JPH09231109A - File device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that data can not be stored newly by automatically compressing data which are not accessed recently and securing free capacity on an external storage when the free capacity of the external storage decreases below a certain value. SOLUTION: This file device obtains the free capacity of the external storage device 1 from a directory management storage part 2 and compares it with the certain value (threshold value) by a comparing process means 3. When the free capacity is larger than the threshold value, the process is ended, but when not, an advance to a selecting process means 4 is made. The selecting process means 4 obtains the final access time of data stored in the external storage 1 from the directory management storage part 2 and selects data which is not accessed recently for the longest time, and an advance to a compressing process means 5 is made. The compressing process means 5 compresses the selected data and a return to the comparing process means 3 is made. Thus, the processes are repeated until the free capacity of the external storage device becomes larger than the threshold value.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a file device, and more particularly to a file device having a function of automatically compressing data when the file capacity is insufficient.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of file device has been used for storing data in a computer or reading data. As shown in FIG. 4, the configuration includes an external storage device 1 and a directory management storage unit 2. The external storage device 1 is a part where data is actually stored. The directory management storage unit 2 stores information such as the data name of each piece of stored data, the storage location, the size of the data, the date and time of storage, and the total capacity and free capacity of the external storage device 1. Remembered Some recent file devices can store the date and time when data was recently accessed (last access time) and are managed as one piece of information of the directory management unit 2. As a conventional method for securing free space when the capacity is insufficient, when the capacity of the external storage device is insufficient during data storage, existing data is compressed to secure the free space of the external storage device (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-60666). ), And when the capacity of the external storage device is insufficient at the time of saving the data, it is deleted from unnecessary existing data to secure the free space of the external storage device (JP-A-59-59)
No. 218564), and a method of compressing a part of the font data in the memory to secure an empty area of the memory when the font data is downloaded from the host computer in the printer controller (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02- 092652).

[0003]

In the conventional file device, since the external storage device 1 is finite, there is a case where the data to be newly stored cannot be stored when the free space is insufficient. Among the methods disclosed in the conventional publications, there is no function of selecting existing data to be compressed when the capacity is insufficient (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-60666) and existing data is deleted (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-60). No. 218564), a method in which a parameter indicating the importance of data must be stored separately in order to select unnecessary data (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 02-092652).

[0004]

A file device of the present invention stores and holds an external storage device for storing data, directory information of this data, free space of the external storage device, and final access time of each data. However, in a file device such as a computer having a directory management storage unit that is updated as needed when these changes occur,
Comparing processing means for obtaining a free space of the external storage device from the directory management storage part and determining whether or not this is below a certain amount, and a final processing of individual data existing in the external storage device from the directory management storage part. When the access time is obtained, the selection processing means for selecting the oldest data and the compression processing for compressing the data selected by the selection processing means when the free space of the external storage device in the comparison processing means falls below a certain amount Processing means.

[0005]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a file device of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of contents of directory management data. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the file device according to this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, the file device according to this embodiment has an external storage device 1 for storing data, a directory management storage unit 2 for storing directory information of this data, and an empty space in the external storage device 1. The comparison processing means 3 for judging whether the capacity is less than a certain amount, the selection processing means 4 for selecting the oldest data among the individual data existing in the external storage device 1, and the external storage device 1 in the comparison processing means 3. If the free space of is below a certain amount,
It comprises a compression processing means 5 for compressing the data selected by the selection processing means 4.

The directory management unit 2 stores the directory management data of the external storage device 1 as shown in FIG. That is, information such as the data name of each piece of data stored in the external storage device 1, the storage location, the size of the data, the date and time of storage, the last access time, the total capacity of the external storage device 1, and the free space. It is information such as.
These are updated when the state of the external storage device 1 changes. In the file device of the present invention, the following parameters are preset in each processing means. Each parameter is variable by the user.

As a parameter of the comparison processing means 3, a time interval for checking the free capacity of the external storage device 1 is set. As another parameter, a threshold value of the free space of the external storage device 1 is set. When the free space of the external storage device 1 falls below this value, compression processing is performed, and the free space can always be secured by this value.

As a parameter of the selection processing means 4, a drive and a directory name to be compressed in the data in the external storage device 1 are set.

As a parameter of the compression processing means 5, a tool for performing compression processing is set.

Next, referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,
The operation of this embodiment will be described. First, as initial setting parameters, the free space check interval (t) and the free space threshold (s) of the comparison processing means 3, the target drive directory (d) of the selection processing means 4, and the compression tool (c) of the compression processing means 5 are set. Is set (P1). The system timer activates the comparison processing means 3 at every set free space check interval (t) (S1). The comparison processing unit 3 obtains the free space (x) of the external storage device 1 from the directory management storage unit 2 (S2) and compares it with the free space threshold (s) of the initialization parameter (S3). As a result, when the free space (x) is larger than the free space threshold (s) (B1), the process returns to S1 without doing anything, and when the free space (x) is smaller than the free space threshold (s) ( B2) proceeds to the selection processing means 4. The selection processing unit 4 obtains the final access time of the data stored in the external storage device 1 from the directory management storage unit 2, sorts the individual data in the target drive directory (d) in the order of the final access time, The most recently accessed data is selected (S4) and the process proceeds to the compression processing means 5. The compression processing means 5 compresses the data selected in the previous step with the compression tool (c) (S5), and returns to S2. In the step S2, the free space of the external storage device 1 is checked again, and if it is smaller than the free space threshold (s) (B2), the process proceeds to the step S3 again.
If it is larger (B1), the process returns to the S1 step.

In the above embodiment, the compression process is automatically performed when the free space of the external storage device is insufficient. However, when the free space is insufficient, for example, "drive A
There is not enough free space available at 8.5MB. Do you want to secure the free space by compressing the unused data in the directory A: \ DOC? , Etc., add a step to ask the user to decide whether or not to compress, or after finishing the compression process, "Compress the next data in directory A: \ WORK to secure 11.8 MB of free space." Data name before compression size after compression sample.doc 5,126B 847B test3.doc 10,332B 5,802B ”, it is possible to add a process to notify the user of the result.

Further, when the external storage device to be compressed runs out, it is possible to add a process of interrupting the processing by notifying the user that the free space cannot be secured any more.

[0014]

As described above, in the file device according to the present invention, when the free space of the external storage device is insufficient,
This is caused by the lack of free space in the external storage device because it is configured to refer to the attribute of the last access time for individual data in the conventional file device, compress data that has not been accessed recently, and secure free space. This has an effect of solving a problem, for example, that the document data being edited cannot be saved.

Further, by providing a configuration for notifying the user that the free space of the external storage device is insufficient, it is possible to prompt the user to avoid problems in advance, for example, to back up or delete data. There is also an effect.

Further, since the structure is such that the data is compressed, there is an effect that the capacity at the time of backing up the data can be reduced.

Compared with the method described in the conventional publication, there is a function of selecting existing data to be compressed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-60666), and existing data is not deleted (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 59-218564). (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 02-092652), and the attribute of the data possessed by the conventional file device is used for selecting the data to be compressed.
There are advantages such as.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a file device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of contents of directory management data.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the file device according to this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a conventional file device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 External Storage Device 2 Directory Management Storage Unit 3 Comparison Processing Means 4 Selection Processing Means 5 Compression Processing Means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An external storage device for storing data, directory information of the data, a free space of the external storage device, and a last access time of each data are stored and retained, and when any of these changes is made, In a file device such as a computer having a directory management storage unit to be updated, comparison processing means for obtaining a free space of the external storage device from the directory management storage unit and determining whether or not this is below a certain amount, and the directory management The free access capacity of the external storage device falls below a certain amount in the selection processing means for obtaining the last access time of each data existing in the external storage device from the storage part and selecting the oldest data and the comparison processing means. In this case, a compression processing unit for compressing the data selected by the selection processing unit is provided. A file device characterized by and.