File system quota versioning

Abstract

A system and method for handling file system quotas are disclosed. In one implementation, a processing device deletes a first association of a quota attribute with a directory, where the first association assigns a first value to a first string comprising a combination of an attribute name and a first symbol. Prior to completion of the execution of the one or more instructions, one or more commands are received to enable the quota capability and assign a second value of the quota attribute to the directory. In response, a second association of the quota attribute with the directory is generated, the second association assigning a second value of the quota attribute to a second string comprising a combination of the attribute name and a second symbol.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 initiating, in response to the first command to disable a quota capability of a file system, execution of one or more instructions to delete a first association of a quota attribute with a directory, wherein the quota attribute has an attribute name, and wherein the first association assigns a first value of the quota attribute to a first string, and wherein the first string comprises a combination of the attribute name and a first symbol corresponding to a first version of the quota attribute;   receiving, by a processing device prior to completion of the execution of the one or more instructions, one or more commands to enable the quota capability and assign a second value of the quota attribute to the directory; and   generating by the processing device, in response to the one or more commands, a second association of the quota attribute with the directory, wherein the second association assigns a second value of the quota attribute to a second string, and wherein the second string comprises a combination of the attribute name and a second symbol corresponding to a second version of the quota attribute.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first symbol comprises one or more characters representing an integer N, and wherein the second symbol comprises one or more characters representing an integer N+1. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the quota attribute is a size of the directory. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the quota attribute is a limit on a size of the directory. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the quota attribute is a contribution of a size of the directory to a size of a parent directory of the directory. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the quota capability also associates quota attributes with one or more volumes of the file system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the combination of the attribute name and the first symbol is a concatenation. 
     
     
         8 . An apparatus comprising:
 one or more storage devices to store a file system; and   a processing device, operatively coupled to the one or more storage devices, to:
 receive a first command to enable a quota capability of the file system, wherein the quota capability associates quota attributes with directories of the file system; 
 receive, after the first command, a second command to disable the quota capability; 
 initiate, in response to the second command, execution of one or more instructions to delete a first association of a quota attribute with a directory, wherein the quota attribute has an attribute name, and wherein the first association assigns a first value of the quota attribute to a first string, and wherein the first string comprises a combination of the attribute name and a first symbol; 
 receive, prior to completion of the execution of the one or more instructions, one or more commands to enable the quota capability and assign a second value of the quota attribute to the directory; and 
 generate, in response to the one or more commands, a second association of the quota attribute with the directory, wherein the second association assigns a second value of the quota attribute to a second string, and wherein the second string comprises a combination of the attribute name and a second symbol. 
   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the first symbol comprises one or more characters representing an integer N, and wherein the second symbol comprises one or more characters representing an integer N+1. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the quota attribute is a size of the directory. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the quota attribute is a limit on a size of the directory. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the quota attribute is a contribution of a size of the directory to a size of a parent directory of the directory. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the quota capability also associates quota attributes with one or more volumes of the file system. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein the combination of the attribute name and the first symbol is a concatenation. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, having instructions stored therein, which when executed, cause a processing device to:
 initiate, in response to a first command to disable a quota capability of a file system, execution of one or more instructions to delete a first association of a quota attribute with a directory, wherein the quota attribute has an attribute name, and wherein the first association assigns a first value of the quota attribute to a first string, and wherein the first string comprises a combination of the attribute name and a first symbol;   receive by the processing device, prior to completion of the execution of the one or more instructions, one or more commands to enable the quota capability and assign a second value of the quota attribute to the directory; and   generate, in response to the one or more commands, a second association of the quota attribute with the directory, wherein the second association assigns a second value of the quota attribute to a second string.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein the first symbol comprises one or more characters representing an integer N, and wherein the second string comprises a second combination of the attribute name and a second symbol, and wherein the second symbol comprises one or more characters representing an integer N+1. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein the quota attribute is a size of the directory. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein the quota attribute is a limit on a size of the directory. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein the quota attribute is a contribution of a size of the directory to a size of a parent directory of the directory. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 15  wherein the combination of the attribute name and the first symbol is a concatenation.