Hard Link File Operations for Efficient Software Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional file operations during software installation and removal are resource-intensive and time-consuming, particularly as file sizes increase, due to the need to read, write, and duplicate file data, leading to inefficiencies in processor utilization, memory consumption, and I/O operations.
Innovation Solution
The use of hard links to perform file operations such as copying and moving files, where the file data remains immutably locked, allowing for the creation and deletion of file names that point to the data without modifying it, thereby reducing the need for data duplication and movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional file operations (copying, moving, deleting) are performed by reading and writing file data, then file operations can be completed, but processor utilization increases, memory consumption increases, and operation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses hard links as a form of copying where instead of physically duplicating file data, a new directory entry (hard link) is created that points to the same data blocks on disk. This allows multiple file names to reference the same immutable file data without actually copying the data contents, thereby reducing processor utilization and memory consumption while maintaining file operation functionality.
2Productivity
If conventional file operations are performed by reading and writing file data, then file operations can be completed, but operation time increases particularly as file sizes increase
Solution Approach 1:
By using hard links to create references to file data without physically copying it, the patent eliminates the time-consuming data reading and writing operations. The creation of a hard link is a metadata operation that occurs almost instantly regardless of file size, dramatically reducing file operation time and improving installation speed.
3Ease of operation
If file data is read, written, and duplicated during copy operations, then a copy is created, but computational overhead increases and efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a simplified copy operation by creating hard links instead of duplicating data. This reduces computational overhead from O(n) where n is the file size to O(1) for the linking operation itself, while maintaining the functional outcome of creating a copy that can be independently managed through its own directory entry.
4Productivity
If conventional file operations are performed, then files can be installed and removed, but the amount of overhead becomes more significant as file sizes and number of files increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces I/O operations by using hard links to create file references without reading or writing file data. During software installation, multiple files can be linked to their destinations through hard link creation operations that minimize disk I/O, thereby reducing the overhead that would otherwise increase with larger file sizes and greater numbers of files.
Data Source
AI summary
Various technologies described herein pertain to performing a file operation on an inputted file on a computer system. File data retained at a first location in a data store and a first file name retained at a second location in the data store can be provided. The inputted file can include the file data. Moreover, the first file name is a hard link to the file data. Further, a file operation command related to the file data can be received during installation or removal of the inputted file. Accordingly, a second file name retained at a third location in the data store can be created in response to the file operation command. The second file name is created while the file data is immutably maintained at the first location in the data store. Further, the second file name is a hard link to the file data.