Aspects of the innovations herein are consistent with a storage system for storing variable sized objects. According to certain implementations, the storage system may be a transaction-based system that uses variable sized objects to store data, and/or may be implemented using data stores, such as arrays disks arranged in ranks. In some exemplary implementations, each rank may include multiple stripes, each stripe may be read and written as a convenient unit for maximum performance, and/or a rank manager may be provided to dynamically configure the ranks. In certain implementations, the storage system may include a stripe space table that contains entries describing the amount of space used in each stripe. Further, an object map may provide entries for each object in the storage system describing the location, the length and/or version of the object.

A map-reduce compatible distributed file system that consists of successive component layers that each provide the basis on which the next layer is built provides transactional read-write-update semantics with file chunk replication and huge file-create rates. Containers provide the fundamental basis for data replication, relocation, and transactional updates. A container location database allows containers to be found among all file servers, as well as defining precedence among replicas of containers to organize transactional updates of container contents. Volumes facilitate control of data placement, creation of snapshots and mirrors, and retention of a variety of control and policy information. Also addressed is the use of distributed transactions in a map-reduce system; the use of local and distributed snapshots; replication, including techniques for reconciling the divergence of replicated data after a crash; and mirroring.

An approach is provided for managing files in an online account. A file access platform causes, at least in part, retrieval of a file associated with a first communication stored in an online account. Next, the file access platform determines whether the file is modified after the retrieval and generates a second communication including a modified version of the file based, at least in part, on the determination. Then, the file access platform causes, at least in part, transmission of the second communication including the modified version to the online account.

An approach is provided for managing files in an online account. A file access platform causes, at least in part, retrieval of a file associated with a first communication stored in an online account. Next, the file access platform determines whether the file is modified after the retrieval and generates a second communication including a modified version of the file based, at least in part, on the determination. Then, the file access platform causes, at least in part, transmission of the second communication including the modified version to the online account.

The disclosed techniques enable selective forwarding and blocking of messages directed to an alias email address based on a whitelist, as well as email alerts triggered by emails from unauthorized senders. More generally, the disclosed techniques enable an enterprise system to store contact emails for users (i.e., alias email addresses) while avoiding storing and managing personal email addresses for the user. For example, the enterprise system may forward personal email addresses to an aliasing server configured to generate alias email addresses based on the personal email addresses. The aliasing server may operate as a “middle man” that receives emails directed to the alias email addresses and that forwards the emails to the personal email addresses (when appropriate). The enterprise system may store and maintain the alias email addresses in lieu of the personal email addresses.

Methods and systems for searching and retrieving information. In one aspect, there is a method of retrieving information using a knowledge base. The method comprises receiving a search query entered by a user and using a first model to identify a category corresponding to the received search query. The method further comprises based on the received search query, a loss function of the first model, and an objective function of a second model, identifying T topics corresponding to the received search query, and performing a search for the received search query only on a part of the knowledge base that is associated with the identified category and/or the identified topics. The method further comprises retrieving one or more files associated with the identified category and/or the identified topics.

A method includes storing first authentication information and second authentication information, the first authentication information being information for a user to access a first information processing device, the second authentication information including third authentication information and forth authentication information, the third authentication information being information for the user to access a second information processing device, and the fourth authentication information being information for the user to access a third information processing device; acquiring first index information from the second information processing device based on the third authentication information; acquiring second index information from the third information processing device based on the fourth authentication information; and generating a list including the first index information with a first indication, and the second index information with a second indication different from the first indication.

A method includes storing first authentication information and second authentication information, the first authentication information being information for a user to access a first information processing device, the second authentication information including third authentication information and forth authentication information, the third authentication information being information for the user to access a second information processing device, and the fourth authentication information being information for the user to access a third information processing device; acquiring first index information from the second information processing device based on the third authentication information; acquiring second index information from the third information processing device based on the fourth authentication information; and generating a list including the first index information with a first indication, and the second index information with a second indication different from the first indication.

User changes may be preserved across updates to a layer. When a layering client mounts a layer, a corresponding layering write cache is mounted. Changes to layered resources, such as files, registry entries, and registry values, are made only to the layering write cache. A request to create a file in the layer is directed to the layering write cache such that the new file is created in the layering write cache. A request to open a layered resource, is directed to the layered resource if the layered resource is in the layering write cache. A request to write to a layered resource is directed to the layering write cache if the layered resource is in the layering write cache. If the layered resource is not in the layering write cache, the layered resource is copied to the layering write cache before redirecting the write request.

A file storage system configured to use a second storage system includes a first file system provided to an application, a first storage system in which a file is stored by the first file system, a processor, state management information storing a state of the file, a state information management unit that manages the state management information, and a file virtualization unit that manages files stored in the first storage system and the second storage system. The processor performs a calling process of the first file system based on an operation request of the file from the application. The first file system processes the operation request of the file. The state information management unit performs a state management information update process of the file based on input information with respect to the first file system related to the operation request, or an operation content.