Dynamic storage in cloud storage synchronization

Abstract

Dynamic storage management in cloud storage synchronization is provided. A limit may be specified for amount of data associated with hydrated content in local storage. Upon detecting the limit being exceeded, the system may automatically begin to dehydrate files in local storage and replace them with placeholder files. Placeholders may also be specified on by default and content may initially synchronize as placeholders. As the user hydrates content, some files that were previously hydrated may be reverted to the placeholder state as the limit for amount of data in local storage is approached or exceeded. In some examples, specific limits may not be defined, but content may be heuristically dehydrated based on usage and size. In yet another example, the synchronization and local content dehydration may be performed on a per-folder basis.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method to provide dynamic storage management, the method comprising:
 determining a list of one or more files in a local storage to be dehydrated;   for each file included in the list of one or more files, determining whether a short term flag designating the file as an exception to dehydration is set;   in response to determining that a first short term flag associated with a first file included in the list of one or more files is set, not dehydrating the first file; and   in response to determining that no short term flag associated with a second file included in the list of one or more files is set, dehydrating the second file by replacing the second file with a placeholder that indicates a corresponding file in a cloud storage and removing the second file in the local storage.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein dehydrating the second file includes dehydrating the second file in response to detecting a limit for hydrated files in the local storage being approached or exceeded. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the limit for the hydrated files in the local storage is based on one of a size of the hydrated files in the local storage and a number of the hydrated files in the local storage. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the limit for the hydrated files in the local storage is based on a comparison of a total amount of data in the local storage against a total capacity of the cloud storage. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the limit for the hydrated files is received from one of a user and an administrator. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein dehydrating the second file includes dehydrating the second file in response to a comparison of a total amount of hydrated files in the local storage against files in the cloud storage. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the list of one or more files to be dehydrated includes determining the list of one or more files based on at least one selected from a group consisting of a last access, an access frequency, a relevance, a size, and a type of files in the local storage. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 pre-filtering the list of one or more files based on one or more criteria.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 ranking the list of one or more files based on one or more of a size and a timestamp of each file included in the list of one or more files.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising setting the first short term flag designating the first file based on one or more rules. 
     
     
         31 . A computing device to provide dynamic storage management, the computing device comprising:
 a communication interface configured to facilitate communication between the computing device and a cloud storage service;   a memory configured to store instructions; and   one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the one or more processors, in conjunction with the instructions stored in the memory, are configured to:
 determine a list of one or more files from a plurality of files in a local storage to be dehydrated; 
 for each file included in the list of one or more files, determine whether a short term flag designating the file as an exception to dehydration is set; 
 in response to determining that a first short term flag designating a first file included in the list of one or more files is set, not dehydrate the first file; and 
 in response to determining that no short term flag designating a second file included in the list of one or more files is set, dehydrate the second file by replacing the second file with a placeholder that indicates a corresponding file in a cloud storage and removing the second file in the local storage. 
   
     
     
         32 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 maintain a hydrated size field to track a total amount of hydrated files in the local storage;   update the hydrated size field in response to hydration of a file in the local storage; and   update the hydrated size field in response to dehydration or removal of a file in the local storage.   
     
     
         33 . The computing device of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 in response to completion of synchronization diagnostics, verify the total amount of hydrated files; and   update the hydrated size field in response to detecting a discrepancy.   
     
     
         34 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the list of one or more files from the plurality of files in the local storage to be dehydrated based on at least one selected from a group consisting of a last access, an access frequency, a relevance, a size, and a type. 
     
     
         35 . The computing device of  claim 31 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to set the first short term flag designating the first file based on one or more rules. 
     
     
         36 . A physical computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon to, when executed by at least one processor, perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:
 determining a list of one or more files to be dehydrated from a plurality of files in a local storage;   for each file included in the list of one or more files, determining whether a short term flag designating the file as an exception to dehydration is set;   in response to determining that a first short term flag designating a first file included in the list of one or more files is set, not dehydrating the first file and removing the first file from the list of one or more files; and   in response to determining that no short term flag designating a second file included in the list of one or more files is set, dehydrating the second file not associated with a respective short term flag by replacing the second file with a placeholder indicating a corresponding file in a cloud storage and removing the second file from the local storage.   
     
     
         37 . The physical computer-readable memory device of  claim 36 , wherein dehydrating the second file includes dehydrating the second file in response to a limit of hydrated files in the local storage being reached or exceeded. 
     
     
         38 . The physical computer-readable memory device of  claim 36 , wherein determining the list of one or more files includes determining the list of one or more files by applying one or more policies on a per-folder basis in the local storage. 
     
     
         39 . The physical computer-readable memory device of  claim 36 , wherein determining the list of one or more files in the local storage to be dehydrated includes determining the list of one or more files based on at least one selected from a group consisting of an organizational policy, a user input, and an administrator input. 
     
     
         40 . The physical computer-readable memory device of  claim 36 , wherein the set of functions further comprises setting the first short term flag designating the first file based on one or more rules.