Patent ID: 8484257

Claim:
A system, comprising: a storage device configured to store file system content including a plurality of files; and a host device configured to implement a file system, wherein said file system is configured to manage application accesses to said storage device and to store said file system content to said storage device, wherein said file system is further configured to: detect a file system content access event generated by a first application distinct from said file system; and in response to detecting said file system content access event: generate a metadata record indicative of said file system content access event, wherein said metadata record includes information identifying said first application; and store said metadata record within said file system content on said storage device; wherein said file system is further configured to generate said metadata record according to an extensible, self-describing data format in which individual data elements included within said metadata record are delimited by one or more corresponding tag fields, wherein for a given individual data element included within said metadata record, said one or more corresponding tag fields indicate a type of information of said given individual data element.