JPH11345155A - Apparatus and method for managing file - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device and method for managing file by which an original filing system can be used if necessary, while using a standard application program interface(API). SOLUTION: In this file managing device, having two or more kinds of file managing functions composed of accepting means 11 and 12 for accepting the requests of access to a file and file managing means 31 and 32 for processing real data specified by management information which is stored in a file structure managing part or data storage part based on the file processing request from the accepting means, the file processing request outputted from the first accepting means 11 to the first file managing means 31 is acquired by a switching means 3, and based on the management information corresponding to the file of a file processing request object, a processing destination discriminating request is reported to a discriminating means 2. The discriminating means 2 discriminates the file managing means to be the processing destination of the file processing request and reports the discriminated result to the switching means 3. When the discriminated result, showing the file managing means 31, is not defined as the processing destination is reported, the switching means outputs the access request to the second accepting means 32.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a file management apparatus and a file management method, and more particularly to a file management apparatus and a file management method for performing file management using two or more file management functions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A general OS (Operating System) is:
For example, UFS (UNIX File System) and FAT (file all
ocation table) file system and NTFS (new te
Normally, a file system such as a "chnology file system" is provided as standard, and file management is performed by this file system.

Hereinafter, an operation of accessing a file in the file system will be described with reference to FIG. First, when a user mode program such as an application program (not shown) designates a unique file ID or the like for each file, for example, and receives an access request based on an API described later, the receiving unit 101 receiving the access request The file management unit 102 is notified that there is an access request together with the file ID (hereinafter, referred to as a “file processing request”).

Here, in the storage means 103 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk and a magneto-optical disk, management information (“file ID”, “registration date”, “size”, “size”, “size”) is stored for each file stored in the storage means 103. Access right, "pointer information", etc.)
3a, and the actual data is stored in the area of the data storage unit 103b indicated by the pointer information.

Subsequently, the file management means 102, which has received the file processing request from the reception means 101, refers to the file structure management section 103a based on the received file ID, and sets pointer information to the actual data corresponding to the file ID. To get.

As a result, the application program can access the actual data corresponding to the specified file ID. By the way, depending on the use of the computer, if a file system provided as a standard (hereinafter, referred to as “standard file system”) is adopted, satisfactory performance may not be obtained. For example, when a computer is used as a video server, if a standard file system is adopted, satisfactory disk access performance cannot be obtained. That is, in the standard file system, the disk is managed with a small block size of, for example, 8 Kbytes. Therefore, when handling large data such as video data, the disk must be frequently accessed.

Therefore, in recent years, a file system having a function unique to the standard file system, for example, a function of managing a disk with a large block size of 256 Kbytes or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "proprietary file system") has appeared. The use of this unique file system has improved the performance in various aspects.

The operation of accessing a file in the unique file system is the same as that in the standard file system described above, and a description thereof will be omitted.
Hereinafter, the API will be described.

An API (Application Programming Interface)
ace) is an interface between the OS and an application program running on the OS, and an application program conforming to the API can use a file system adopting the API through the API. For example, A
An application program conforming to the PI (hereinafter, referred to as a “standard API”) is provided through a standard API.
A file system that employs a standard API, ie, a standard file system, can be used.

[0010]

The standard AP
Normally, I and the source code of the standard file system are not made public. Therefore, the conventional unique file system is newly created without using the standard file system. In order to use such a unique file system, an API (proprietary) uniquely defined in an application program is used. API) had to be used.

That is, the conventional file management apparatus has a problem that the original file system cannot be used by an application conforming to the standard API.

The present invention has been proposed based on the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and provides a file management apparatus and a file management method that can use a unique file system as needed while using a standard API. It is intended for.

[0013]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a receiving means for receiving a file access request, and a management stored in a file structure management unit based on a file processing request from the receiving means. In a file management apparatus having at least two types of file management functions, comprising: a file management unit for processing actual data specified by the management information stored in the information or data storage unit, a specific file system shown in FIG. (First reception unit 11, first file management unit 21, first file structure management unit 31a, first data storage unit 31b)
Is assumed to be a file management function (standard file system) of the operating system.

In the file management device, the switching means 3 acquires a file processing request issued from the first reception means 11 to the first file management means 21;
The determination unit 2 is notified of a processing destination determination request based on the management information corresponding to the acquired file to be processed. The judging means 2 judges the file management means to be the processing destination of the file processing request based on a predetermined judgment criterion, and notifies the switching means 3 of the judgment result. The switching unit 3 issues an access request to the second receiving unit 12 when notified of the result of the determination that the first file management unit 21 is not the processing destination.

As a result, other specific file systems (the second reception means 12, the second file management means 22, the second file structure management section 32a, Second data storage unit 32b)
Can be used.

The determining means 2 determines the size, file name, and extension of the file to be requested for file processing, the directory in which the file to be requested for file processing exists,
Alternatively, the determination is made based on the type of the file processing request.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a main part of a file management apparatus according to the present invention. The standard file system includes a first reception unit 11, a first file management unit 21, a first file structure management unit 31a, a first file structure management unit 31a, and a first file structure management unit 31a. The actual data managed by the data storage unit 31b) is defined as the first data, and the unique file system (the second reception unit 1) is used.
2, real data managed by the second file management means 22, the second file structure management unit 32a, and the second data storage unit 32b) is defined as second data.

The file management device according to the present invention is a file management device having the standard file system and the unique file system, wherein the determination data storage means
The first file structure management unit 31a includes a determination unit 2 and a switching unit 3, and stores not only the management information about the first data but also the management information about the second data.

In the following, according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 2, the operation when accessing the first data and the second data from a user mode program such as an application conforming to a standard API differs from the above-mentioned conventional example. I will explain only. (Access operation) If an application program conforming to the standard API specifies an access request based on the standard API, for example, by designating a unique file ID for each file, the access request is included in the standard file system. Is received by the first receiving unit 11, and the first receiving unit 11 indicates that there is an access request together with the received file ID (hereinafter, “file processing request”).
That. ) Is notified to the first file management means 21 (FIG. 2, step 1).

Here, if the file to be requested for file processing is managed in the unique file system, the processing destination of the file processing request is sent from the first file management means 21 to the second file management means 22. It is necessary to switch, and in the present invention, this switching process is performed by the switching means 3.

That is, the switching means 3 first obtains (steals) a file processing request issued from the first receiving means 11 to the first file managing means 21. Subsequently, after referring to the first file structure management unit 31a based on the obtained file ID and obtaining management information corresponding to the file ID, a determination process (processing destination of the file processing request described later) is performed together with the management information. (To determine the file management means to be used)
This is called a “processing destination determination request”. ) Is notified to the determination means 2. The determination means 2 executes the determination processing based on the received processing destination determination request, and switches the determination result to the switching means 3
(Step 2 in FIG. 2).

The judgment result is information indicating which of the first file management means 21 and the second file management means 22 should process the file processing request,
The switching means 3 performs different operations as described below according to the content of the determination result.

That is, when the first file management means 21 receives the result of the determination to process, the switching means 3 is not operated. Therefore, the first file management unit 21 receiving the file processing request
Refers to the first file structure management unit 31a based on the received file ID and obtains pointer information to the first data corresponding to the file ID, as in the case of the above-described conventional example. Figure 2, Step 3 → 4 →
5).

On the other hand, if the second file management means 22 receives the result of the determination, the switching means 3
First refers to the first file structure management unit 31a,
The management information of the second data corresponding to the file ID is acquired (FIG. 2, step 3 → 7).

That is, in the present invention, the management information is obtained from the first file structure management unit 31a even when the determination result of the processing is received by the second file management means 22. This eliminates the need to manage, for example, “access rights” in the second file structure management unit 32a, and facilitates creation of a unique file system.

Subsequently, the switching means 3 having acquired the management information notifies the second receiving means 12 that the file processing request has been issued for the second data together with the file ID as an access request based on a unique API. Notify. The second receiving unit 12 that has received the access request notifies the second file management unit 22 that there is an access request together with the file ID. Upon receiving the notification, the second file management unit 22 performs the second file management based on the received file ID.
Of the file I
The pointer information to the second data corresponding to D is obtained (FIG. 2, steps 8 to 9).

As a result, not only the standard file system but also the original file system can be used by the application program conforming to the standard API.

In the above description, the management information is obtained from the first file structure management unit 31a even when the second file management unit 22 receives the determination result that the processing is performed (FIG. 2, Step 7) is performed, but the second file structure management unit 32a may have the same configuration as the first file structure management unit 31a, and the operation of step 7 in FIG. 2 may be omitted. (Judgment Process) Hereinafter, the judgment process will be described.

Upon receiving the processing destination determination request from the switching unit 3, the determining unit 2 determines the management information included in the processing destination determination request and the determination data stored in the determination data storage unit 1 (the determination data is stored by the user. The setting is made by using an input means such as a keyboard (not shown).), And the processing destination of the file processing request is determined. For example, when the unique file system has a function of managing a disk with a large block size of 256 Kbytes or the like, the size of the file to be processed (which can be specified by the management information included in the processing destination determination request) is 600M.
When a character string of “450” (unit: M bytes) is stored in the determination data storage unit 1, the determination unit 2 outputs a determination result indicating that the second file management unit 22 processes the character string. The switching means 3 is notified. That is, in this case, when the size of the file to be requested for file processing is smaller than the determination data, the first file management means 21 is used.
Of the file management means 22 is set as a processing destination.

As described above, according to the file management apparatus of the present invention, a unique file system can be used as needed while using a standard API. In addition,
In the above embodiment, a file management device having two types of file systems has been exemplified. However, the present invention can be applied to a file management device having three or more types of file systems.

Although the determination process is based on the size of the file to be requested for file processing, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the determination process is
The form may be based on the file name or extension of the file to be requested for file processing, the directory where the file to be requested for file processing exists, or the type of file processing request. In the form based on the type of the file processing request, if the file processing request is a request related to management information (for example, a size acquisition request), the first file management unit 21 performs a determination process to process the request. This is because the first file structure management unit 31a stores the management information for the first data and the second data, and therefore the file processing request is not a request for actual data (for example, a read request or the like). This is because the processing can be performed by the first file management unit 21.

Further, in the above embodiment, the standard API
Although only the case where the application program conforming to the original API is used has been described, it goes without saying that the original file system can be used from the application program conforming to the original API via the second receiving unit 12.

[0033]

As described above, according to the present invention, a unique file system can be used as needed while using a standard API.

Further, a judgment process based on various judgment data can be performed, and the judgment data can be easily changed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a main part of a file management device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an access operation in the file management device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a main part of a conventional file management device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 judgment data storage means 2 judgment means 3 switching means 11 first reception means 12 second reception means 21 first file management means 22 second file management means 30 storage means 31a first file structure management section 31b 2 file structure management unit 32a first data storage unit 32b second data storage unit

Claims (14)

[Claims] A receiving unit that receives a request to access a file; and management information stored in a file structure management unit or the management information stored in a data storage unit based on a file processing request from the reception unit. In a file management apparatus having at least two types of file management functions realized by a file management unit that processes actual data to be specified, a processing destination determination request issued by a switching unit when a request to access a file is issued. Receiving means for determining a file management means to be a processing destination of the file processing request based on a predetermined determination criterion;
This is referred to as "first file management means". ) Is obtained, a processing destination determination request based on the management information corresponding to the obtained file processing request target file is notified to the determination unit, and the determination unit performs a first processing request. A file management device comprising: a switching unit that issues an access request to another specific reception unit when notified of a determination result indicating that the file management unit is not the processing destination. 2. The file management device according to claim 1, wherein the first file management means is included in a file management function of an operating system running on the file management device. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining unit makes the determination based on a size of a file to be requested for file processing.
Or the file management device according to 2. 4. The file management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit makes the determination based on a file name of a file to be requested for file processing. 5. The file management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit makes the determination based on an extension of a file name of a file to be requested for file processing. 6. The file management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit makes the determination based on a directory in which a file to be requested for file processing exists. 7. The file management device according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit makes the determination based on a type of a file processing request. 8. A receiving unit for receiving an access request to a file, and based on management information stored in a file structure management unit or the management information stored in a data storage unit based on a file processing request from the receiving unit. In a file management method for managing files by at least two or more types of file management functions realized by a file management means for processing specified real data, a specific file management means (hereinafter, referred to as a specific file management means)
This is referred to as "first file management means". ) Is compared with predetermined reference items relating to the various types of file processing requests, and based on the result of the comparison, a file management unit serving as a processing destination of the file processing request is determined. A file management method characterized by issuing an access request to another specific reception unit when the first file management unit is not set as a processing destination in the determination. 9. The file management method according to claim 8, wherein the first file management means is included in a file management function of an operating system. 10. The file management method according to claim 8, wherein the various items are a size of a file requested to be processed. 11. The file management method according to claim 8, wherein the various items are file names of files requested to be processed. 12. The file management method according to claim 8, wherein the various items are extensions of a file name of a file requested to be processed. 13. The file management method according to claim 8, wherein the various items are a directory where a file requested for file processing exists. 14. The file management method according to claim 8, wherein the various items are types of file processing requests.