Patent ID: 8868626

Claim:
A method for controlling a file system, comprising: intercepting a file system operation from a source, wherein a control plane intercepts the file system operation; performing a control plane operation on the file system operation that transforms the file system operation to a processed file system operation, wherein the processed file system operation modifies the file system and wherein the control plane performs the control plane operation on the file system operation; wherein the performing comprises: analyzing the file system operation; identifying an extension chain applicable to the file system operation, wherein the extension chain comprises a plurality of extensions connected in a chained sequence; invoking and executing a first extension from the plurality of extensions; passing the file system operation to the first extension; performing the control plane operation on the file system operation according to the first extension; and outputting the processed file system operation; forwarding the processed file system operation to a destination, wherein the control plane determines the destination of the processed file system operation; wherein the source and the destination exchange the file system operation through a data path; wherein the source is a client, the destination is a file server, the control plane is a file system proxy, the data path is a network, and the file system proxy interposes between the client and the file server; and wherein the file system operation comprises a network file system protocol and when the control plane performs the control plane operation on the file system operation, the network file system protocol is preserved.