Patent Publication Number: US-2023133610-A1

Title: Methods and systems for storing and associating objects in a storage system

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to methods and systems for storing data in a cloud-based environment and more particularly to associating objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In current cloud-based storage environments, the content stack does not have a concept of associations between different objects. Rather, each object in the storage system is independent and considered a first-class user object. This can be difficult when dealing with objects that decorate or enhance other objects, i.e., meta-objects or auxiliary objects that define metadata or other additional data for the related, first-class object. For example, consider an attachment within a note, or a signature image within a signed image. Neither of these is a first-class user object that should appear in a listing of the user&#39;s content. Rather, the object only exists in the context of another object. In cloud-based storage environments, applications need to upload such an object as a first-class user file and maintain the relations between objects in some manner, e.g., by a separate mapping between objects. This has two major drawbacks. First, it can result in a strange user experience as the auxiliary object will appear in the user&#39;s file listing. Second, since no association exists on the backend of the storage system, the objects do not follow the same lifecycle events. For example, if the user deletes the original object or moves the object across a compliance boundary nothing informs the backend that the auxiliary objects should follow the same lifecycle process. This risks leaving auxiliary objects in a state that is not in compliance with the user&#39;s compliance or storage-region requirements. Hence, there is a need for improved methods and systems for associating objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the disclosure provide systems and methods for associating objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. According to one embodiment, a method for associating objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment can comprise receiving, by an upload proxy executing on a server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, a first object uniquely identified by an entity identifier. The upload proxy executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment can store the first object in a data repository using one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The stored first object can be accessible through a file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the entity identifier. 
     An Application Programming Interface (API) of a Storage Child Service (SCS) executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment can receive an auxiliary object related to the first object. The auxiliary object having a unique name. The SCS executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment can generate an identifier for the auxiliary object. The generated identifier for the auxiliary object can include the unique name of the auxiliary object and can also identify the auxiliary object as being related to the first object. Generating the identifier for the auxiliary object can comprise hashing the entity identifier for the first object and adding the hash of the entity identifier for the first object to the unique name for the auxiliary object. For example, the entity identifier for the first object comprises any of a file identifier for the first object, a user identifier for an owner of the first object, or a tenant identifier for one of a plurality of tenants of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The generated identifier for the auxiliary object can further comprise an identifier of an entity type for the entity identifier and/or an indication of a namespace for an owner of the first object. 
     The SCS executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, can store the generated identifier for the auxiliary object in a table. The SCS executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, can also store the auxiliary object in the data repository using the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The auxiliary object can be accessible through the file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the unique name for the auxiliary object. 
     The SCS executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment can further update the auxiliary object in response to a move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. Updating the auxiliary object can comprise scanning the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, identifying a record in the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored based on the hash of the entity identifier for the first object, and retrieving, from the record in the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, the unique name for the auxiliary object. The auxiliary object can then be updated using the retrieved unique name for the auxiliary object and the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment in response to the move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. 
     According to another embodiment, a system can comprise a processor and a memory coupled with and readable by the processor. The memory can store therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to associate objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment by receiving, by an upload proxy executed by the processor, a first object uniquely identified by an entity identifier and storing, by the upload proxy, the first object in a data repository using one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, wherein the stored first object is accessible through a file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the entity identifier. 
     The instructions can further cause the processor to receive, by an API of a SCS executed by the processor, an auxiliary object related to the first object, the auxiliary object having a unique name and generate, by the SCS, wherein the unique identifier for the auxiliary object includes the unique name of the auxiliary object and also identifies the auxiliary object as being related to the first object. Generating the identifier for the auxiliary object can comprise hashing the entity identifier for the first object and adding the hash of the entity identifier for the first object to the unique name for the auxiliary object. For example, the entity identifier for the first object comprises any of a file identifier for the first object, a user identifier for an owner of the first object, or a tenant identifier for one of a plurality of tenants of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The generated identifier for the auxiliary object can further comprise an identifier of an entity type for the entity identifier and/or an indication of a namespace for an owner of the first object. 
     The instructions can further cause the processor to store, by the SCS, the generated identifier for the auxiliary object in a table and store, by the SCS, the auxiliary object in the data repository using the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The auxiliary object can be accessible through the file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the unique name for the auxiliary object. 
     The instructions can further cause the processor to update, by the SCS executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, the auxiliary object in response to a move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. Updating the auxiliary object can comprise scanning the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, identifying a record in the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored based on the hash of the entity identifier for the first object, retrieving, from the record in the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, the unique name for the auxiliary object, and updating the auxiliary object using the retrieved unique name for the auxiliary object and the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment in response to the move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. 
     According to yet another embodiment, a non-transitory, computer-readable medium can comprise a set of instructions stored therein which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to associate objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment by receiving, by an upload proxy executed by the processor, a first object uniquely identified by an entity identifier and storing, by the upload proxy, the first object in a data repository using one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, wherein the stored first object is accessible through a file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the entity identifier. 
     The instructions can further cause the processor to receive, by an API of a SCS executed by the processor, an auxiliary object related to the first object, the auxiliary object having a unique name, generate, by the SCS, wherein the unique identifier for the auxiliary object includes the unique name of the auxiliary object and also identifies the auxiliary object as being related to the first object, store, by the SCS, the generated identifier for the auxiliary object in a table, and store, by the SCS, the auxiliary object in the data repository using the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The auxiliary object can be accessible through the file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the unique name for the auxiliary object. Generating the identifier for the auxiliary object can comprise hashing the entity identifier for the first object and adding the hash of the entity identifier for the first object to the unique name for the auxiliary object. 
     The instructions can further cause the processor to update, by the SCS executing on the server of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, the auxiliary object in response to a move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. Updating the auxiliary object can comprise scanning the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, identifying a record in the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored based on the hash of the entity identifier for the first object, retrieving, from the record in the table in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, the unique name for the auxiliary object, and updating the auxiliary object using the retrieved unique name for the auxiliary object and the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment in response to the move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary computing environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary computing device in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. 
         FIG.  3    is a block diagram illustrating and exemplary cloud-based storage environment in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. 
         FIG.  4    is a block diagram illustrating additional details of components of a cloud-based storage environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for uploading and associating objects in a cloud-based storage environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for updating associated objects in a cloud-based storage environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     In the appended figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label by a letter that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments disclosed herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that various embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced without some of these specific details. The ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope or applicability of the disclosure. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure, the preceding description omits a number of known structures and devices. This omission is not to be construed as a limitation of the scopes of the claims. Rather, the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment. It should however be appreciated that the present disclosure may be practiced in a variety of ways beyond the specific detail set forth herein. 
     While the exemplary aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations illustrated herein show the various components of the system collocated, certain components of the system can be located remotely, at distant portions of a distributed network, such as a Local-Area Network (LAN) and/or Wide-Area Network (WAN) such as the Internet, or within a dedicated system. Thus, it should be appreciated, that the components of the system can be combined in to one or more devices or collocated on a particular node of a distributed network, such as an analog and/or digital telecommunications network, a packet-switch network, or a circuit-switched network. It will be appreciated from the following description, and for reasons of computational efficiency, that the components of the system can be arranged at any location within a distributed network of components without affecting the operation of the system. 
     Furthermore, it should be appreciated that the various links connecting the elements can be wired or wireless links, or any combination thereof, or any other known or later developed element(s) that is capable of supplying and/or communicating data to and from the connected elements. These wired or wireless links can also be secure links and may be capable of communicating encrypted information. Transmission media used as links, for example, can be any suitable carrier for electrical signals, including coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, and may take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications. 
     As used herein, the phrases “at least one,” “one or more,” “or,” and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C,” “at least one of A, B, or C,” “one or more of A, B, and C,” “one or more of A, B, or C,” “A, B, and/or C,” and “A, B, or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together. 
     The term “a” or “an” entity refers to one or more of that entity. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. It is also to be noted that the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” can be used interchangeably. 
     The term “automatic” and variations thereof, as used herein, refers to any process or operation done without material human input when the process or operation is performed. However, a process or operation can be automatic, even though performance of the process or operation uses material or immaterial human input, if the input is received before performance of the process or operation. Human input is deemed to be material if such input influences how the process or operation will be performed. Human input that consents to the performance of the process or operation is not deemed to be “material.” 
     The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any tangible storage and/or transmission medium that participate in providing instructions to a processor for execution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media includes, for example, Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM), or magnetic or optical disks. Volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as main memory. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, magneto-optical medium, a Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a Random-Access Memory (RAM), a Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), and Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), a Flash-EPROM, a solid state medium like a memory card, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read. A digital file attachment to e-mail or other self-contained information archive or set of archives is considered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storage medium. When the computer-readable media is configured as a database, it is to be understood that the database may be any type of database, such as relational, hierarchical, object-oriented, and/or the like. Accordingly, the disclosure is considered to include a tangible storage medium or distribution medium and prior art-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the software implementations of the present disclosure are stored. 
     A “computer readable signal” medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, Radio Frequency (RF), etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing. 
     The terms “determine,” “calculate,” and “compute,” and variations thereof, as used herein, are used interchangeably and include any type of methodology, process, mathematical operation or technique. 
     It shall be understood that the term “means” as used herein shall be given its broadest possible interpretation in accordance with 35 U.S.C., Section 112, Paragraph 6. Accordingly, a claim incorporating the term “means” shall cover all structures, materials, or acts set forth herein, and all of the equivalents thereof. Further, the structures, materials or acts and the equivalents thereof shall include all those described in the summary of the disclosure, brief description of the drawings, detailed description, abstract, and claims themselves. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. 
     In yet another embodiment, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented in conjunction with a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element(s), an ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard-wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device or gate array such as Programmable Logic Device (PLD), Programmable Logic Array (PLA), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Programmable Array Logic (PAL), special purpose computer, any comparable means, or the like. In general, any device(s) or means capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various aspects of this disclosure. Exemplary hardware that can be used for the disclosed embodiments, configurations, and aspects includes computers, handheld devices, telephones (e.g., cellular, Internet enabled, digital, analog, hybrids, and others), and other hardware known in the art. Some of these devices include processors (e.g., a single or multiple microprocessors), memory, nonvolatile storage, input devices, and output devices. Furthermore, alternative software implementations including, but not limited to, distributed processing or component/object distributed processing, parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also be constructed to implement the methods described herein. 
     Examples of the processors as described herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801, Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 610 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bit computing, Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7 motion coprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family of processors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™ family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel® Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22nm Ivy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300, and FX-8350 32nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments® Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments® OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors, ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalent processors, and may perform computational functions using any known or future-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/or architecture. 
     In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in conjunction with software using object or object-oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms. Alternatively, the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) design. Whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this disclosure is dependent on the speed and/or efficiency requirements of the system, the particular function, and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized. 
     In yet another embodiment, the disclosed methods may be partially implemented in software that can be stored on a storage medium, executed on programmed general-purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory, a special purpose computer, a microprocessor, or the like. In these instances, the systems and methods of this disclosure can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet, JAVA® or Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script, as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation, as a routine embedded in a dedicated measurement system, system component, or the like. The system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and/or method into a software and/or hardware system. 
     Although the present disclosure describes components and functions implemented in the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations with reference to particular standards and protocols, the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations are not limited to such standards and protocols. Other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are in existence and are considered to be included in the present disclosure. Moreover, the standards and protocols mentioned herein and other similar standards and protocols not mentioned herein are periodically superseded by faster or more effective equivalents having essentially the same functions. Such replacement standards and protocols having the same functions are considered equivalents included in the present disclosure. 
     Various additional details of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the figures. While the flowcharts will be discussed and illustrated in relation to a particular sequence of events, it should be appreciated that changes, additions, and omissions to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the disclosed embodiments, configuration, and aspects. 
       FIG.  1    is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary computing environment in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. More specifically, this example illustrates a computing environment  100  that may function as the servers, user computers, or other systems provided and described herein. The environment  100  includes one or more user computers, or computing devices, such as a computing device  104 , a communication device  108 , and/or more  112 . The computing devices  104 ,  108 ,  112  may include general purpose personal computers (including, merely by way of example, personal computers, and/or laptop computers running various versions of Microsoft Corp.&#39;s Windows® and/or Apple Corp.&#39;s Macintosh® operating systems) and/or workstation computers running any of a variety of commercially-available UNIX® or UNIX-like operating systems. These computing devices  104 ,  108 ,  112  may also have any of a variety of applications, including for example, database client and/or server applications, and web browser applications. Alternatively, the computing devices  104 ,  108 ,  112  may be any other electronic device, such as a thin-client computer, Internet-enabled mobile telephone, and/or personal digital assistant, capable of communicating via a network  110  and/or displaying and navigating web pages or other types of electronic documents. Although the exemplary computer environment  100  is shown with two computing devices, any number of user computers or computing devices may be supported. 
     Environment  100  further includes a network  110 . The network  110  may can be any type of network familiar to those skilled in the art that can support data communications using any of a variety of commercially-available protocols, including without limitation Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Systems Network Architecture (SNA), Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX), AppleTalk, and the like. Merely by way of example, the network  110  maybe a Local Area Network (LAN), such as an Ethernet network, a Token-Ring network and/or the like; a wide-area network; a virtual network, including without limitation a Virtual Private Network (VPN); the Internet; an intranet; an extranet; a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN); an infra-red network; a wireless network (e.g., a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.9 suite of protocols, the Bluetooth® protocol known in the art, and/or any other wireless protocol); and/or any combination of these and/or other networks. 
     The system may also include one or more servers  114 ,  116 . In this example, server  114  is shown as a web server and server  116  is shown as an application server. The web server  114 , which may be used to process requests for web pages or other electronic documents from computing devices  104 ,  108 ,  112 . The web server  114  can be running an operating system including any of those discussed above, as well as any commercially-available server operating systems. The web server  114  can also run a variety of server applications, including SIP servers, HyperText Transfer Protocol (secure) (HTTP(s)) servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, database servers, Java servers, and the like. In some instances, the web server  114  may publish operations available operations as one or more web services. 
     The environment  100  may also include one or more file and or/application servers  116 , which can, in addition to an operating system, include one or more applications accessible by a client running on one or more of the computing devices  104 ,  108 ,  112 . The server(s)  116  and/or  114  may be one or more general purpose computers capable of executing programs or scripts in response to the computing devices  104 ,  108 ,  112 . As one example, the server  116 ,  114  may execute one or more web applications. The web application may be implemented as one or more scripts or programs written in any programming language, such as Java™, C, C#®, or C++, and/or any scripting language, such as Perl, Python, or Tool Command Language (TCL), as well as combinations of any programming/scripting languages. The application server(s)  116  may also include database servers, including without limitation those commercially available from Oracle®, Microsoft®, Sybase®, IBM® and the like, which can process requests from database clients running on a computing device  104 ,  108 ,  112 . 
     The web pages created by the server  114  and/or  116  may be forwarded to a computing device  104 ,  108 ,  112  via a web (file) server  114 ,  116 . Similarly, the web server  114  may be able to receive web page requests, web services invocations, and/or input data from a computing device  104 ,  108 ,  112  (e.g., a user computer, etc.) and can forward the web page requests and/or input data to the web (application) server  116 . In further embodiments, the server  116  may function as a file server. Although for ease of description,  FIG.  1    illustrates a separate web server  114  and file/application server  116 , those skilled in the art will recognize that the functions described with respect to servers  114 ,  116  may be performed by a single server and/or a plurality of specialized servers, depending on implementation-specific needs and parameters. The computer systems  104 ,  108 ,  112 , web (file) server  114  and/or web (application) server  116  may function as the system, devices, or components described herein. 
     The environment  100  may also include a database  118 . The database  118  may reside in a variety of locations. By way of example, database  118  may reside on a storage medium local to (and/or resident in) one or more of the computers  104 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 . Alternatively, it may be remote from any or all of the computers  104 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and in communication (e.g., via the network  110 ) with one or more of these. The database  118  may reside in a Storage-Area Network (SAN) familiar to those skilled in the art. Similarly, any necessary files for performing the functions attributed to the computers  104 ,  108 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116  may be stored locally on the respective computer and/or remotely, as appropriate. The database  118  may be a relational database, such as Oracle 20i®, that is adapted to store, update, and retrieve data in response to Structured Query Language (SQL) formatted commands. 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustrating elements of an exemplary computing device in which embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. More specifically, this example illustrates one embodiment of a computer system  200  upon which the servers, user computers, computing devices, or other systems or components described above may be deployed or executed. The computer system  200  is shown comprising hardware elements that may be electrically coupled via a bus  204 . The hardware elements may include one or more Central Processing Units (CPUs)  208 ; one or more input devices  212  (e.g., a mouse, a keyboard, etc.); and one or more output devices  216  (e.g., a display device, a printer, etc.). The computer system  200  may also include one or more storage devices  220 . By way of example, storage device(s)  220  may be disk drives, optical storage devices, solid-state storage devices such as a Random-Access Memory (RAM) and/or a Read-Only Memory (ROM), which can be programmable, flash-updateable and/or the like. 
     The computer system  200  may additionally include a computer-readable storage media reader  224 ; a communications system  228  (e.g., a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device, etc.); and working memory  236 , which may include RAM and ROM devices as described above. The computer system  200  may also include a processing acceleration unit  232 , which can include a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a special-purpose processor, and/or the like. 
     The computer-readable storage media reader  224  can further be connected to a computer-readable storage medium, together (and, optionally, in combination with storage device(s)  220 ) comprehensively representing remote, local, fixed, and/or removable storage devices plus storage media for temporarily and/or more permanently containing computer-readable information. The communications system  228  may permit data to be exchanged with a network and/or any other computer described above with respect to the computer environments described herein. Moreover, as disclosed herein, the term “storage medium” may represent one or more devices for storing data, including ROM, RAM, magnetic RAM, core memory, magnetic disk storage mediums, optical storage mediums, flash memory devices and/or other machine-readable mediums for storing information. 
     The computer system  200  may also comprise software elements, shown as being currently located within a working memory  236 , including an operating system  240  and/or other code  244 . It should be appreciated that alternate embodiments of a computer system  200  may have numerous variations from that described above. For example, customized hardware might also be used and/or particular elements might be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software, such as applets), or both. Further, connection to other computing devices such as network input/output devices may be employed. 
     Examples of the processors  208  as described herein may include, but are not limited to, at least one of Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 800 and 801, Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 620 and 615 with 4G LTE Integration and 64-bit computing, Apple® A7 processor with 64-bit architecture, Apple® M7 motion coprocessors, Samsung® Exynos® series, the Intel® Core™ family of processors, the Intel® Xeon® family of processors, the Intel® Atom™ family of processors, the Intel Itanium® family of processors, Intel® Core® i5-4670K and i7-4770K 22nm Haswell, Intel® Core® i5-3570K 22nm Ivy Bridge, the AMD® FX™ family of processors, AMD® FX-4300, FX-6300, and FX-8350 32nm Vishera, AMD® Kaveri processors, Texas Instruments® Jacinto C6000™ automotive infotainment processors, Texas Instruments® OMAP™ automotive-grade mobile processors, ARM® Cortex™-M processors, ARM® Cortex-A and ARM926EJ-S™ processors, other industry-equivalent processors, and may perform computational functions using any known or future-developed standard, instruction set, libraries, and/or architecture. 
       FIG.  3    is a block diagram illustrating and exemplary cloud-based storage environment in which various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. As illustrated in this example, a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300  can comprise one or more servers  305  such as any one or more of the servers and/or other computing devices described above. The server(s)  305  can be communicatively coupled with one or more wired and/or wireless local and/or wide area networks  310  such as any of the networks described above. Also coupled with the network  310  can be any number of client devices  315 A- 315 C. The client devices  315 A- 315 C can comprise desktop computers, laptop computers, tablets, cellphones, and/or any other computing device such as described above. 
     Generally speaking, the server(s) can execute one or more services  320  and/or one or more applications  325  that, together, allow the client devices  315 A- 315 C to upload content, such as files, to the server(s)  305  to be saved in storage  330  such as one or more databases and/or other repositories. Depending upon the services  320  and/or applications  325  executed by the server(s)  305 , the saved content can be accessed and utilized by the client devices  315 A- 315 C. For example, the server(s)  305  and storage  330  can provide for remote backup of data for the client devices  315 A- 315   c.  Additionally, or alternatively, the server(s)  305  may provide a collaboration environment in which a number of client devices  315 A- 315 C may access the stored content to read and, if permitted, edit the content in a shared workspace or other environment. 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a service  320  which allows association of storage objects. More specifically, once a client device  315 A uploads a file or other content object to the server(s) of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300 , that first object can be made available in the file system of the environment  300 . For example, it can be accessed by client devices  315 A- 315 C, depending upon permissions, as well as services  320  and/or applications  325  executing on the server(s)  305 . More specifically, the first object can be made available in the file system of the environment  300  and can be accessed, for example, by it&#39;s file or object name. At some point, a client device  315 A or an application  325  executing on the server(s)  305  can provide or generate an auxiliary object that is related to the first object. For example, this auxiliary object can comprise metadata or other content associated with or related to the first object. According to one embodiment, this auxiliary object can be assigned an identifier that not only uniquely identifies the auxiliary object but also identifies, within the identifier itself, the relationship to the first object. This relational naming can be used by the service(s)  320  and/or applications  325  executing on the server(s)  305  to track this relationship, e.g., to update the auxiliary object when the first object has been updated, but without a separate mapping of the objects other than the name of the auxiliary object itself. 
       FIG.  4    is a block diagram illustrating additional details of components of a cloud-based storage environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. More specifically, this example illustrates elements of the server(s)  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300  which may be executed to perform the object association and update functions introduced above. These components can include a traffic manager  405  which can receive requests and other communications from client devices  315  communicatively coupled with the server  305  and route those communications to other components. For example, the traffic manager  405  can receive a request from a client device  315 A to upload a file or other content, i.e., a first object. As noted above, this first object can be uniquely identified by an entity identifier such as a file identifier, user identifier, tenant identifier, etc., or some combination thereof. Since this request is a request to upload from a client device  315 A, the traffic manager  405  can route the request to an upload proxy  410 . 
     The upload proxy  410 , under restrictions and/or requirements applied by a policy manager  415 , can then utilize one or more backend services  320  executed on and provided by the server(s)  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300  to store the first object in a data repository  330 . For example, these services  320  can include, but are not limited to, a set of security and encryption services  420  to encrypt and/or compress the first object, a set of storage services  425  to manage a storage location and/or other aspects of storing the first content item, etc. Once stored, the stored first object can be accessible through a file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the entity identifier. 
     Subsequently, the traffic manager  405  can receive a request from an application  325  executing on the server(s)  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300 . This request can comprise a request to upload or create an auxiliary object related to the first object, e.g., a meta-object containing metadata for the first object or any other object that supplements and relates to the first object. The traffic manager  405  can route such requests to an Application Programming Interface (API) gateway  430  executing on the server  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300 . The API gateway  430  can in turn route the request to a Storage Child Service (SCS)  435  executing on the server(s)  305 . 
     As noted above, the auxiliary object can have a unique name. The SCS  435  can generate an identifier for the auxiliary object that can include the unique name of the auxiliary object and can also identify the auxiliary object as being related to the first object. More specifically, the SCS  435  can generate the identifier for the auxiliary object by hashing the entity identifier for the first object and adding the hash of the entity identifier for the first object to the unique name for the auxiliary object. For example, the entity identifier for the first object comprises any of a file identifier for the first object, a user identifier for an owner of the first object, a tenant identifier for one of a plurality of tenants of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment, etc., or some combination thereof. The generated identifier for the auxiliary object can further comprise an identifier of an entity type for the entity identifier and/or an indication of a namespace for an owner of the first object. 
     The SCS  435  can store the generated identifier for the auxiliary object in a table  440 . The SCS  435  can then utilize one or more backend services  320  executed on and provided by the server(s)  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300  to store the auxiliary object. For example, and as with the upload proxy  410 , the SCS  435 , can, under restrictions and/or requirements applied by a policy manager  415 , utilize the security and encryption services  420  to encrypt and/or compress the first object and/or the storage services  425  to manage a storage location and/or other aspects of storing the first content item, etc. Once stored, the auxiliary object can be accessible through the file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the unique name for the auxiliary object. 
     As noted above, the SCS  435  can further update the auxiliary object in response to a move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. For example, the traffic manager  405  can receive a request to move, copy, or delete the first object and the request can be carried out, for example, by the storage services  425 . In response to a request from an application  325  or another element, e.g., the policy manager  415  detecting this change, the traffic manager  405  can also receive a request to update any auxiliary objects related to the first object. This request can then be carried out by the SCS  435 . For example, updating the auxiliary object can be performed by the SCS  435  scanning the table  440  in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, identifying a record in the table  440  in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored based on the hash of the entity identifier for the first object, and retrieving, from the record in the table  440  in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, the unique name for the auxiliary object. The auxiliary object can then be updated using the retrieved unique name for the auxiliary object and the one or more backend services, such as the storage services  425 , in response to the move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. 
       FIG.  5    is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for uploading and associating objects in a cloud-based storage environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As illustrated in this example, uploading and associating objects in a multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment can comprise receiving  505 , by an upload proxy  410  executing on a server  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300 , a first object uniquely identified by an entity identifier. The upload proxy  410  can store  510  the first object in a data repository  330  using one or more backend services  420  and  425  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300 . The stored first object can be accessible through a file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the entity identifier. 
     An API gateway  430  of a SCS  435  executing on the server  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300  can receive  515  an auxiliary object related to the first object. The auxiliary object can have a unique name. The SCS  435  can generate an identifier for the auxiliary object. The generated identifier for the auxiliary object can include the unique name of the auxiliary object and can also identify the auxiliary object as being related to the first object. Generating the identifier for the auxiliary object can comprise hashing  520  the entity identifier for the first object and adding  525  the hash of the entity identifier for the first object to the unique name for the auxiliary object. For example, the entity identifier for the first object comprises any of a file identifier for the first object, a user identifier for an owner of the first object, or a tenant identifier for one of a plurality of tenants of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment. The generated identifier for the auxiliary object can further comprise an identifier of an entity type for the entity identifier and/or an indication of a namespace for an owner of the first object. 
     The SCS  435  can store  530  the generated identifier for the auxiliary object in a table  440 . The SCS  435  can also store  535  the auxiliary object in the data repository using the one or more backend services  420  and  425 . The auxiliary object can be accessible through the file system of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment using the unique name for the auxiliary object. 
       FIG.  6    is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for updating associated objects in a cloud-based storage environment according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As noted above, the SCS  435  executing on the server  305  of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment  300  can further update the auxiliary object in response to a move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. Updating the auxiliary object can comprise scanning  605  the table  440  in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, identifying  610  a record in the table  440  in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored based on the hash of the entity identifier for the first object, and retrieving  615 , from the record in the table  440  in which the generated identifier for the auxiliary object is stored, the unique name for the auxiliary object. The auxiliary object can then be updated  620  using the retrieved unique name for the auxiliary object and the one or more backend services of the multi-tenant, cloud-based storage environment in response to the move, copy, or delete operation performed on the first object. 
     The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations, includes components, methods, processes, systems, and/or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein, including various aspects, embodiments, configurations embodiments, sub-combinations, and/or subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the disclosed aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and\or reducing cost of implementation. 
     The foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the disclosure are grouped together in one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations of the disclosure may be combined in alternate aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claims require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed aspect, embodiment, and/or configuration. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Moreover, though the description has included description of one or more aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations and certain variations and modifications, other variations, combinations, and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure, e.g., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art, after understanding the present disclosure. It is intended to obtain rights which include alternative aspects, embodiments, and/or configurations to the extent permitted, including alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps to those claimed, whether or not such alternate, interchangeable and/or equivalent structures, functions, ranges or steps are disclosed herein, and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter.