Weighted prioritizing layered computing system

(54) WEIGHTED PRIORITIZING LAYERED COMPUTING SYSTEM

(75) Inventors: Jeremy Hurren, Pleasant Grove, UT (US); Scott Jones, Provo, UT (US); Randall Cook, Springville, UT (US)

(73) Assignee: Symantec Corporation, Cupertino, CA (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 300 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(21) Appl.No.: 11/324,607

(22) Filed: Jan. 3, 2006

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/459,936, filed on Jun. 11, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,117,495, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/459,768, filed on Jun. 11, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,162,724, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 10/459,870, filed on Jun. 11, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,165,260, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/026,520, filed on Dec. 30, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/027,489, filed on Dec. 30, 2004, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/081, 194, filed on Mar. 16,2005, and a continuation-in-part of application No. 11/082,194, filed on Mar. 16, 2005, said application No. 11/026,520 and a continuationin-part of application No. 10/459,936, filedonJun. 11, 2003, now Pat. No. 7,117,495.

(60) Provisional application No. 60/533,388, filed on Dec. 30, 2003.

The inventions relate generally to layered computing systems that provide public access to the content of the layers. Also disclosed herein are prioritization schemes usable in a layered computing system, including prioritization by layer type, by assigned priority weights, by access type, by sub-layers and by read-write indicators. Processes may further be associated to layers from which they originate, and priority given to associated layers thereby. Association may also be provided for installer services, thereby depositing an applications updates into its layer. Layers may also contain file reference information including exclusion or inclusion entries indicating what files may be written thereto. Paths recorded in layers may also embed variables to true paths on a layered system. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

20 Claims, 11 Drawing Sheets

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

5,537,539 A 7/1996 Narihiro

5,561,799 A 10/1996 Khalidi

5,586,304 A 12/1996 Stupek, Jr. et al.

5,905,990 A 5/1999 Inglett

5,930,513 A 7/1999 Taylor

5,933,647 A * 8/1999 Aronberg et al 717/178

5,991,402 A 11/1999 Jia

5,991,753 A 11/1999 Wilde

6,161,218 A * 12/2000 Taylor 717/174

6,185,574 Bl 2/2001 Howard etal.

6,356,915 Bl 3/2002 Chtchetkine

6,366,900 Bl * 4/2002 Hu 707/1

6,374,402 Bl* 4/2002 Schmeidler et al 717/167

6,381,735 Bl 4/2002 Hunt

6,453,468 Bl 9/2002 D'Souza

2002/0157089 Al 10/2002 Patel et al.

2002/0174215 Al* 11/2002 Schaefer 709/224

2003/0033441 Al 2/2003 Forinetal.

2003/0233489 Al 12/2003 Blaseretal.

2003/0233490 Al 12/2003 Blaseretal.

2003/0233647 Al 12/2003 Blaseretal.

2005/0169073 Al 8/2005 Cook etal.

2005/0172279 Al 8/2005 Cook etal.

2005/0257265 Al 11/2005 Cook etal.

2005/0257266 Al 11/2005 Cook etal.

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

JeffTranter, "The Linux CD-ROM HOWTO", v. 1.2, Aug. 21, 1994. Retrieved from the Internet: <URL: http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/historic-linux/ftp-archives/ sunsite.unc.edu/Nov-06-1994/docs/ HOWLO/CDROM-HOWLO>.

ifs.5.1.tar.gz source code tarball, retrieved from the

Internet: <URL :http ://www.ibiblio. org/ pub/hi storic -linux/ftp-ar

chives/tsx-1 Lmit.edu/Oct-07-1996/ALPHA/ifs/>.

ovlfs l.O.src.tgz source code tarball, retrieved from the

Internet: <URL :http ://www.ibiblio. org/ pub/Linux/ system/

filesystems/>.

Newcomb, "Softricity has cure for app conflict blues", Lhin Planet website, May 2002, parts 1 and 2, Jupitermedia Corp. "SystemGuard", www.softricity.com website, Apr. 24, 2003 or earlier.

"SoftGrid for Windows Desktops Lransforms Business Applications into Web-enabled services, reshaping the economics of enterprise . . . ", www.softricity.com website, Oct. 15, 2001. "Softricity secures $ 14.6 million in oversubscribed third round venture funding", www.softricity.com website, May 28, 2002. "Microsoft and Softricity announce agreement to manage existing Windows applications with web services", www.softricity.com website, May 28, 2002.

"Softricity announces SoftGrid 2.0 first customer deployments and general availability", www.softricity.com website, May 6, 2002. "Softricity unveils SoftGrid Dual-Mode", www.softricity.com website, Mar. 24, 2003.

"Softricity becomes premier member of Citrix Business Alliance", www.softricity.com website, Feb. 25, 2002.

"SoftGrid Sequencer", www.softricity.com website, Apr. 24,2003 or earlier.

Longwell, "Softricity lowers price on Dual-Mode deployments", www.crn.com website, Mar. 28, 2003.

"Microsoft and Softricity announce agreement to manage existing Windows-based applications with Web services", a Microsoft website, May 28, 2002.

"Softricity Data Sheet: Softricity SystemGuard: Lhe foundation for stable on-demand application access", www.softricity.com website, Feb. 2002.

"Softricity Data Sheet: Softricity's patent-pending technology enables any application to run on any desktop . . . ", www. softricity. com website, Oct. 2002.

"Lurning software into a service: there are no silver bullets", www. softricity.com website, Apr. 24, 2003 or earlier. "Softricity acquires intellectual property of Seaport Software to extend virtual installation technology", www.choicesolutions.com website, Nov. 18,2002.

"Softricity SoftGrid Platform: Softricity platform training guide", www.softricity.com website, Apr. 24, 2003 or earlier. "Clean Slate", http://www.fortres.com/products/cleanslate.htm, Jan. 13, 2004.

"FAQ—2001013", http://www.fortres.com/support/faqviewarticle. asp?ID=2001013, Oct. 24, 2003.

"FAQ—2001014", http://www.fortres.com/support/faqviewarticle. asp?ID=2001014, Nov. 25, 2003.

"FAQ—2001015", http://www.fortres.com/support/faqviewarticle. asp?ID=2001015, Nov. 23, 2003.

"FAQ—2001025", http://www.fortres.com/support/faqviewarticle. asp?ID-2001025, Dec. 15, 2003.

Fortres Grand Corporation, "Computer Security Software—A Lifesaver for Schools", www.fortres.com, May/Jun. 2001 (presumed from presented article: periodical not available). "Clean Slate FAQ", http://www.fortres.com/products/ cleanslate_faq.htm, Jan. 13, 2004.

"Awards", http://www.fortres.eom/products/awards.htm#cleanslate, Jan. 13, 2004.

Microsoft Windows NL Resource Kit, 1993, Microsoft Press, vol. 1, pp. 325-346.

Heidemann, J.S., File-System Development with Stackable Layers, Feb. 1994, ACM Transactions on Computer Systems, vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 58-89.

* cited by examiner