Rule-based access control list management

A system, comprising:

• a processor;
• a computer readable memory in circuit communication with the processor;
• and
• a computer-readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processor;
• wherein the processor executes program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby:
• defines, for each of a plurality of different users of a file system object, a plurality of access control list entries that comprises an atime access control list time metadata entry, an mtime access control list modification time metadata entry, a dtime duration constraint metadata entry, a vtime valid time entry metadata entry and an nuse access control list access count metadata entry, wherein an access control list entry is only valid for a specific length of time after a first access time that is indicated by the vtime metadata entry;
• in response to receiving a request from a requesting user if the plurality of different users to access the file system object, determines whether the request is authorized for access to the file system object as a function of the atime and mtime metadata entries for the file system object and the requesting user;
• and
• in response to determining that the request is authorized for access to the file system object as the function of the atime and mtime metadata entries for the file system object and the requesting user, grants access to the file system object by the requesting user to modify the file system object, updates the date/timestamp field of the atime metadata entry for the file system object and the requesting user to a date and time of granting the request, and increments the nuse metadata entry that is applicable to the requesting user and the file system object, without overwriting stored atime or nuse metadata entries that are associated with the file system object and with another user of the plurality of different users that is different from the requesting user.

An article of manufacture, comprising:

• a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for execution by a computer processor that cause the computer processor to:
• define, for each of a plurality of different users of a file system object, a plurality of access control list entries that comprises an atime access control list time metadata entry, an mtime access control list modification time metadata entry, a dtime duration constraint metadata entry, a vtime valid time entry metadata entry and an nuse access control list access count metadata entry, wherein an access control list entry is only valid for a specific length of time after a first access time that is indicated by the vtime metadata entry;
• in response to receiving a request from a requesting user if the plurality of different users to access the file system object, determine whether the request is authorized for access to the file system object as a function of the atime and mtime metadata entries for the file system object and the requesting user;
• and
• in response to determining that the request is authorized for access to the file system object as the function of the atime and mtime metadata entries for the file system object and the requesting user, grant access to the file system object by the requesting user to modify the file system object, updates the date/timestamp field of the atime metadata entry for the file system object and the requesting user to a date and time of granting the request, and increment the nuse metadata entry that is applicable to the requesting user and the file system object, without overwriting stored atime or nuse metadata entries that are associated with the file system object and with another user of the plurality of different users that is different from the requesting user.