of non-root directories that each has a parent directory, wherein at least one of the plurality of directories in the tree correspond to a period of time subsumed by a period of time corresponding to its respective parent directory, the at least one computer comprising:

• at least one input;
• and
• at least one controller, coupled to the at least one input, that:
• (A) receives, through the at least one input, a request to identify content units stored to the computer during a specified time range that includes the first time;
• (B) determines that the replicated content unit was stored during the specified time range;
• and
• (C) returns an indication that the replicated content unit was stored to the computer during the specified time range.

A method of replicating a content unit on a computer, the computer having a hierarchical file system that has a plurality of directories arranged in a hierarchical tree, comprising at least one root directory and a plurality of non-root directories that each has a parent directory, wherein at least some of the plurality of directories in the tree correspond to a period of time subsumed by a period of time corresponding to its respective parent directory, the method comprising acts of:

• (A) receiving, at the computer, a request to replicate a content unit to the computer, wherein the request is received at a first time;
• (B) storing the replicated content unit in the hierarchical file system of the computer, in a directory that does not correspond to a time related to the first time;
• and
• (C) storing on the computer an indication of the first time.

At least one computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on a computer system, perform a method of replicating a content unit on a computer in the computer system, the computer having a hierarchical file system that has a plurality of directories arranged in a hierarchical tree, comprising at least one root directory and a plurality of non-root directories that each has a parent directory, wherein at least some of the plurality of directories in the tree correspond to a period of time subsumed by a period of time corresponding to its respective parent directory, the method comprising acts of:

• (A) receiving, at the computer, a request to replicate a content unit to the computer, wherein the request is received at a first time;
• (B) storing the replicated content unit in the hierarchical file system of the computer, in a directory that does not correspond to a time related to the first time;
• and
• (C) storing on the computer an indication of the first time.

At least one computer that stores replicated content units, the at least one computer having a hierarchical file system that has a plurality of directories arranged in a hierarchical tree, comprising at least one root directory and a plurality of non-root directories that each has a parent directory, wherein at least some of the plurality of directories in the tree correspond to a period of time subsumed by a period of time corresponding to its respective parent directory, the at least one computer comprising:

• at least one input;
• and
• at least one controller, coupled to the at least one input, that:
• (A) receives, through the at least one input, a request to replicate a content unit to the computer, wherein the request is received at a first time;
• (B) stores the replicated content unit in the hierarchical file system of the at least one computer, in a directory that does not correspond to a time related to the first time;
• and
• (C) stores on the at least one computer an indication of the first time.