Overlay File System for Browser Storage Constraints
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional content browsers face resource constraints such as storage size limitations, making it difficult for users to manage and edit files that exceed these limitations, particularly in web-based environments.
Innovation Solution
An editor service is implemented that uses a layered file system approach, where a lower layer is stored in a remote serverless code repository and an upper layer is maintained in the browser, allowing only modified file portions to be stored locally, with on-demand merging in a less constrained environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If files are stored in local browser storage, then file access and editing is enabled, but storage size limitations are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The file system is divided into two layers: a lower layer stored in remote serverless code repositories and an upper layer maintained in the browser. Only modified portions of files are stored locally in the upper layer, while the complete file structure remains in the lower layer. This segmentation allows users to access and edit large files without exceeding browser storage limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a layered architecture that adds a vertical dimension to file storage. Instead of storing all files locally in a single layer, the system distributes storage across multiple layers (local browser storage for modifications, remote storage for complete files), effectively increasing the available storage capacity beyond traditional single-layer constraints.
2Ease of operation
If complete file data is stored locally, then full file access is maintained, but resource constraints are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary modified portions of files from the complete file data and stores them locally in the upper layer. The complete file data remains in the lower layer remote storage. This extraction approach maintains full file access capability while significantly reducing local storage consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of storing complete file copies locally, the system creates a copy of only the modified portions in the upper layer. The upper and lower layers are merged on-demand in less constrained environments, providing full file access when needed while minimizing storage consumption during normal operation.
3Ease of operation
If overlay file system layers are merged, then full file access is achieved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The overlay file system is designed to be dynamic, allowing the upper and lower layers to be merged on-demand in less constrained environments. The system can operate in different modes (separated or merged) depending on the computational resources available, providing flexibility in balancing performance and resource consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Implementations for providing services to a constrained environment are described. A user interface may be provided for editing files. The files or data structure storing the files may exceed a storage limitation associated with the user interface. The user interface may represent the data structure comprising the files while only storing data indicating modifications to the file or data structure.