Management of multiple links to a file in a file system
US6785693B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 2, 2001 |
| Grant date | Aug 31, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 24, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99942
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Multiple links to the same object are managed by storing the attributes of the object in only one place. Each directory which links to the object has an object attribute table; each table has a number of entries all capable of storing the attributes of the files linked to the directory. One of the entries in a directory linked to a file stores the attributes of that file, called the master entry; other entries in the same or other directories that also link to the same file have slave entries capable of storing the attributes but not storing the attributes in their respective object attribute table. The file need only address the master entry. The master entry may point to the other slave entries which may point back to the master or to other slave entries as determined by a pointer protocol. When the master entry is to be deallocated, another of the qualified slave entries receives the attribute information and the file is updated to reflect that a new master has been declared. According to the pointer protocol, other slave entries may also be updated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.