Bundling File Permissions For Sharing Files

Abstract

When files or other objects are to be shared, a storage system creates a bundle object that identifies the objects to be shared, and the permissions associated with objects in that bundle object. Each object is marked as being associated with a bundle object. When the object is accessed, the storage system determines if the object is associated with a bundle object. The bundle object in turn is accessed to determine the permissions to be associated with that object for the entity accessing the object. Files and other objects can be shared without copying or moving them. Any collection of files or other objects, however selected or identified, can be shared through this mechanism. Using this mechanism, a user can select several files, and then share those files in one operation without copying or moving those files or creating a new folder for those files.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented process performed by a processor in a computer, comprising:
 receiving, into memory, an indication of file objects, stored in computer storage and accessible by a first entity through a file system according to first permissions associated with the file objects, to be shared with one or more second entities;   in response to an instruction to share the indicated file objects with the one or more second entities, generating data representing a collection of file objects shared by the first entity with the one or more second entities and referencing the indicated file objects;   storing data, for each of the indicated file objects to be shared, such that each of the indicated file objects includes an indication of whether the file object is referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects;   storing data, associated with the data representing the collection of the shared file objects, indicating second permissions for the one or more second entities for accessing the file objects referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects;   in response to a request associated with an entity to access one of the indicated file objects, determining whether access by the entity is permitted by the first permissions associated with the one of the indicated file objects;   in response to determining that the requested access by the entity is permitted by the first permissions, providing the requested access for the entity; and   in response to determining that the requested access by the entity is not permitted by the first permissions, determining whether the one of the indicated file objects is in the collection of shared file objects based on at least the stored data for the one of the indicated filed objects and whether access to the one of the indicated file objects is permitted based on the second permissions for the collection of shared file objects.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein the second permissions indicate the one or more second entities permitted to access the shared file objects. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein the data representing the collection of the shared file objects is a file object. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 3 , wherein the file object representing the collection of the shared file objects is created outside of a file system name space for the first entity. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , wherein the storing data indicating that the object is referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects is performed without copying or moving the file objects to be shared. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 presenting a user interface indicating, for the first entity, file objects shared by the first entity, the user interface indicating collections of shared file objects associated with the first entity and file objects within the collections of shared file objects.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented process of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying file objects shared with an entity by other entities based on stored data representing collections of file objects associated with the other entities.   
     
     
         8 . An article of manufacture comprising:
 computer storage, comprising at least one of a memory device or a storage device, with computer program instructions stored in the computer storage, such that the computer program instructions, when processed by a processing device, instruct the processing device to perform a process comprising:   receiving, into memory, an indication of file objects, stored in computer storage and accessible by a first entity through a files system according to first permissions associated with the file objects, to be shared with one or more second entities;   in response to an instruction to share the indicated file objects with the one or more second entities, generating data representing a collection of file objects shared by the first entity with the one or more second entities and referencing the indicated file objects;   storing data, for each of the indicated file objects to be shared, such that each of the indicated file objects includes an indication of whether the file object is referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects;   storing data, associated with the data representing the collection of the shared file object, indicating second permissions for the one or more second entities for accessing the file objects referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects;   in response to a request associated with an entity to access one of the indicated file objects, determining whether access by the entity is permitted by the first permissions associated with the one of the indicated file objects;   in response to determining that the requested access by the entity is permitted by the first permissions, providing the requested access for the entity; and   in response to determining that the requested access by the entity is not permitted by the first permissions, determining whether the one of the indicated file objects is in the collection of shared file objects based on at least the stored data for the one of the indicated filed objects and whether access to the one of the indicated file objects is permitted based on the second permissions for the collection of shared file objects.   
     
     
         9 . The article of manufacture of  claim 8 , wherein the second permissions indicate the one or more second entities permitted to access the shared file objects. 
     
     
         10 . The article of manufacture of  claim 8 , wherein the data representing the collection of the shared file objects is a file object. 
     
     
         11 . The article of manufacture of  claim 10 , wherein the file object representing the collection of the shared file objects is created outside of a file system name space for the first. 
     
     
         12 . The article of manufacture of  claim 8 , wherein the storing data indicating that the object is referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects is performed without copying or moving the file objects to be shared. 
     
     
         13 . The article of manufacture of  claim 8 , wherein the process performed by the processing device further comprises:
 presenting a user interface indicating, for a first entity, file objects shared by the first entity, the user interface indicating collections of shared file objects associated with the first entity and file objects within the collections of shared file objects.   
     
     
         14 . The article of manufacture of  claim 8 , wherein the process performed by the processing device further comprises:
 identifying objects shared with an entity by other entities.   
     
     
         15 . A computer system comprising:
 one or more server computers connected to one or more storage devices and accessible over a computer network by a plurality of client computers, through which users access the one or more server computers to store file objects in a file system maintained by the server computer for file objects stored on the one or more storage devices, the server computers being configured to:   receive, into memory, an indication of file objects, stored in computer storage and accessible by a first entity through a file system according to first permissions associated with the file objects, to be shared with one or more second entities;   in response to an instruction to share the indicated file objects with the one or more second entities, generate data representing a collection of file objects shared by the first entity with the one or more second entities and referencing the indicated file objects;   store data, for each of the indicated file objects to be shared, such that each of the indicated file objects includes an indication of whether the file object is referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects;   store data, associated with the data representing the collection of the shared file objects, indicating second permissions for the one or more second entities for accessing the file objects referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects;   in response to a request associated with an entity to access one of the indicated file objects, determine whether access by the entity is permitted by the first permissions associated with the one of the indicated file objects;   in response to determining that the requested access by the entity is permitted by the first permissions, provide the requested access for the entity; and   in response to determining that the requested access by the entity is not permitted by the first permissions, determine whether the one of the indicated file objects is in the collection of shared file objects based on at least the stored data for the one of the indicated filed objects and whether access to the one of the indicated file objects is permitted based on the second permissions for the collection of shared file objects.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the second permissions indicate the one or more second entities permitted to access the shared file objects. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the data representing the collection of the shared file objects is a file object. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 17 , wherein the file object representing the collection of the shared file objects is created outside of a file system name space for the first entity. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the server computers are further configured to present a user interface indicating, for the first entity, file objects shared by the first entity, the user interface indicating collections of shared file objects associated with the first entity and file objects within the collections of shared file objects. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the server computers are further configured to store the data indicating that the object is referenced in the data representing the collection of the shared file objects without copying or moving the file objects to be shared.