Method and system for differential distributed data file storage, management and access
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing access to a file across a network using a differential file server comprising:
- receiving a differential file request for a file having a primary copy on a server connected to the differential file server;
storing, a differential file server local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
updating the differential file server local copy using a delta section if required;
determining if a file transmission is necessary; and
transmitting the required differential portions of the file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system providing a distributed filesystem and distributed filesystem protocol utilizing a version-controlled filesystem with two-way differential transfer across a network is disclosed. A remote client interacts with a distributed file server across a network. Files having more than one version are maintained as version-controlled files having a literal base and at least one delta section. The client maintains a local cache of files from the distributed server that are utilized. If a later version of a file is transferred across a network, the transfer may include only the required delta sections.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for providing access to a file across a network using a differential file server comprising:
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receiving a differential file request for a file having a primary copy on a server connected to the differential file server;
storing, a differential file server local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
updating the differential file server local copy using a delta section if required;
determining if a file transmission is necessary; and
transmitting the required differential portions of the file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for utilizing files across a network using a client comprising:
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receiving a differential file request for a file;
storing, a client local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
determining if a file update is required; and
if required, receiving a file update. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18)
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13. A system for providing access to a file across a network using a differential file server comprising:
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a differential file server having a data processor connected to a differential file client using a network;
a storage device connected to the data processor;
the storage device storing a logic program; and
the data processor operative with the logic program to perform;
receiving a differential file request for a file having a primary copy on a server connected to the differential file server;
storing, a differential file server local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
updating the differential file server local copy using a delta section if required;
determining if a file transmission is necessary; and
transmitting the required differential portions of the file.
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16. A system for utilizing files across a network using a client comprising:
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a client having a data processor connected to a network;
a storage device connected to the data processor;
the storage device storing a logic program; and
the data processor operative with the logic program to perform;
receiving a differential file request for a file;
storing, a client local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
determining if a file update is required; and
if required, receiving a file update
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19. An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code means including;
means for receiving a differential file request for a file having a primary copy on a server connected to the differential file server;
means for storing, a differential file server local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
means for updating the differential file server local copy using a delta section if required;
means for determining if a file transmission is necessary; and
means for transmitting the required differential portions of the file.
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20. An article of manufacture comprising:
a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code means including;
means for receiving a differential file request for a file;
means for storing, a client local copy of at least one version of the file, wherein at least one version includes a base version associated with a literal base section;
means for determining if a file update is required; and
means for receiving a file update if required.
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21. A system for efficiently servicing a client-originated file system request, the system comprising:
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a client computer operating under an operating system adapted to utilize one or more network file-system clients, the client computer being operably connected to a first local network;
a server computer operating network file-system server, the server computer being operably connected to a second local network;
a cache server having a cache and being operably connected to the first local network and a wide area network;
a gateway server operably connected to the second local network and the wide area network;
at least one of the one or more network file-system clients being adapted to make a client-originated file system requests;
the network file-system server being adapted to service file system requests;
the cache server being adapted to receive the client-originated file system request from the at least one of the one or more network file-system clients, and in response thereto, servicing the request by first determining what information, if any, is not current and present in the cache but would be required to service the client-originated file system request, then, if any information is determined to be required, update the information by tunneling one or more wide area requests over the wide area network to the gateway server; and
then responding to the client-originated file system request; and
the gateway server being adapted to receive and process the one or more wide area requests tunneled over the wide area network from the cache server, and in response thereto, generating one or more gateway-originated file system requests corresponding to the one or more wide area requests on the second local network, thereby updating the information; and
tunneling the updated information to the cache server over the wide area network. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 25, 26)
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24. A system for efficiently servicing a file system request, the system comprising:
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a client computer operating under an operating system adapted to utilize one or more network file-system clients, the client computer being operably connected to a wide area network;
a server computer operating network file-system server, the server computer being operably connected to a local network;
a gateway server operably connected to the local network and the wide area network;
the network file-system server being adapted to service gateway-originated file system requests;
a software cache server operating on the client computer, the software cache server having a cache and being adapted to act as one of the one or more network file-system clients, the software cache server being further adapted to receive a file system request from the operating system, and in response thereto, servicing the file system request by first determining what information, if any, is not current and present in the cache but would be required to service the file system request, then, if any information is determined to be required, updating the information by tunneling one or more wide area requests over the wide area network to the gateway server; and
then responding to the file system request; and
the gateway server being adapted to receive and process the one or more wide area requests tunneled over the wide area network from the cache server, and in response thereto, generating one or more gateway-originated file system requests corresponding to the one or more wide area requests on the second local network, thereby updating the information; and
tunneling the information to the cache server over the wide area network.
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Specification