Users are frustrated by the current experience of browsing, downloading, and exchanging
files in low-bandwidth networks, such as ad hoc wireless networks. One improvement to this
experience is to let users first locally interact with file thumbnails - graphical summaries
of file contents - and fetch complete files only if necessary. These thumbnails can be
sent quickly over the network and augment traditional metadata, such as file names and
ownership.
To reduce bandwidth consumption, thumbnails must be generated remotely. In prior
work, server-side application programs generate thumbnails in response to users' requests.
In contrast, we propose extending underlying file system functionality to support direct
generation and storage of thumbnails. Through inode changes or, more simply, through ex-
tended file attributes, we envision embedding thumbnails within the file system itself, just
as human-readable names and ownership are today. Making thumbnails a first-class ob ject
directly linked to their uncompressed counterpart ensures consistency through modify-on-
write regeneration and guarantees equal thumbnail and file data access control. Through
directly embedding thumbnails within the file system, we can provide assurances and effi-
ciencies beyond what is possible with application-level techniques.
