Box, Inc.
FILE TREE STREAMING IN A VIRTUAL FILE SYSTEM FOR CLOUD-BASED SHARED CONTENT

Abstract:

Systems for fast views of items in file directories or file folders when interacting with a cloud-based service platform. A server in a cloud-based environment interfaces with one or more storage devices to provide storage of shared content accessible by two or more user devices. A file tree request to view the file directory or file folder of a particular sought after item is issued from an application operating on one of the user devices. Additional file tree items in a file tree hierarchy are prefetched by the cloud-based service platform. The application closes the file tree metadata stream after receiving the portion of the file tree that pertains to the particular item and before receiving the entirety of the metadata pertaining to all of the file tree metadata of all of the items in the directory or folder that contains the particular sought after item.