Timed Oplocks for File Dehydration Without Access Delays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems struggle to determine when a file should be dehydrated from local storage to free up space without causing delays or costs associated with rehydration from cloud storage, as they often inaccurately assess file usage.

Innovation Solution

A system that uses oplocks, specifically fragile oplocks, to monitor file usage and set a timer for dehydration only if the oplock remains unbroken, ensuring the file is not in use during the specified time period.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If automated file dehydration is implemented to free up local storage space, then local storage capacity is improved, but file access delays and network costs increase if files are dehydrated while still in use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocal storage spaceVSAvoidfile access delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by obtaining an oplock on the file before initiating dehydration. This preliminary lock acquisition serves as a preventive measure to ensure the file is not accessed during the dehydration process, avoiding the need for rehydration and associated delays.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the oplock status to determine whether to proceed with dehydration. If the oplock is broken (indicating file access), the dehydration is aborted. This feedback mechanism ensures that dehydration only occurs when safe, preventing access delays while optimizing storage space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If traditional file access monitoring methods are used to determine dehydration eligibility, then implementation complexity is reduced, but measurement precision of file usage status deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidfile usage detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The oplock serves as an intermediary mechanism between the dehydration system and file access operations. Rather than directly monitoring file access (which would be complex), the system uses the oplock as a mediator that provides clear, binary feedback about file usage status, achieving high measurement precision with relatively simple implementation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250231915A1Using timed oplocks to determine whether a file is eligible for dehydration

Publication Date: 2025.07.17 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A data processing system includes a processor; and a memory comprising programming instructions for execution by the processor to manage data files stored using both local and cloud data storage. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to obtain a handle with an oplock on a selected file; set a timer; and dehydrate the selected file when the timer elapses provided that the oplock remains unbroken when the file is dehydrated.