Identification of moved or renamed files in file synchronization

Abstract

A method for synchronizing files is provided. Current metadata including a filename and a hash identifier for each file of the synchronized folder is created. The current metadata is compared to previous metadata. Based on the comparison, a first file and a first folder added to the synchronized folder and a second file and a second folder deleted from the synchronized folder are identified. The hash identifiers of the first and second files are compared. If the hash identifiers match, the filenames of the first and second files are compared. If the filenames do not match, the first file is identified as a renamed file. Metadata is sent to a synchronized device with information related to the first folder sent before information related to the first file, which is sent before information related to the second folder.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed on a computing device that includes a first file system, the method for synchronizing changes in the first file system, the synchronizing comprising:
 determining, by the computing device, a match between a new file in a first folder in the first file system and a missing file from a second folder of in the first file system;   comparing, by the computing device in response to the determined match, a filename of the new file and a filename of the missing file;   comparing, by the computing device in response to the compared filenames of the new file and the missing file matching, a name of the first folder and a name of the second folder; and   identifying, by the computing device in response to the compared names of the first folder and the second folder not matching, the new file in the first folder as a moved file that is a copy of the missing file from the second folder, where the changes include the moved file.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  where the match between the new file and the missing file is determined based on hash identifiers of the new file and the missing file. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , the synchronizing further comprising sending, by the computing device to a second device that includes a second file system, metadata that describes the identified changes in the following order regardless of what order the particular changes were identified in:
 sending, after the moved file is identified, deleted-files metadata that describes any files deleted from the first file system but that does not describe the missing file; and   sending, after the deleted-files metadata is sent, moved-files metadata that describes the moved file.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , the synchronizing further comprising sending, by the computing device to the second device after the moved-files metadata is sent, added-files metadata that describes any files added to the first file system but that does not describe the new file. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  where the moved-files metadata comprises a filename of the moved file. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  where the moved-files metadata comprises a filename of the moved file. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3  where the moved-files metadata comprises the name of the first folder. 
     
     
         8 . A first computing device comprising:
 at least one processor;   memory coupled to the at least one processor;   a first file system; and   a synchronization manager via which the first computing device is configured for synchronizing changes in the first file system, the synchronizing comprising:
 determining, by the computing device, a match between a new file in a first folder in the first file system and a missing file from a second folder of in the first file system; 
 comparing, by the computing device in response to the determined match, a filename of the new file and a filename of the missing file; 
 comparing, by the computing device in response to the compared filenames of the new file and the missing file matching, a name of the first folder and a name of the second folder; and 
 identifying, by the computing device in response to the compared names of the first folder and the second folder not matching, the new file in the first folder as a moved file that is a copy of the missing file from the second folder, where the changes include the moved file. 
   
     
     
         9 . The first computing device of  claim 8  where the match between the new file and the missing file is determined based on hash identifiers of the new file and the missing file. 
     
     
         10 . The first computing device of  claim 8 , the synchronizing further comprising sending, by the computing device to a second device that includes a second file system, metadata that describes the identified changes in the following order regardless of what order the particular changes were identified in:
 sending, after the moved file is identified, deleted-files metadata that describes any files deleted from the first file system but that does not describe the missing file; and   sending, after the deleted-files metadata is sent, moved-files metadata that describes the moved file.   
     
     
         11 . The first computing device of  claim 10 , the synchronizing further comprising sending, by the computing device to the second device after the moved-files metadata is sent, added-files metadata that describes any files added to the first file system but that does not describe the new file. 
     
     
         12 . The first computing device of  claim 10  where the moved-files metadata comprises a filename of the moved file. 
     
     
         13 . The first computing device of  claim 10  where the moved-files metadata comprises a filename of the moved file. 
     
     
         14 . The first computing device of  claim 10  where the moved-files metadata comprises the name of the first folder. 
     
     
         15 . At least one hardware computer storage device that comprises hardware memory that includes computer-executable instructions that, based on execution by a first computing device that includes a first file system, configure the first computing device to perform actions for synchronizing changes in the first file system, the synchronizing comprising:
 determining, by the computing device, a match between a new file in a first folder in the first file system and a missing file from a second folder of in the first file system;   comparing, by the computing device in response to the determined match, a filename of the new file and a filename of the missing file;   comparing, by the computing device in response to the compared filenames of the new file and the missing file matching, a name of the first folder and a name of the second folder; and   identifying, by the computing device in response to the compared names of the first folder and the second folder not matching, the new file in the first folder as a moved file that is a copy of the missing file from the second folder, where the changes include the moved file.   
     
     
         16 . The at least one hardware computer storage device of  claim 15  where the match between the new file and the missing file is determined based on hash identifiers of the new file and the missing file. 
     
     
         17 . The at least one hardware computer storage device of  claim 15 , the synchronizing further comprising sending, by the computing device to a second device that includes a second file system, metadata that describes the identified changes in the following order regardless of what order the particular changes were identified in:
 sending, after the moved file is identified, deleted-files metadata that describes any files deleted from the first file system but that does not describe the missing file; and   sending, after the deleted-files metadata is sent, moved-files metadata that describes the moved file.   
     
     
         18 . The at least one hardware computer storage device of  claim 17 , the synchronizing further comprising sending, by the computing device to the second device after the moved-files metadata is sent, added-files metadata that describes any files added to the first file system but that does not describe the new file. 
     
     
         19 . The at least one hardware computer storage device of  claim 17  where the moved-files metadata comprises a filename of the moved file. 
     
     
         20 . The at least one hardware computer storage device of  claim 17  where the moved-files metadata comprises a filename of the moved file or the name of the first folder.