초록 ▼

A system and method that automatically and transparently enable access to prior file or folder versions for a selected file or folder. When a file or folder is selected for version location, such as via a user interface, prior versions are automatically located and time data (e.g., determined from t

A system and method that automatically and transparently enable access to prior file or folder versions for a selected file or folder. When a file or folder is selected for version location, such as via a user interface, prior versions are automatically located and time data (e.g., determined from timestamps) identifying each of the prior versions is displayed. The user can then select a prior version for restoration and thereby recover from changed file data. The present invention can be implemented using remote file servers, or with local file system volumes. Prior to displaying the versions for selection, attributes of the prior versions may be requested, whereby only versions that actually exist can be displayed, and/or only versions with possibly different data are displayed, reducing unnecessary selection for restoration.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving a first request to locate information corresponding to prior versions of a file or folder, the file or folder is stored in a computer storage medium; in response to the first request to locate the information, automatically

What is claimed is: 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving a first request to locate information corresponding to prior versions of a file or folder, the file or folder is stored in a computer storage medium; in response to the first request to locate the information, automatically obtaining a set of a plurality of timestamps, each timestamp of the plurality of timestamps corresponding to each shadow volume of a plurality of shadow volumes that have a prior version of the file or folder maintained therein, wherein said each shadow volume of the plurality of shadow volumes is a different point in time read-only copy of a logical volume at different times, said each shadow volume of the plurality of shadow volumes having a corresponding differential file, wherein the obtaining the set of the plurality of timestamps comprises communicating with at least one remote file server device having at least one shadow volume; receiving an indication of whether a filtering process for the shadow volumes should be performed; determining whether the indication indicates that unique file filtering is active; when the unique file filtering is not active, generating a list from a set of timestamps; when the unique file filtering is active: for each timestamp in the set of timestamps, sending a request for file or folder attributes from a corresponding shadow volume by embedding a timestamp as a token in a path such that a distributed file server changes at distributed file system junction points do not affect the timestamp; generating a list of timestamps based on each response to the request for the file or folder attributes, each entry in list indicative of accessibility of the file or folder associated with said each entry, wherein the request for the file or folder attributes comprises setting a special parsing bit in a header of the request such that the request is flagged and the remote file server device detects the embedded timestamp; and filtering from the generated list of timestamps an entry of a prior version of the file that is not unique with respect to another prior version of the file already represented in the list of timestamps; and providing the filtered list of timestamps in response to the first request to locate the information such that the information enables retrieval of a corresponding version of a file or folder in the filtered list of timestamps, and wherein selection of a prior version of a file replaces a most current version of the file. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a request to locate information comprises receiving an application program interface call. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting file or folder attributes from a corresponding volume comprises, identifying a shadow volume via its corresponding timestamp in a request. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the list of timestamps comprises, determine from response to the request for the file or folder attributes whether the file or folder exists on a shadow volume identified via a timestamp, and if so, including an entry representing a corresponding timestamp in the list of timestamps. 5. A computer storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to: receive a first request to locate information corresponding to prior versions of a file or folder; in response to the first request to locate the information, automatically obtaining a set of a plurality of timestamps, each timestamp of the plurality of timestamps corresponding to each shadow volume of a plurality of shadow volumes that have a prior version of the file or folder maintained therein, wherein said each shadow volume of the plurality of shadow volumes is a different point in time read-only copy of a logical volume at different times, said each shadow volume of the plurality of shadow volumes having a corresponding differential file, wherein the obtaining the set of the plurality of timestamps comprises communicating with at least one remote file server device having at least one shadow volume; receive an indication of whether a filtering process for the shadow volumes should be performed; determine whether the indication indicates that unique file filtering is active; when the unique file filtering is not active, generating a list from a set of timestamps; when the unique file filtering is active: for each timestamp in the set of timestamps, sending a request for file or folder attributes from a corresponding shadow volume by embedding a timestamp as a token in a path such that a distributed file server changes at distributed file system junction points do not affect the timestamp; generate a list of timestamps based on each response to the request for the file or folder attributes, each entry in list indicative of accessibility of the file or folder associated with said each entry, wherein the request for the file or folder attributes comprises setting a special parsing bit in a header of the request such that the request is flagged and the remote file server device detects the embedded timestamp; and filter from the generated list of timestamps an entry of a prior version of the file that is not unique with respect to another prior version of the file already represented in the list of timestamps; and provide the filtered list of timestamps in response to the first request to locate the information such that the information enables retrieval of a corresponding version of a file or folder in the filtered list of timestamps, and wherein selection of a prior version of a file replaces a most current version of the file. 6. The computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein receive a request to locate information comprises receiving an application program interface call. 7. The computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein request file or folder attributes from a corresponding volume comprises, identifying a shadow volume via its corresponding timestamp in a request. 8. The computer storage medium of claim 5, wherein generate the list of timestamps comprises, determine from response to the request for the file or folder attributes whether the file or folder exists on a shadow volume identified via a timestamp, and if so, including an entry representing a corresponding timestamp in the list of timestamps. 9. A computing device included a processor and a memory, the computing device configured to: receive a first request to locate information corresponding to prior versions of a file or folder, the file or folder is stored in a computer readable storage medium; in response to the first request to locate the information, automatically obtaining a set of a plurality of timestamps, each timestamp of the plurality of timestamps corresponding to each shadow volume of a plurality of shadow volumes that have a prior version of the file or folder maintained therein, wherein said each shadow volume of the plurality of shadow volumes is a different point in time read-only copy of a logical volume at different times, said each shadow volume of the plurality of shadow volumes having a corresponding differential file, wherein the obtaining the set of the plurality of timestamps comprises communicating with at least one remote file server device having at least one shadow volume; receive an indication of whether a filtering process for the shadow volumes should be performed; determine whether the indication indicates that unique file filtering is active; when the unique file filtering is not active, generating a list from a set of timestamps; when the unique file filtering is active: for each timestamp in the set of timestamps, sending a request for file or folder attributes from a corresponding shadow volume by embedding a timestamp as a token in a path such that a distributed file server changes at distributed file system junction points do not affect the timestamp; generate a list of timestamps based on each response to the request for the file or folder attributes, each entry in list indicative of accessibility of the file or folder associated with said each entry, wherein the request for the file or folder attributes comprises setting a special parsing bit in a header of the request such that the request is flagged and the remote file server device detects the embedded timestamp; and filter from the generated list of timestamps an entry of a prior version of the file that is not unique with respect to another prior version of the file already represented in the list of timestamps; and provide the filtered list of timestamps in response to the first request to locate the information such that the information enables retrieval of a corresponding version of a file or folder in the filtered list of timestamps, and wherein selection of a prior version of a file replaces a most current version of the file. 10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein receive a request to locate information comprises receiving an application program interface call. 11. The computing device of claim 9, wherein requesting file or folder attributes from a corresponding volume comprises, identifying a shadow volume via its corresponding timestamp in a request. 12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein generate the list of timestamps comprises, determine from response to the request for the file or folder attributes whether the file or folder exists on a shadow volume identified via a timestamp, and if so, including an entry representing a corresponding timestamp in the list of timestamps.