Caching system and method at user terminal without protocol concerned

Abstract

A system and method that automatically and transparently handle client-side caching of network file data, independent of any remote file handling protocol. A protocol-independent client-side caching mechanism is inserted as a service that handles file-related requests directed to a network, and attempts to satisfy the requests via a client-side caching persistent store. By way of pre-process and post-process calls on a file create request, the caching mechanism creates file-related data structures, and overwrites the information in those structures that a buffering service uses to call back toa network redirector, whereby the client-side caching mechanism inserts itself into the communication flow between the network redirector and the buffering service. Once in the flow of communication,network-directed file read and write requests may be transparently handled by the client-side caching mechanism when appropriate, yet the redirector may be instructed to communicate with the server when needed to satisfy the request.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to computer networks, and more particularly to data storage in networked environments. Background technique [0002] Web servers store and provide access to client data using a variety of mechanisms, including mechanisms generally based on the concept of a redirector, where an application's file-related requests are redirected to an appropriate server. The server receives each request and performs the requested file operation, that is, as long as no errors, access violations, or other problems occur. The server then returns a status of success along with any corresponding data, such as a file handle for a create / open request, or file data for a read request, received by the application in response to its request. [0003] Because computer users are not always connected to their network file servers or other servers, various client-side caching mechanisms have been developed to allow access to Offline access to ...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0005] Although this type of client-side caching offers many benefits, essentially by providing access to needed files when there is no network connection or network connectivity, current client-side caching mechanisms have a number of disadvantages

One such shortcoming is that existing caching techniques are tightly coupled with CIFS redirectors

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