Method, system, and computer program product for enabling file system tagging by applications

US8694497B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• Utz Bacher · Dettenhausen, DE
• Einar Lueck · Bonlanden, DE
• Thomas Spatzier · Holzgerlingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 27, 2008
• Grant date: Apr 8, 2014
• Expiry date: Apr 11, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F16/164
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method for enabling file system tagging by an application includes creating tag associations for the file system by associating a tag with a file object. The association includes allocating a file association structure (FAS) in the storage device, which FAS has attributes including a pointer to a file handle of the file object and a list of names of tags associated with the file object. Associating the tag with a file object also includes allocating a tag structure for each tag in the file system. The tag structure includes a tag name and file associations for the tag. In response to a request for a read directory operation, the method includes retrieving the tag associations to identify the file object, dynamically assembling a directory entry structure that includes a hierarchical view of tags identified from the tag associations and corresponding file object, and returning the directory entry structure to the application.