Patent ID: 7496578

Claim:
A client-server system for a network-based data storage and manipulation system, comprising: a client system, said client system having a file access service and a file manipulation service; a server, said server providing network-based data storage resources and responding to requests transmitted by said client system, said server effecting said requests; said file access service having a request processing layer for processing requests and a first network I/O layer for transmitting said requests to said server; said server having a second network I/O layer, a resource access layer, and a metadata compiler; said second network I/O layer engaged when said requests are not for metadata, said second network I/O layer transmitting requests for file action; said resource access layer receiving transmissions from said second network I/O layer and effecting said request, said resource access layer engaged when said requests are for metadata, said resource access layer obtaining and transmitting said metadata; said metadata compiler being an XML generator and receiving said metadata from said resource access layer, compiling said metadata, and transmitting said compiled metadata to said client system; said server determining if a client request is one for metadata regarding data stored upon said server; said first network I/O layer transmitting a signal to said server indicating the presence and nature of at least one of said requests to said server; and said server responding to said first I/O layer signal by transmitting one or more additional signals to interested components of the at least one of said requests in order to broadcast said first I/O layer signal; said file manipulation service including: an XML parser, said XML parser parsing said metadata from said server; a data structure, said data structure receiving and preserving parsed data from said XML parser; and a data display layer, said data display layer operating upon and displaying said parsed data; whereby said metadata is displayable to inform a user about data stored upon said server; said server providing said metadata if said client request is for said metadata and transmitting said metadata to said file manipulation service; and said server performing a file action if said client request is not for said metadata, said server updating said metadata and transmitting said metadata to said file manipulation service; whereby said server appears to a user to operate in a manner similar to operations local to said client system and said client system presents to the user operations on said server in a manner similar to operations local to said client system.