Patent ID: 7783686

Claim:
An article comprising a machine-readable storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to: store multiple media streams in a virtual file using a hierarchy of name-value pairs, wherein: said virtual file is partitioned into one or more long pages of a first defined length, at least one long page of said virtual file is partitioned into one or more short pages of a second defined length shorter than said first defined length, said hierarchy of name-value pairs is formed by storing multiple name-value pairs for said virtual file in one or more containers within said pages, said containers include a root container comprising a first page table structure implemented as an array of short pages storing a collection of high-level name-value pairs for said virtual file at a high level of said hierarchy, and at least one high-level name-value pair stored in said first page table structure of said root container comprises a value representing another container comprising a second page table structure implemented as an array of long pages or short pages storing more values name-value pairs for said virtual file at a lower level of said hierarchy; receive an application program interface command corresponding to a software object from a software library; and access at least one container of said virtual file storing name-value pairs for said virtual file in response to said application program interface command.