File Versioning Security Retention via Hashed Path Indexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current file versioning techniques fail to retain security restrictions and original directory path information, leading to loss of access control and file location context when versions are restored.
Innovation Solution
A method that detects file versioning events, acquires directory paths and metadata, hashes the full path to create an index for archiving, and enforces access permissions on the archive volume, ensuring that security restrictions and directory paths are preserved across versions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional versioning methods are used to store file versions, then file versioning capability is achieved, but security restrictions and access permissions are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing and storing security restrictions, access permissions, and directory path information at the time of file versioning. This metadata is preserved in advance before any version operations occur, ensuring that when versions are restored, the security context is already in place and can be immediately enforced without loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary metadata structure that acts as a bridge between the file versioning system and security enforcement mechanisms. This metadata layer captures permission information and directory paths, allowing the versioning system to operate independently while maintaining security constraints through the intermediary metadata that translates version operations into security-enforced actions.
2Quantity of substance
If directory path information is stripped during versioning to avoid conflicts, then storage efficiency is improved, but file location context is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the file identification information into two parts: a hashed version of the directory path for efficient storage and indexing, and the original directory path information preserved in metadata. The hashed segment enables compact storage and quick lookup, while the original path segment maintains the complete location context needed for security enforcement and user understanding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of the directory path information in the form of a hash value that can be stored efficiently in the versioning system. This copied representation serves as a compact identifier while the full path information is preserved separately in metadata, allowing both storage efficiency and information retention to coexist.
3Measurement precision
If entire files are stored for each version to ensure complete version information, then version retrieval accuracy is improved, but storage space consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by storing only the essential metadata (security restrictions, access permissions, directory paths) for each file version rather than complete file copies. The actual file content is stored once in the version control system, while version-specific information is captured through selective metadata storage, achieving accurate version retrieval with reduced space consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are presented for retaining security restrictions with file versioning. Files are versioned in such a manner that metadata including full directory paths and access restrictions are retained for each version of the file and enforced when each version is accessed. The files are versioned to hashed subdirectories for space and management efficiencies. In an embodiment, prior versions of a particular file are maintained as delta data structures while a most-recent version of that file is maintained in its full or complete data state.