Associative file management

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(February 2017)

Associative file management is a method , data within a computer system to organize. It can be seen as a logical further development of hierarchical file management and, in its current form, is based on hierarchical file systems as an extension . Data is no longer localized exclusively via file and directory names, but, mostly dynamically, by taking into account its content and the usage behavior of the user. The usual method is to match the contents of a hierarchical file system with a database . Various filters are used to map the different data types uniformly in the database. Associative file management completes and expands the possibilities of desktop search and link management .

Since associative file management is mostly implemented with (relational) databases, it is often referred to as database file system or SQL file system . However, these terms are not appropriate, since it is at most an extension of the file system, but not a separate file system. This mistake encouraged even the irritating name WinFS from Microsoft for begun own implementation of an associative file management: the FS in the name, as a classic abbreviation for File System ( English filesystem ) was misunderstood by many; in fact, it stands for Windows Future Storage , not Windows File System .

Emergence

With the increasing spread of computers in all areas of life and the increasing digital storage of information, the need to manage them efficiently and intuitively also increased. The proven method of hierarchical storage, as it is common in all modern operating systems, has significant weaknesses here, since data is found using a static storage location within a static directory structure. The content of a file and its relationship to a specific task is just as neglected as any specially stored data such as e-mails , databases, the history of web browsers and much more. A poor organization of the directory structure can considerably reduce the ease of use in this hierarchical system, since finding files in chaotic directory structures is often difficult or even impossible.

To remedy these shortcomings, both desktop search systems and associative file management have emerged over time. Both techniques are basically related and based on the same philosophy. It should no longer be necessary for a computer user to know where a file is or by which program a file was created.

functionality

realization

Associative file management can be implemented in various ways. A fundamental integration into the file system structures of an operating system can take place, as is the case with BeOS / ZETA . However, this integration also sometimes causes serious problems with the compatibility with existing programs, as Microsoft found out when developing WinFS.

This profound integration enables the use of the associative data storage in almost unlimited form and from every application, since the associative data management is then an integral part of the virtual file system (VFS) of an operating system and can also be used that way. However, this also leads to various challenges, since many of the assumptions and requirements of classic, hierarchical data storage are no longer met.

A less in-depth method, with almost the same effect, was used with Suchwerk : Here, the existing file structure is not interfered with. Instead, the associative structure is shown in the form of a network drive.

In the Unix-type operating systems, many of the problems are of a different nature or do not exist in this form. On the one hand, the options for dealing with file systems are more flexible, and on the other hand, the developers of the widespread modern desktop environments ( KDE , GNOME , Finder in Mac OS X etc.) long ago decided to use URL- based virtual file systems that enable a seamless integration of new approaches into the existing system - for every application that uses the VFS of a desktop environment, its options are automatically available. But this also has disadvantages, because the different implementations of the desktop environments differ significantly in some cases. Within the framework of freedesktop.org , work is currently being carried out on improving the interoperability of the various free desktop systems, which will increasingly reduce this problem.

use

A use of the associative file management as a complete replacement of the hierarchical file management does not yet exist, since this poses too many and too serious problems. Instead, the golden mean is predominantly chosen and the associative file management is limited to the areas of application in which it is actually needed. This also saves system resources, since the complex path via the database only has to be taken when it is needed. It makes sense to integrate personal files, music, images, documents, e-mails, etc. into the associative file management, but usually not to integrate system libraries, program files and temporary files.

As already mentioned, associative file management requires many times more computing power and storage space than a purely hierarchical solution, which is why it will not be used in embedded environments for the time being.

service

If a user searches for a particular file in a hierarchical environment, he must know the path to this file and its file name. Search programs can be used, but they are not always efficient, as they sometimes only provide insufficient support for the contents of the files and do not even recognize some data and their relationships. The associative order offers access to this data on the basis of other, more intuitive criteria, such as special folders in which search queries can be formulated, or those that offer grouping according to certain meta-conditions. In music programs such as iTunes , Amarok or foobar2000 , such functionality is already known when organizing your own music collection. Under OS X , so-called intelligent folders containing automatically updated searches are also supported in the Finder's sidebar.

Associative file management and desktop search systems

Both technologies are closely related and overlap in many places, but there is one major difference between the two: The pure desktop search "knows" the entire file system and uses it to generate an intelligent and intuitively searchable index, which is done with the help of its own auxiliary programs. The associative file management as part of the VFS of a desktop environment or an operating system, on the other hand, goes one step further and is omnipresent as an essential part of file management and can be used for storage and overall organization.

Many of the desktop search systems in use today are developing into associative file administrations, such as Beagle in combination with FUSE -Beagle or kio-beagle, or Windows Search , which should be completed with WinFS until Microsoft has shut down the WinFS project.

In contrast to the desktop search, the associative file management alone does not offer any integration of search functions in programs.