Dynamic symbolic link resolution
View Patent ↗To achieve the foregoing, and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a system or network is disclosed which provides for a dynamic symbolic link (DSL) and the resolution of that DSL. The invention provides a method and apparatus that renames a first pathname to a target pathname, determines a variable within the target pathname, defines the first pathname as a symbolic link and associates the symbolic link with a virtual pathname. The present invention further defines a specification associated with the virtual pathname including associating the variable with the virtual pathname. In associating the symbolic link with the virtual pathname, the present invention further define a declaration within the virtual pathname.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a first pathname;
determining if the first pathname is a dynamic symbolic link (DSL); and
if the first pathname is a DSL:
extracting at least one tag from the first pathname;
determining at least one value corresponding to the tag; and
substituting the first value into the first pathname in place of the tag, producing a first target pathname.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising accessing a file designated by the first target pathname.
3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one DSL declaration.
4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one predefined alphanumeric character sequence.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving a second pathname; and
resolving the second pathname as a symbolic link to the first pathname prior to determining if the first pathname is the DSL.
6. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising returning a first file handle to the first target pathname.
7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first pathname is received in response to a request from a first application to access a first file, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving the first pathname in response to a request from a second application attempting to access the first file; and
producing a second target pathname corresponding to the first pathname for the second application, the second target pathname different from the first target pathname.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein:
the first application is a first instance of the first application; and
the second application is a second instance of the first application.
9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising registering the DSL prior to receiving the first pathname, wherein the registering includes:
registering a DSL specification; and
recording the DSL specification.
10. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising receiving the DSL specification from a first process prior to registering the DSL specification.
11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising the first application inheriting the DSL specification of the first process.
12. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generating the DSL prior to the step of receiving the first pathname, wherein the generating includes:
obtaining a second pathname;
renaming the second pathname as the first target pathname;
determining at least one variable in the first target pathname;
generating the first pathname from the at least one variable and the first target pathname;
creating a symbolic link from the second pathname pointing to the DSL.
13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein generating the first pathname comprises:
defining a DSL declaration using the variable; and
substituting the variable in the first target pathname with the DSL declaration.
14. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
determining a default value if the first value can not be determined; and
substituting the default value into the first pathname in place of the tag, producing the first target pathname.
15. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
determining if the first pathname is a DSL includes determining if the pathname includes at least one declaration; and
determining the at least one value includes utilizing the tag as the value.
16. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
determining if the first pathname is a DSL includes determining if the pathname includes at least one declaration; and
determining the at least one value includes utilizing the declaration as the first value.
17. A computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions executable to perform a method comprising:
receiving a first pathname;
determining if the first pathname is a dynamic symbolic link (DSL); and
if the first pathname is a DSL:
extracting at least one tag from the first pathname;
determining at least one value corresponding to the tag; and
substituting the first value into the first pathname in place of the tag, producing a first target pathname.
18. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the method further comprises accessing a file designated by the first target pathname.
19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one DSL declaration.
20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one predefined alphanumeric character sequence.
21. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a second pathname; and
resolving the second pathname as a symbolic link to the first pathname prior to determining if the first pathname is the DSL.
22. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the method further comprises returning a first file handle to the first target pathname.
23. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein the first pathname is received in response to a request from a first application to access a first file, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving the first pathname in response to a request from a second application attempting to access the first file; and
producing a second target pathname corresponding to the first pathname for the second application, the second target pathname different from the first target pathname.
24. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 23 , wherein:
the first application is a first instance of the first application; and
the second application is a second instance of the first application.
25. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the method further comprises registering the DSL prior to receiving the first pathname, wherein the registering includes:
registering a DSL specification; and
recording the DSL specification.
26. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 25 wherein the method further comprises receiving the DSL specification from a first process prior to registering the DSL specification.
27. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 26 wherein the method further comprises the first application inheriting the DSL specification of the first process.
28. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the method further comprises generating the DSL prior to the step of receiving the first pathname, wherein the generating includes:
obtaining a second pathname;
renaming the second pathname as the first target pathname;
determining at least one variable in the first target pathname;
generating the first pathname from the at least one variable and the first target pathname;
creating a symbolic link from the second pathname pointing to the DSL.
29. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 28 wherein generating the first pathname comprises:
defining a DSL declaration using the variable; and
substituting the variable in the first target pathname with the DSL declaration.
30. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 wherein the method further comprises:
determining a default value if the first value can not be determined; and
substituting the default value into the first pathname in place of the tag, producing the first target pathname.
31. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein:
determining if the first pathname is a DSL includes determining if the pathname includes at least one declaration; and
determining the at least one value includes utilizing the tag as the value.
32. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 , wherein:
determining if the first pathname is a DSL includes determining if the pathname includes at least one declaration; and
determining the at least one value includes utilizing the declaration as the first value.
33. A computer system comprising:
a computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions; and
a processor coupled to receive the plurality of instructions and configured to execute the plurality of instructions;
wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed, implement a method comprising:
receiving a first pathname;
determining if the first pathname is a dynamic symbolic link (DSL); and
if the first pathname is a DSL:
extracting at least one tag from the first pathname;
determining at least one value corresponding to the tag; and
substituting the first value into the first pathname in place of the tag, producing a first target pathname.
34. The computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein the method further comprises accessing a file designated by the first target pathname.
35. The computer system as recited in claim 33 , wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one DSL declaration.
36. The computer system as recited in claim 33 , wherein the at least one tag comprises at least one predefined alphanumeric character sequence.
37. The computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a second pathname; and
resolving the second pathname as a symbolic link to the first pathname prior to determining if the first pathname is the DSL.
38. The computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein the method further comprises returning a first file handle to the first target pathname.
39. The computer system as recited in claim 33 , wherein the first pathname is received in response to a request from a first application to access a first file, and wherein the method further comprises:
receiving the first pathname in response to a request from a second application attempting to access the first file; and
producing a second target pathname corresponding to the first pathname for the second application, the second target pathname different from the first target pathname.
40. The computer system as recited in claim 39 , wherein:
the first application is a first instance of the first application; and
the second application is a second instance of the first application.
41. The computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein the method further comprises registering the DSL prior to receiving the first pathname, wherein the registering includes:
registering a DSL specification; and
recording the DSL specification.
42. The computer system as recited in claim 41 wherein the method further comprises receiving the DSL specification from a first process prior to registering the DSL specification.
43. The computer system as recited in claim 42 wherein the method further comprises the first application inheriting the DSL specification of the first process.
44. The computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein the method further comprises generating the DSL prior to the step of receiving the first pathname, wherein the generating includes:
obtaining a second pathname;
renaming the second pathname as the first target pathname;
determining at least one variable in the first target pathname;
generating the first pathname from the at least one variable and the first target pathname;
creating a symbolic link from the second pathname pointing to the DSL.
45. The computer system as recited in claim 44 wherein generating the first pathname comprises:
defining a DSL declaration using the variable; and
substituting the variable in the first target pathname with the DSL declaration.
46. The computer system as recited in claim 33 wherein the method further comprises:
determining a default value if the first value can not be determined; and
substituting the default value into the first pathname in place of the tag, producing the first target pathname.
47. The computer system as recited in claim 33 , wherein:
determining if the first pathname is a DSL includes determining if the pathname includes at least one declaration; and
determining the at least one value includes utilizing the tag as the value.
48. The computer system as recited in claim 33 , wherein:
determining if the first pathname is a DSL includes determining if the pathname includes at least one declaration; and
determining the at least one value includes utilizing the declaration as the first value.