Flexible approach to store attribute information (META-DATA) related to files of a file system

摘要

A file system designed according to a convention which permits the addition of new attributes (potentially of new types not defined earlier) for any desired set of files. In one embodiment, addition of an attribute for a file requires rewriting of attributes (of other files) stored following the added new attribute. In an alternative embodiment, the convention permits an attribute to point to another location at which the storing of new attributes is continued.