Patent ID: 8527541

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first computer; a hierarchical namespace including at least a first hierarchical container containing a first flat identifier identifying a user; a hierarchical file structure including a second hierarchical container containing a second flat identifier identifying a file in said hierarchical file structure; a cache stored on the first computer, the cache having a first entry that associates the first flat identifier, a locality of reference cue for the first flat identifier, and a first identifier of the first hierarchical container, the cache further having a second entry that associates the second flat identifier identifying the file, the locality of reference cue for the first flat identifier for the user, and the second hierarchical container, the first association being stored in the cache after the first computer receives a request from a second user computer for access to said file, the request including the first and the second flat identifiers and the locality of reference cue derived from the request; a search engine for first searching the cache for a combination of the first flat identifier and the locality of reference cue to locate an identifier of the first hierarchical container, and for second searching the cache for the second flat identifier to locate the second hierarchical containing said file; and an adder for adding a new entry to the cache combining the first flat identifier, the locality of reference cue, and an identifier for the second hierarchical container.