Patent · US Active

Systems and methods for a snapshot of data

US7680842B2 · kind B2 · utility

51Cited by
120References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 2006
Grant dateMar 16, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 12, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99955
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a user or client device is connected to a distributed file system comprised of one or more physical nodes. The data on each of the physical nodes store metadata about files and directories within the file system. Some of the embodiments permit a user to take a snapshot of data stored on the file system. The snapshot may include a single file, a single directory, a plurality of files within a directory, a plurality of directories, a path on the file system that includes nested files and subdirectories, or more than one path on the file system that each includes nested files and directories. In one embodiment, the metadata comprises mini-snapshots for directories representing a path from the root of the file system to the root of the snapshot. The mini-snapshots serve as stand-ins for portions of the file system which are not included in the snapshot, but which permit access to the snapshot data in an intuitive way.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.