Method for mapping a flat namespace onto a hierarchical namespace using locality of reference cues
AssigneeEMC Corporation
InventorsDavid A. Mair, Thomas N. Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flat namespace includes a flat identifier. A hierarchical namespace includes containers in some organization. A cache includes associations between flat identifiers, locality reference cues, and containers in the hierarchical namespace. A combiner combines the flat identifier with containers in the hierarchical namespace. The combiner can be used first with containers found in the cache, before trying other containers in the hierarchical namespace.
Claims16
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first computer;
- a hierarchical namespace including at least a first hierarchical container containing a first flat identifier identifying a user;
- a hierarchical file structure including a second hierarchical container containing a second flat identifier identifying a file in said hierarchical file structure;
- a cache stored on the first computer, the cache having a first entry that associates the first flat identifier, a locality of reference cue for the first flat identifier, and a first identifier of the first hierarchical container, the cache further having a second entry that associates the second flat identifier identifying the file, the locality of reference cue for the first flat identifier for the user, and the second hierarchical container, the first association being stored in the cache after the first computer receives a request from a second user computer for access to said file, the request including the first and the second flat identifiers and the locality of reference cue derived from the request;
- a search engine for first searching the cache for a combination of the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue to locate an identifier of the first hierarchical container, and for second searching the cache for the second flat identifier to locate the second hierarchical containing said file;
- and
- an adder for adding a new entry to the cache combining the first flat identifier, the locality of reference cue, and an identifier for the second hierarchical container.
A computer-implemented method for mapping a flat identifier to a hierarchical file structure, comprising:
- receiving a request from a client computer of a user to access a file, said request including a first flat identifier identifying the user and a second flat identifier identifying the file;
- determining a locality of reference cue for the first flat identifier from the request, the locality of reference cue relating to the user;
- first searching a cache for a combination of the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue to identify a first hierarchical container associated with the user;
- second searching the cache for the second flat identifier to locate a second hierarchical container containing said file;
- and
- mapping the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue to the second hierarchical container, wherein said mapping comprises adding to the cache an entry associating the combination of the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue with the second hierarchical container.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a machine for mapping a flat identifier to a hierarchical file structure, comprising instructions:
- to receive a request from a client computer of a user to access a file, said request including a first flat identifier identifying the user and a second flat identifier identifying the file;
- to determine a locality of reference cue for the first flat identifier from the request, the locality of reference cue relating to the user;
- to first search a cache for a combination of the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue to identify a first hierarchical container associated with the user;
- to second search the cache for the second flat identifier to locate a second hierarchical container containing said file;
- and
- to map the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue to the second hierarchical container by adding to the cache an entry associating the combination of the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue with the second hierarchical container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.