[9fans] logging file changes

["Matt" <matt@proweb.co.uk>]

Hi,

I'm currently researching some stuff for work.

We're trying to arrange our network.

What we're looking for is a way to keep track of data associated with
specific files that isn't part of the normal stat data

you know the stuff : author, client, date created, a list of who has
modified it, keywords to help find it, QA details etc. etc.

All the ways I've come up with so far rely on a database and somehow
maintaining it

It struck me that 9p would be the ideal solution as all file requests go
through a plan9 file server which can have rules that operate at a higher
level than simple permissions and so can maintain the database itself.

Has anyone already implemented such a system?

The sub-problem of course is that we have mainly Windows clients.
They will be getting file access via SAMBA on to the Unix box which would
then use u9fs to connect to the plan9 box.
Extra overhead I realise but AFAIK there isn't another way to implement this
crazy scheme and that's why I'm writing this.

I want to try and put plan9's case forward.

Can anyone see any holes? (apart from me having to write the file server
part :)

Matt