ACL Pattern Tree for Reducing Storage Redundancy in File Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large enterprises face complex permission structures due to numerous employees and massive, complex data, leading to inefficient ACL management. This results in repeated storage of identical ACLs, wasting storage space and increasing the risk of inconsistent ACLs during modifications.
Innovation Solution
The proposed ACL management method involves storing ACL patterns corresponding to subtrees of a directory tree, where each pattern includes a root ACL, inherited directory ACL, and inherited file ACL. This method reduces storage redundancy and simplifies ACL modifications by representing multiple nodes' ACLs with a single pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ACL management is used for large enterprises with numerous employees and complex data structures, then detailed access control can be maintained for each node, but storage space is wasted due to repeated storage of identical ACLs and system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges identical ACLs that are repeatedly stored at different nodes into a single unique ACL entry. When a node is accessed, the system checks if the ACL already exists in the cache; if it does, the existing ACL is returned without re-storing it. This eliminates redundant storage while maintaining accurate access control for all nodes.
Solution Approach 2:
The ACL cache mechanism provides universal functionality by serving multiple nodes with identical ACL requirements through a single stored ACL entry. The cache acts as a universal repository that can serve any node needing the same ACL, reducing overall storage consumption while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If traditional ACL management is used for large enterprises with numerous employees and complex data structures, then detailed access control can be maintained for each node, but system complexity increases due to the number of ACEs and directory tree structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the ACL management function by separating the actual ACL storage from the access control logic. The cache stores only unique ACL entries, while the access control logic handles the mapping between nodes and their corresponding ACLs. This segmentation reduces the complexity of managing numerous ACEs across the directory tree.
Solution Approach 2:
The ACL cache acts as an intermediary between the node access requests and the actual ACL storage. It mediates by checking if an ACL already exists before storing it, thereby simplifying the permission structure while maintaining accurate access control for all nodes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If recursive modification of ACLs is performed by traversing all nodes in the directory tree, then all nodes can be updated, but processing time increases significantly and inconsistency risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-loading ACLs into the cache before they are needed for modification. When an ACL is first accessed, it is loaded into the cache and stored there. Subsequent modifications can then operate on the cached version, avoiding the need to traverse the entire directory tree and significantly reducing processing time while maintaining modification capability.
Data Source
AI summary
An access control list (ACL) management method is provided. The ACL management method is used in a file system and includes: storing an ACL pattern, where the ACL pattern corresponds to a subtree of a directory tree in the file system and includes a root access control list (RACL), the ACL of the root node of the subtree is the RACL, the ACL of each non-root directory of the subtree is the same inherited directory access control list (DACL) generated according to the RACL, and the ACL of each non-root file of the subtree is the same inherited file access control list (FACL) generated according to the RACL. A data storage device and a computer-readable medium for executing the ACL management method are also provided.