Method and system of requesting information from a server computer

1. A method, implemented by a client computer system, of requesting information from a server computer system, the method comprising:

sending, by the client computer system to the server computer system, a request for policy capability of the server computer system for a data type;

receiving, by the client computer system from the server computer system, a response to the request including a list of derived data types that are supported by the server computer system;

generating, by the client computer system, a first data file virtualization policy using the list of derived data types, the first data file virtualization policy comprising attributes that indicate intent by the client computer system to retrieve at least a portion of one or more derived data files at the server computer system; and

sending, by the client computer system to the server computer system, a first data file and the first data file virtualization policy for storage in a storage device in communication with the server computer system, the first data file virtualization policy being useable by the server computer system to create one or more second virtual data files from the first data file, at least a portion of the one or more second virtual data files being temporarily generated and stored in a processor memory of the server computer system, the one or more second virtual data files not being stored on the storage device, the one or more second virtual data files being listed in a directory listing generated by the server computer system, the directory listing comprising at least a name of the first data file and a name of the one or more second virtual data files, the directory listing being accessible to the client computer system such that the one or more second virtual data files are presented to the client computer system as when the one or more second virtual data files are stored in the storage device; and

receiving, by the client computer system from the server computer system, derived data in the one or more derived data files corresponding to the one or more second virtual data files upon request by the client computer system, wherein the derived data in the one or more derived data files is generated on-the-fly dynamically by the server computer system using at least a portion of the first data file, wherein a data format of the one or more derived data files is different from a data format of the first data file.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the client computer system, a request to the server computer system for the directory listing, the directory listing being derived by the server computer system and including information about the first data file and information about the one or more second virtual data files derived by the server computer system using information from the first data file and the first data file virtualization policy.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein sending the request for the directory listing comprises sending a PROPFIND request through HTTP 1.1 WebDAV protocol.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the client computer system to the server computer system, a request for information about a second virtual data file derived by the server computer system using information from the first data file and the first data file virtualization policy.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein sending the request for information about a second virtual data file comprises sending a HEAD request through HTTP protocol.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the client computer system to the server computer system, a request to retrieve the at least a portion of the one or more derived data files, the one or more derived data files being derived by the server computer system at the request by the client computer system.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein sending the request to retrieve the at least a portion of the one or more derived data files comprises sending a GET request through HTTP protocol.

8. A system comprising:

a client computer system comprising a processor and a physical network connection to a server computer system, and configured to:

send to the server computer system in communication with the client computer system a request for policy capability of the server computer system for a data type;

receive a response to the request including a list of derived data types that are supported by the server computer system;

generate, using the processor, a first data file virtualization policy using the list of derived data types, the first data file virtualization policy indicating intent by the client computer system to retrieve at least a portion of one or more derived data files at the server computer system; and

send a first data file and the first data file virtualization policy for storage in a storage device in communication with the server computer system, the first data file virtualization policy being useable by the server computer system to create one or more second virtual data files from the first data file, at least a portion of the one or more second virtual data files being temporarily generated and stored in a processor memory of the server computer system, the one or more second virtual data files not being stored on the storage device, the one or more second virtual data files being listed in a directory listing generated by the server computer system, the directory listing comprising at least a name of the first data file and a name of the one or more second virtual data files, the directory listing being accessible to the client computer system such that the one or more second virtual data files are presented to the client computer system as when the one or more second virtual data files are stored in the storage device; and

receive derived data in the one or more derived data files corresponding to the one or more second virtual data files upon request by the client computer system, wherein the derived data in the one or more derived data files is generated on-the-fly dynamically by the server computer system using at least a portion of the first data file, wherein a data format of the one or more derived data files is different from a data format of the first data file.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the client computer system is further configured to send a request to the server computer system for the directory listing, the directory listing being derived by the server computer system and including information about the first data file and information about the one or more second virtual data files derived by the server computer system using information from the first data file and the first data file virtualization policy.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the request for the directory listing comprises a HTTP 1.1 WebDAV PROPFIND request.

11. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the client computer system is configured to send a request for information to the server computer system about a second virtual data file derived by the server computer system using information from the first data file and the first data file virtualization policy.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the request for information about a second virtual data file comprises a HTTP HEAD request.

13. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the client computer system is configured to send a request to the server computer system to retrieve the at least a portion of the one or more derived data files, the one or more derived data files being derived by the server computer system at the request by the client computer system.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the request to retrieve the at least a portion of the one or more derived data files comprises a HTTP GET request.