File child = new File(f, DATA);
if (!child.exists()) return new HashMap(0); // no node attribs exist hence the empty HashMap.
//if(!child.exists()) return null;
FileInputStream in = new FileInputStream(child);
MarshalledValueInputStream input = new MarshalledValueInputStream(in);
Map m = (Map) input.readObject();
if (log.isTraceEnabled())
{
log.trace("Read fqn="+ fqn + " from file input stream and returned " + m);
}
in.close();