File management system for a computer

Claim 1

A computer system for managing storage of files for access by one or more application support processors, application programs or group of application programs, said system comprising: means for storing a specification of a file space allocation for one of said application support processors, application programs, or group of application programs; means, responsive to a request by said one application support processor, application program or group of application programs to write a new file or update one of the stored files, for writing said new file or updating said one file, said update or writing yielding a temporary file which has not yet been committed and requires greater file space than said file space allocation; means for storing temporary file for said one application support processor, application program or group of application programs that requires greater file space than said file space allocation by temporarily storing said temporary file in extra unused file space during said writing or updating; means, coupled to receive a commit request from said one application support processor, application program or group of application programs, for determining when said one application support processor, application program or group of application programs requests commit of said temporary file; and means, logically coupled to the determining means and the means for storing a specification of a file space allocation, for comparing file space required by said temporary file to said file space allocation when said one application support processor, application program or group of application programs requests commit of said temporary file.

Claim 8

A method for managing storage of files for access by a first application support processor, a first application program or a first group of application programs, said method comprising the steps of: storing a specification of a file space allocation for the first application support processor, the first application program, or the first group of application programs; receiving from said first application support processor, first application program or first group of application programs a request to write a new file or update a stored file, said new file or updated file requiring greater file space than the specified allocation; storing said new file or updated file temporarily in extra unused file space; receiving a request from said first application support processor, first application program or first group of application programs to commit said new file or updated file which has been temporarily stored; in response to said commit request, comparing file space required by said new file or updated file which has been stored to said file space allocation; and storing specifications of file space allocations for other application support processors, other application programs or other groups of applications programs; and wherein the storing of said new file or said update file for said first application support processor, first application program or first group of applications programs requires so much file space beyond the allocation for said first application support processor, first application program, or first group of application programs that all of said allocations for all of said application support processors, application programs or groups or application programs could not be satisfied at the time said new file or said updated file is temporarily stored.

Claim 9

A method for managing storage of files for access by a first application support processor, a first application program or a first group of application programs, said method comprising the steps of: storing a specification of a file space allocation for the first application support processor, the first application program, or the first group of application programs; receiving from said first application support processor, first application program or first group of application programs a request to write a new file or update a stored file, said new file or updated file requiring greater file space than the specified allocation; storing said new file or updated file temporarily in extra unused file space; receiving a request from said first application support processor, first application program or first group of application programs to commit said new file or updated file which has been temporarily stored; in response to said commit request, comparing file space required by said new file or updated file which has been stored to said file space allocation; and storing specifications of file space allocations for other application support processors, other application programs or other groups of applications programs; and wherein the storing of said new file or said update file for said first application support processor, first application program or first group of applications programs requires so much file space beyond the allocation for said first application support processor, first application program, or first group of application programs that all of said allocations for all of said application support processors, application programs or groups or application programs could not be satisfied at the time said new file or said updated file is temporarily stored.