Adding additional files to a real directory

Joe Best-Rotheray

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May 20, 2021, 4:13:42 PM5/20/21

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Hi all,

I'd like to mount some cloud storage as a folder, and then cache some of the files locally when accessed. This is relatively straightforward if I mount my virtual folder at C:\MyFiles and then cache files in C:\MyFiles_Cache or something. But is there a way that I can store the cached files in C:\MyFiles as well? I would need some way to pass through certain functions to the default file system driver, not sure if it's possible with Dokan - maybe I'd need to use a shell extension instead?

Any help much appreciated

Cheers

Joe

Adrien JUND

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May 20, 2021, 5:15:21 PM5/20/21

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Hi,

Adding functionality to an existing filesystem is not possible with dokan.

What you can do is to mount into a folder C:\MyCloudStorage on a existing filesystem and control the content in it with your dokan implementation of the API. Then you can provide a cached or no content when read is called.

Best regards,

Liryna

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Joe Best-Rotheray

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May 20, 2021, 5:27:17 PM5/20/21

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But I would need to store those cached files outside of C:\MyCloudStorage, correct?

Cheers

Joe

Adrien JUND

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May 21, 2021, 1:24:08 AM5/21/21

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Since with dokan you control the listing, you can show whatever you want in it.

Look at the samples available. One is a mirror that redirect IO to another folder to replicate the content. The other one is a mirror filesystem that only contains non physical files.

A mix of both and you get what you want I believe.

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Joe Best-Rotheray

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May 21, 2021, 4:15:49 AM5/21/21

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Yeah that's what I've tried to do, but I can't find a way to access the real files in the folder, as whatever System.IO functions I call to access the files gets redirected to my Dokan application ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Adrien JUND

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May 21, 2021, 4:50:39 AM5/21/21

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This is normal. It is your dokan application that needs to redirect them to your cache.

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Joe Best-Rotheray

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May 21, 2021, 4:58:32 AM5/21/21

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But how can I redirect them to my cache if the cache folder is the same as my Dokan folder?

Adrien JUND

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May 21, 2021, 5:20:02 AM5/21/21

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Oh sorry, you are looking to not have C:\MyFiles_Cache

Unfortunately I do not see how it is possible with dokan.

A filter driver might be what you are looking for.

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Joe Best-Rotheray

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May 21, 2021, 5:52:09 AM5/21/21

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ok great I'll read into filter drivers a bit, there's also the cloud files API which seems to have been made for this use case, I just thought I'd check here first as I've already done some prototyping in Dokan :)