U.S. patent application number 11/210190 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-22 for files transfer between a remote home server and a local server.
Invention is credited to Benayoun, Alain, Fieschi, Jacques, Michel, Patrick, Pennec, Jean-Francois Le.
Application Number | 20050283462 11/210190 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35481820 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050283462 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Pennec, Jean-Francois Le ;
et al. |
December 22, 2005 |
Files transfer between a remote home server and a local server
Abstract
A method and system for providing a file utilizing information
according to which the file is locally stored when the file is
received from a remote server are disclosed. According to one
embodiment, a method is provided which comprises receiving a
request for the file, where the request comprises data identifying
the remote server. The described embodiment further comprises
checking that the file is locally stored, forwarding the file to
the remote server when the file has been locally modified, and
deleting the information according to which said file is locally
stored.
Inventors: |
Pennec, Jean-Francois Le;
(Nice, FR) ; Fieschi, Jacques; (Saint Laurent du
Var, FR) ; Benayoun, Alain; (Cagnes/Mer, FR) ;
Michel, Patrick; (La Gaude, FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DILLON & YUDELL LLP
8911 N. CAPITAL OF TEXAS HWY.,
SUITE 2110
AUSTIN
TX
78759
US
|
Family ID: |
35481820 |
Appl. No.: |
11/210190 |
Filed: |
August 23, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11210190 |
Aug 23, 2005 |
|
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09659649 |
Sep 12, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 ;
707/999.001; 707/E17.032 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 16/182
20190101 |
Class at
Publication: |
707/001 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 21, 1999 |
EP |
99480113.2 |
Claims
1-2. (canceled)
3. A method for providing a file, wherein is stored information
according to which said file is locally stored when said file is
received from a remote server, said method comprising the following
steps: receiving a request for said file, said request comprising
said remote server identification, checking that said file is
locally stored, forwarding said file to said remote server when
said file has been locally modified, and deleting the information
according to which said file is locally stored.
4. The method according to claim 3 further comprising a step for
sending said information to said remote server when said file has
not been locally modified.
5-8. (canceled)
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to files transfer between a
remote server and a local server. Such a transfer is necessary when
a user is temporarily connected to a local server different from a
remote home server to which this user is usually connected.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] It is now very common that someone who travels needs to have
access to a set of files, system files, data files or application
files. So, this person can bring a portable computer with him, all
the necessary files being stored in this computer. It is often not
very convenient to carry such an equipment. Moreover, nowadays, the
files of a computer user are often stored on a server, the home
server. In this case, the user has to transfer all his files on the
portable computer and he can forget some of these files. Thus,
solutions have been developed to allow a user to access
transparently to his own computer from another personal computer,
generally by means of a local server.
[0005] A first method, TELNET, allows a user connected to a network
with a local computer to access a remote computer such that the
local computer is a terminal of the remote computer. The term
TELNET refers to a remote connection on the INTERNET that is made
with the TELNET protocol. When using electronic mail or FTP, a file
transfer protocol, the local computer limits the interaction with
the remote computer and the file management between both computers
is not very practical. It is also possible to open an interactive
session with TELNET. Accordingly, once the connection has been
established, the local computer is transparent and the user works
as if he were directly attached to the remote computer. During the
session, both computers are connected, what means that access times
could be long, especially when the remote computer is
overburdened.
[0006] Another method is known as directory replication, a feature
offered by servers equipped with MICROSOFT WINDOWS NT (registered
trademark). Directory replication allows to set up and maintain
identical directories on multiple stations such as servers or
personal computers. Updates made to the files or directories on one
server are periodically replicated to other stations in import
directories. Replication is well adapted for read only files since
import directories that receive copies of the files are overwritten
each time replication occurs. Any modification made on a file in an
import directory is lost at the next replication. Consequently, the
user cannot be sure that the modifications he has made in an import
directory will be saved; the saving procedure has to be done
manually, by means of specific commands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is therefore a general object of the present invention to
provide for a method which allows to access a file in a remote
computer from a local computer in an efficient way and to insure
that any modification of this file is saved.
[0008] According to the invention, in a remote computer, a method
for providing a file comprises the following steps:
[0009] receiving a request for this file,
[0010] identifying this file as being stored in a distant
server,
[0011] requesting the distant server to send the file,
[0012] identifying this file as being used, and
[0013] forwarding this file.
[0014] Besides, in a local server, a method for transferring a file
from a home server comprises the following steps:
[0015] receiving a request for this file, this request comprising
the home server identification,
[0016] checking that this file is not locally stored,
[0017] requesting this file to the home server,
[0018] identifying the file as being locally used, and
[0019] forwarding said file.
[0020] A method for sending back the file to the home server,
wherein is stored an information according to which said file is
locally stored, comprises the following steps:
[0021] receiving a request for this file, the request comprising
the home server identification,
[0022] checking that the file is locally stored,
[0023] forwarding the file to the home server when it has been
locally modified, and
[0024] deleting the information according to which this file is
locally stored.
[0025] Advantageously, this method comprises a further step for
sending an information to the home server when the file has not
been locally modified.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] Embodiments of the present invention are described below by
way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings,
wherein:
[0027] FIG. 1 represents the equipments involved in the
invention,
[0028] FIG. 2 represents the main components of a local file
server,
[0029] FIG. 3 represents the main components of a home file
server,
[0030] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the messages exchange between
the client, the local server and the home server, and
[0031] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the method used in the local
server.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] With reference to FIG. 1, a personal computer or client 10
is connected to a local file server 11 by means of a local area
network 12 itself connected to a wide area network 15, generally
with a router 14. In addition, a remote home file server 17 is also
connected to the wide area network 15 such as Internet either
directly or through another router (not shown) and another local
area network (not shown).
[0033] With reference to FIG. 2, the local file server 11 comprises
a first LAN adapter, 21 where LAN means "Local Area Network". This
adapter is used to transmit and receive messages on the network
with the client 10 and with the home file server 17. Another
component of the local file server 11 is a first disk controller 22
such as a SCSI adapter (SCSI for "Small Computer System interface")
or a RAID adapter (RAID for "Redundant Array of Inexpensive
Disks"). The local server also comprises a first processor 23 to
perform the method which will be described further.
[0034] The local file server 11 comprises in addition a first
memory 25 which includes two specific tables, the local client
table LT1 and the guest client table GT1. Each entry in these
tables corresponds to a user and gives a pointer on one directory
called the directory file.
[0035] With reference to FIG. 3, the remote home file server 17 is
very similar to the local file server 11. It comprises a second LAN
adapter 31, a second disk controller 32, a second processor 23 and
a second memory 35. This memory includes also a local client table
LT2, a guest client table GT2 and it further includes a remotely
logged client table RT2.
[0036] With reference to FIG. 4, a file transfer between the home
file server 17-402 and the client 10-400 will now be described.
There is a set of messages between the client and the local server
11-401 and another set of messages between the local server and the
home server. There is no direct exchange between the client 400 and
the home server 402.
[0037] When the client or personal computer 400 is powered on, it
first runs the BIOS program 403 stored in a read only memory
located in a LAN adapter. The BIOS program performs a remote boot
406 on the local file server 401, using any usual protocol such as
DHCP ("Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol") or BOOTP ("Bootstrap
protocol"). The BIOS program sends a Connection request 404 to the
local server 401 which sends back a login application 405. The
adapter of the personal computer 400 uses a file transfer protocol
such as TFTP ("Trivial File Transfer Protocol"), FTP ("File
Transfer Protocol") or CIFS ("Common Investment File System") for
downloading this login file from the local server 401.
Subsequently, the personal computer 400 runs the login file which
prompts a user of this computer to enter a user identification and
eventually a password 407. The local file server 401 checks whether
the user is one of its clients or not referring to the first local
client table LT1 408. Assuming the user is not one of its clients
and is a guest, this user should be stored in the guest client
table GT1 if this not already done. The local server now requests
the user to enter a home file server identification 409-410. When
this identification is received, the local server forwards 411 the
client request to the home file server 402. In response, the home
server checks 412 that the user is one of its clients (referring to
the second local client table LT2 for instance) and acknowledges
413 the local server to accept this user. In addition, the home
server informs the local server of the operating system files
needed for this user. Usually, most of these files are available at
the local server and therefore need not to be transferred between
both servers. Eventually, the home server sends a file including
user specific data. The local server can transfer the operating
files to the client station 414 and the personal computer 400 can
perform the loading of the operating system 415.
[0038] Additional information on Internet protocols can be found in
a IBM Company publication entitled: TCP/IP tutorial and technical
overview GG24-3376-05, October 1998, edited by the International
Technical Support Organization.
[0039] With reference to FIG. 5, a file transfer 50 is now
described from the local server. First, a test 51 determines
whether the client (user) using the client station is a guest or a
local known client.
[0040] If the client is a local known user ("no" answer), the
requested file is simply transmitted to the client 54.
[0041] If the client is a guest and requests a new file transfer,
the local server first checks 52 whether the file is in the local
client directory or not by means of the guest client table GT1.
[0042] If the file is in the local server ("yes" answer), the local
server sends the file to the client 54.
[0043] If the file is not in the local server ("no" answer), the
local server requests the file to the home server 53, stores this
file in its memory and its identification in the guest client
table, and then forwards the file to the client. The files
modifications made by the client on the personal computer are saved
in the local server, what is state of the art. Moreover, an
indication that the file has been modified is stored in the guest
client table. According to an optional feature, this indication is
also forwarded to the home server.
[0044] On the other hand, when this file is requested by the home
server, the local server checks whether it has been modified or
not.
[0045] If the file has not been modified (answer "no"), this
information is forwarded to the home server.
[0046] If the file has been modified (answer "yes"), the modified
file is forwarded to the home server. In any case, the file is
deleted and the identification of this file is removed from the
guest client table GT1.
[0047] In the home file server 17, when a file has been requested
by a first local server, or when according to the above mentioned
optional feature a file is modified in this local server, a
corresponding information is stored in the remotely logged client
table RT2 together with the identification of the local server.
Thus, when later this file is requested again by the user from
another server or from the home server itself, the home server
first checks if it appears in the remotely logged client table RT2.
If it is the case, this file is first requested to the local server
identified in the table RT2 and it is overwritten on the version
stored in the home server. The information according to which the
file is in the first local server is then deleted in the remotely
logged client table RT2.
[0048] It then appears that the latest version of the file is
always available, either in the home server or in a server
identified in a table of the home server.
[0049] The scope of the present invention is in no way limited to
the above embodiments. In particular, any means or steps could be
replaced by equivalent means, respectively steps.
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