Patent attributes
System and method for universal file access control in which a processor determines whether or not a user or process requesting access to a file has been granted an access privilege to the file by reading an access control list associated with the user or process or with a group to which the user is a member; if the user or process is determined to have been granted access privilege, retrieve stored directory descriptor information associated with the requested file; obtain a unique file handle associated with the user or process and the requested file; determine if the unique file handle has been used before by comparing the obtained unique file handle with a plurality of stored prior-used file handles; and if the unique file handle has not been used before, retrieve the requested file according to a local access protocol.
