Patent Document ID: 8296312
Application ID: 12013953
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for searching a file system, the method comprising: receiving a query for an attribute, the attribute being organized following a hierarchical structure of the file system and stored within a data structure where the hierarchical structure is maintained, the attribute further being metadata about at least one of a directory or a file associated with the file system; and searching for the attribute within the data structure based on the query by following the hierarchical structure of the file system, the searching for the attribute comprising: translating the query into a first signature, the first signature being a first value that describes the attribute, a size of the first value being smaller than a size of the attribute based on a bit of the first value corresponding to multiple values in the attribute; accessing a second signature from the data structure, the second signature being a second value that describes the attribute, a size of the second value being smaller than the size of the attribute based on a bit of the second value corresponding to the multiple values in the attribute; and comparing the first signature with the second signature to locate the attribute.