Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide the ability to associate multiple collections of metadata to objects. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises: a processor; a memory; at least one object, each object including content data; system metadata associated with each object; and a plurality of named collections of user-defined metadata associated with each object. Each named collection of the plurality of named collections is separately addressable by a request. In some embodiments, at least one named collection of user-defined metadata of one object of the at least one object includes an access control list, and the access control list of a named collection specifies permissible access to the named collection. The one object has an object-level access control list which specifies permissible access to the one object and which is different from the access control list for the named collection associated with the one object.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide the ability to associate multiple collections of metadata to objects. In one embodiment, a storage system comprises: a processor; a memory; at least one object, each object including content data; system metadata associated with each object; and a plurality of named collections of user-defined metadata associated with each object. Each named collection of the plurality of named collections is separately addressable by a request. In some embodiments, at least one named collection of user-defined metadata of one object of the at least one object includes an access control list, and the access control list of a named collection specifies permissible access to the named collection. The one object has an object-level access control list which specifies permissible access to the one object and which is different from the access control list for the named collection associated with the one object.

Abstract: A multi-user file storage service and system enable each user of a pre-subscribed user group to operate an arbitrary client node at an arbitrary geographic location, to communicate with a remote file server node via a wide area network and to access the files of the file group via the respective client node in communication with the remote file server node via the wide area network. More than one user of the pre-subscribed user group is permitted to access the file group at the remote file server node simultaneously. Illustratively, the integrity of the files at the remote file server node are maintained by controlling each access to each file at the remote file server node so that each access to files at the remote file server is performed, if at all, on a respective portion of each file as most recently updated at the remote file server node.