Patent ID: 7844646

Claim:
A method for creating a file information database comprising: scanning a storage server having a directory structure; collecting data regarding the directory structure; for each directory of the directory structure, determining whether each member of the directory is a file or subdirectory; using a first thread to: traverse the directory structure in a depth first search (DFS) order; and assign a first unique identification (ID) number to a first determined directory and a second unique ID number to a second determined directory in the directory structure, wherein the ID numbers are assigned while the directory structure is being traversed in the DFS order, and wherein the ID numbers correspond to the DFS order in which the determined directories are traversed; using a second thread to examine the determined files; writing a data structure including the first ID number, the second ID number and a relation between the first directory and the second directory, wherein the relation indicates that the first directory is an immediate child of the second directory; receiving a request to determine an immediate child or parent of a specified directory, wherein the specified directory is the first directory or the second directory; searching the data structure for any relation indicative that the specified directory is a child or a parent in said relation, wherein said searching produces as a result said relation between the first directory and the second directory; and determining the immediate child or parent of the specified directory based on said any relation.