Object-oriented method and system for transfrring a file system

• US 20020078065A1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Agulhon, Isabelle
• Granted Patent: US 6,912,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103R
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99946 Object-oriented database structure network

Abstract

An object-oriented method and system for transferring a file system including folders and data files from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit to a destination data storage controlled by a destination data processing unit over a transfer medium. This method consists in building in the source data storage at least one file object containing the data package to be transferred, generating a descriptor file including the parameters associated with the file object, generating an archive file including the data package, and transmitting the descriptor file and the archive file from the source data processing unit to the destination data processing unit over the transfer medium.

Claims

1. An object-oriented method for transferring a file system including folders and data files from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit to a destination data storage controlled by a destination data processing unit over a transfer medium, said method comprising the steps of:

building in said source data storage at least one file object containing a data package to be transferred;

generating a descriptor file including parameters associated with said file object;

generating an archive file including said data package; and

transmitting said descriptor file and said archive file from said source data processing unit to said destination data processing unit over said transfer medium.

2. An object-oriented method according to claim 1, wherein said file object is built by using a file transfer tool model including:

a header containing the following functions;

set directory name, get environment, set environment, create, and install data; and

a body containing the following items;

directory name, installed directory, size, version, and data package.

3. An object-oriented method according to claim 1, wherein said file object is a component object corresponding to files which are associated with a directory.

4. An object-oriented method according to claim 1, wherein said file object is an object corresponding to files which are associated with a root directory.

5. An object-oriented method according to claim 1, wherein the steps of generating said descriptor file and generating said archive file comprise the steps of:

defining the descriptor file in said source data storage;

setting a directory name in said descriptor file;

creating said archive file from the data package; and

setting remaining parameters in said descriptor file.

6. An object-oriented method according to claim 5, wherein said remaining parameters comprise installed directory, size, and version.

7. An object-oriented method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

reading a received descriptor file;

defining a file object from information contained in said descriptor file;

setting an environment parameter of said file object with a value got from said descriptor file; and

unarchiving data contained in the received archive file and installing said data in said destination data storage.

8. An object-oriented method for receiving in a destination storage controlled by a destination data processing unit a file system which is transferred from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit, comprising the steps of:

reading a received descriptor file;

defining a file object from information contained in said descriptor file;

setting an environment parameter of said file object with a value got from said descriptor file; and

unarchiving data contained in the received archive file and installing said data in said destination data storage.

9. An object-oriented system for transferring a file system including folders and data files from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit to a destination data storage controlled by a destination data processing unit over a transfer medium, said system comprising:

means for building in said source data storage at least one file object containing a data package to be transferred;

means for generating a descriptor file including parameters associated with said file object;

means for generating an archive file including said data package; and

means for transmitting said descriptor file and said archive file from said source data processing unit to said destination data processing unit over said transfer medium.

10. An object-oriented system according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for reading a received descriptor file;

means for defining a file object from information contained in said descriptor file;

means for setting an environment parameter of said file object with a value got from said descriptor file; and

means for unarchiving data contained in the received archive file and installing said data in said destination data storage.

11. An object-oriented system for receiving in a destination storage controlled by a destination data processing unit a file system which is transferred from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit, comprising:

means for reading a received descriptor file;

means for defining a file object from information contained in said descriptor file;

means for setting an environment parameter of said file object with a value got from said descriptor file; and

means for unarchiving data contained in the received archive file and installing said data in said destination data storage.

13. A program storage device to claim 12, said method steps further comprising:

reading a received descriptor file;

defining a file object from information contained in said descriptor file;

setting an environment parameter of said file object with a value got from said descriptor file; and

unarchiving data contained in the received archive file and installing said data in said destination data storage.

12. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform object-oriented method steps for transferring a file system including folders and data files from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit to a destination data storage controlled by a destination data processing unit over a transfer medium, said method steps comprising

building in said source data storage at least one file object containing a data package to be transferred;

generating a descriptor file including parameters associated with said file object;

generating an archive file including said data package; and

transmitting said descriptor file and said archive file from said source data processing unit to said destination data processing unit over said transfer medium.

14. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform object-oriented method steps for receiving in a destination storage controlled by a destination data processing unit a file system which is transferred from a source data storage controlled by a source data processing unit, said method steps comprising

reading a received descriptor file;

defining a file object from information contained in said descriptor file;

setting an environment parameter of said file object with a value got from said descriptor file; and

unarchiving data contained in the received archive file and installing said data in said destination data storage.