Remote electronic file builder

• US 20030145306A1
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Published: 07/31/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Orlowski, Timothy S., Melahn, Gregory T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,948,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A method for remotely building electronic files, and a system and product for performing the method. The method includes determining if a repository target file is up-to-date with respect to a repository source file; and if the repository target file is not up-to-date, identifying as a build source a source file that matches the repository source file and building an updated build target file at the host based on the build source file. Build requests can be received and build reports can be displayed over the Web. In addition, the method, system, and product support versioning.

Claims

1. In a system having a repository and a host for accommodating source and target files, a method for building a file at the host, said method comprising the steps of:

determining if a repository target file is up-to-date with respect to a repository source file on the repository, said repository source file and said repository target file corresponding to the file; and

if said repository target file is not up-to-date with respect to the repository source file;

identifying as a build source file a source file that matches said repository source file; and

building an updated build target file at the host based on said build source file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step comprises at least the steps of:

obtaining a repository source build indicator associated with said repository source file and a repository target build indicator associated with said repository target file; and

determining if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said repository target build indicator.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file if said repository target build indicator is the same as said repository source build indicator.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said identifying step comprises at least the step of:

selecting said build source file from either a host source file residing on the host or said repository source file residing on said repository, said selection based on said repository source build indicator and a host source build indicator associated with said host source file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said selecting step comprises at least the steps of:

determining if said host source file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said host source build indicator;

retrieving said repository source file from said repository if said host source file is not up-to-date; and

selecting said retrieved repository source file if retrieved, otherwise selecting said host source file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said host source file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file if said host source build indicator is the same as said repository source build indicator.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file;

determining if a host target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository target file based on said repository target build indicator and a host target build indicator associated with said host target file; and

retrieving said repository target file from said repository if said host target file is not up-to-date.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said host target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository target file if said host target build indicator is the same as said repository target build indicator.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said build indicators are WebDAV properties.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a build request at the host, said build request including parameters; and

identifying said repository based on said parameters.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said build request is generated through a Web browser.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

identifying a version associated with the file based on said parameters;

wherein said repository target'"'"'s version and said repository source'"'"'s version match said identified version.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing said updated build target file to said repository.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

generating a build report in a Web displayable format.

15. In a system having a repository and a host for accommodating source and target files, a method for building a file at the host, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a build request at the host, said build request including parameters;

identifying a repository and a repository source file based on said parameters;

determining if a repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file, said repository source file and said repository target file corresponding to the file; and

if said repository target file is not up-to-date with respect to the repository source file;

identifying as a build source file a source file that matches said repository source file;

building an updated build target file at the host based on said build source file; and

storing said updated build target file to said repository.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

generating a build report in a Web displayable format.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said determining step comprises at least the steps of:

obtaining a repository source build indicator associated with said repository source file and a repository target build indicator associated with said repository target file; and

determining if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said repository target build indicator.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said identifying step comprises at least the steps of:

selecting said build source file from either a host source file residing on the host or said repository source file residing on said repository, said selection based on said repository source build indicator and a host source build indicator associated with said host source file.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said selecting step comprises at least the steps of:

determining if said host source file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said host source build indicator;

retrieving said repository source file from said repository if said host source file is not up-to-date; and

selecting said retrieved repository source file if retrieved, otherwise selecting said host source file.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file;

determining if a host target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository target file based on said repository target build indicator and a host target build indicator associated with said host target file; and

retrieving said repository target file from said repository if said host target file is not up-to-date.

21. A system having a repository and a host for building a file at the host, said system accommodating source and target files, said system comprising:

means for determining if a repository target file is up-to-date with respect to a repository source file on the repository, said repository source file and said repository target file corresponding to the file;

means for identifying as a build source file a source file that matches said repository source file if said repository target file is not up-to-date with respect to the repository source file; and

means for building an updated build target file at the host based on said build source file if said repository target file is not up-to-date with respect to the repository source file.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said determining means comprises at least:

means for obtaining a repository source build indicator associated with said repository source file and a repository target build indicator associated with said repository target file; and

means for determining if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said repository target build indicator.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said identifying means comprises at least:

means for selecting said build source file from either a host source file residing on the host or said repository source file residing on said repository, said selection based on said repository source build indicator and a host source build indicator associated with said host source file.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein said selecting means comprises at least:

means for determining if said host source file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said host source build indicator;

means for retrieving said repository source file from said repository if said host source file is not up-to-date; and

means for selecting said retrieved repository source file if retrieved, otherwise selecting said host source file.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining if a host target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository target file based on said repository target build indicator and a host target build indicator associated with said host target file if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file; and

means for retrieving said repository target file from said repository if said host target file is not up-to-date and said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file.

26. A computer program product for use in a system comprising a repository and a host to build a file at the host, said system accommodating source and target files, said computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer readable program code comprising at least;

computer readable program code for determining if a repository target file is up-to-date with respect to a repository source file on the repository, said repository source file and said repository target file corresponding to the file;

computer readable program code for identifying as a build source file a source file that matches said repository source file if said repository target file is not up-to-date with respect to the repository source file; and

computer readable program code for building an updated build target file at the host based on said build source file if said repository target file is not up-to-date with respect to the repository source file.

27. The product of claim 26, wherein said computer readable program code for determining comprises at least:

computer readable program code for obtaining a repository source build indicator associated with said repository source file and a repository target build indicator associated with said repository target file; and

computer readable program code for determining if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said repository target build indicator.

28. The product of claim 27, wherein said computer readable program code for identifying comprises at least:

computer readable program code for selecting said build source file from either a host source file residing on the host or said repository source file residing on said repository, said selection based on said repository source build indicator and a host source build indicator associated with said host source file.

29. The product of claim 28, wherein said computer readable program code for selecting comprises at least:

computer readable program code for determining if said host source file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file based on said repository source build indicator and said host source build indicator;

computer readable program code for retrieving said repository source file from said repository if said host source file is not up-to-date; and

computer readable program code for selecting said retrieved repository source file if retrieved, otherwise selecting said host source file.

30. The product of claim 26, further comprising:

computer readable program code for determining if a host target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository target file based on said repository target build indicator and a host target build indicator associated with said host target file if said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file; and

computer readable program code for retrieving said repository target file from said repository if said host target file is not up-to-date and said repository target file is up-to-date with respect to said repository source file.