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AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsClyde Law, Paul Adrian Oltean, Ran Kalach, Nir Ben-Zvi, Matthias H. Wollnik
Estimating the term…
Described is caching classification-related metadata for a file in an alternate data stream of that file. When a file is classified (e.g., for data management), the classification properties are cached in association with the file, along with classification-related metadata that indicates the state of the file at the time of caching. The classification-related metadata in the alternate data stream is then useable in determining whether the classification properties are valid and up-to-date when next accessed, or whether the file needs to be reclassified. If the properties are valid and up-to-date, they may be used without requiring the computationally costly steps of reclassification. Also described is using more than one alternate data stream for the cache, and extending the classification-related metadata through a defined extension mechanism.
In a computing environment, a method comprising:
In a computing environment, a system comprising, a cache module that accesses a cache maintained in an alternate data stream of a file to determine whether classification metadata in the alternate data stream indicates that one or more classification properties associated with that file are valid and up-to-date, and if so, to provide the one or more classification properties for that file to a consumer, and if not, to provide the file to a classification component for classification into one or more updated classification properties for providing to the consumer, to generate updated classification metadata, and to store the updated classification metadata in the alternate data stream of the file.
One or more computer-readable media having stored thereon a data structure, comprising, a set of fields maintained in an alternate data stream of a file, including a timestamp field containing a time value that indicates a time that the data structure was last written, at least one hash field that each contains a hash value indicative of a state of the file when the file was last classified, and a property field containing data for a classification property, in which the time value and hash value are usable to evaluate the state of the file when the file was last classified against a current state of the file and a current state of a classifier to determine whether the classification property is up-to-date.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.