Electronic document management method and program

• US 20030187881A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Murata, Ken, Sasahara, Makoto, Shirakata, Taizo
• Granted Patent: US 7,188,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1734 Details of monitoring file system events, e.g. by the use of hooks, filter drivers, logs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99955 Archiving or backup

Abstract

A subordinate server creates an event notice list, that is a list of the stored electronic document files having a high use frequency, and copies it onto a host server such that the host server holds it on a subordinate server-by-server basis. When an electronic document file is changed in a certain subordinate server, the subordinate server copies the changed electronic document file onto the host server, and at the same time, checks if the changed document file is present on an event notice list of another subordinate server held by the host server, and notifies a change event to the other subordinate server for storing it on a change history list, only when the file is present. If the subordinate server is requested for looking up an electronic document file, and the requested electronic document file is present on the change history list, the subordinate server copies the corresponding electronic document file from the host server for allowing the requester to look up.

Claims

1. An electronic document management method in which an electronic document file is kept in a host server, the electronic document file being copied onto a plurality of subordinate servers so that clients look up or change the electronic document file in each subordinate server, the method comprising:

creating an event notice list for electronic document files kept in the subordinate server, the event notice list being a list of electronic document files having a high frequency of use, and copying the event notice list onto the host server so that the host server keeps the event notice list on a subordinate-server-by-subordinate-server basis;

when a change of an electronic document file takes place in a certain subordinate server, copying the changed electronic document file onto the host server, making a check of whether the changed electronic document file is present or not on the event notice lists of the other subordinate servers kept by the host server, and only when the file is present, notifying a change event to the other subordinate servers to store the change event on a change history list; and

when the subordinate server receives a request for looking up an electronic document file, and if the requested electronic document file is present on the change history list, copying the corresponding electronic document file from the host server such that the requester is allowed to look up the file.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the change of the electronic document file includes adding an electronic tag to the electronic document file.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subordinate server creates a log when a client looks up or changes an electronic document file, and at a predetermined timing, accumulates the look-up number of times and updating number of times from the log, the subordinate server if the accumulated number of times exceeds a predetermined number of times, creating the event notice list for copying onto the host server.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subordinate server deletes the change history of an already copied electronic document file from the change history list, if the looked up electronic document file is present on the change history list such that the corresponding electronic document file is copied from the host server for allowing the client to look up the file.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the subordinate server looks up the event notice list if the electronic document file requested for looking up is not present on the change history list, and wherein the subordinate server allows the client to look up the electronic document file stored in an electronic document storage if it is present on the event notice list.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the subordinate server copies an electronic document file stored in the host server onto the electronic document storage area for allowing the client to look up the file, if the electronic document file requested for looking up is not present in the electronic document storage area.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein if the electronic document file requested for looking up is present in the electronic document storage area, and if the last updating date of the electronic document file stored in the host server is most recent, the subordinate server copies the electronic document file onto the electronic document storage area for allowing the client to look up.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when a competition of change takes place, after clients add an electronic tag to the same electronic document file copied from the host server for updating the file, in a plurality of subordinate servers, so that the updated electronic document files are copied onto the host server simultaneously in terms of the time, all the electronic tags added in each subordinate server are merged and added to the electronic document file.

9. An electronic document management method for a subordinate server in which when a plurality of electronic document files kept in a host server are copied, clients look up or change the plurality of electronic document files, the method comprising:

creating an event notice list for the stored electronic document files, the event notice list being a list of electronic document files having a high frequency of use, and copying the list onto the host server such that the host server keeps the lists on a subordinate-server-by-subordinate-server basis, and if a change is made in an electronic document file, copying the changed electronic document file onto the host server;

storing on a change history list a change event to be notified when the electronic document file, that is changed by another subordinate server, is present on the event notice list of its own held by the host server; and

copying the corresponding electronic document file from the host server for allowing looking up, when an electronic document file is requested for looking up, and if the requested electronic document file is present on the change history list.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the change of the electronic document file includes adding an electronic tag to the electronic document file.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising creating a log when a client looks up or changes an electronic document file, and at a predetermined timing, accumulating the look-up number of times and updating number of times from the log, and if the accumulated number of times exceeds a predetermined number of times, creating the event notice list for copying onto the host server.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising deleting the change history of an already copied electronic document file from the change history list, if the looked up electronic document file is present on the change history list such that the corresponding electronic document file is copied from the host server for allowing the client to look up the file.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising looking up the event notice list if the electronic document file requested for looking up is not present on the change history list, and allowing the client to look up the electronic document file stored in an electronic document storage if it is present on the event notice list.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising copying an electronic document file stored in the host server onto the electronic document storage area for allowing the client to look up the file, if the electronic document file requested for looking up is not present in the electronic document storage area.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising, if the electronic document file requested for looking up is present in the electronic document storage area, and if the last updating date of the electronic document file stored in the host server is most recent, copying the electronic document file onto the electronic document storage area for allowing the client to look up.

16. An electronic document management method for a host server which keeps an electronic document file, the host server copying the electronic document file onto a plurality of subordinate servers such that clients look up and change the file in each subordinate server, the method comprising:

copying from the subordinate server an event notice list for the electronic document files stored in the subordinate server, the event notice list being a list of electronic document files having a high frequency of use, to hold the copied list on a subordinate-server-by-subordinate-server basis;

when a change of an electronic document file takes place in a certain subordinate server, copying the changed electronic document file and checking whether the changed electronic document file is present on an event notice list of another subordinate server, and only when the file is present, notifying a change event to the other subordinate servers, for storing the change event on the change history list; and

only when an electronic document file requested for look up in the subordinate server is present on the change history list, copying the corresponding electronic document file onto the subordinate server for looking up.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the change of an electronic document file includes adding an electronic tag to an electronic document file in the subordinate server.

18. A method according to claim 16, wherein when a competition of change takes place, after clients add an electronic tag to the same electronic document file for updating the file, in a plurality of subordinate servers, so that the updated electronic document files are copied onto the host server simultaneously in terms of the time, all the electronic tags added in each subordinate server are merged and added to the electronic document file.

19. A program allowing a computer forming a subordinate server, on which a plurality of electronic document files kept in a host server are copied such that the client is allowed to look up or change the files, to execute:

a step of creating an event notice list for the stored electronic document files, the event notice list being a list of electronic document files having a high frequency of use, and copying the list onto the host server such that the host server keeps the lists on a subordinate-server-by-subordinate-server basis;

a step of, if a change is made in an electronic document file, copying the changed electronic document file onto the host server;

a step of storing on a change history list a change event to be notified when the electronic document file, that is changed by another subordinate server, is present on the event notice list of its own held by the host server; and

a step of copying the corresponding electronic document file from the host server for allowing looking up, when an electronic document file is requested for looking up, and if the requested electronic document file is present on the change history list.

20. A program allowing a computer forming a host server which stores an electronic document file and which copies the electronic document file onto a plurality of subordinate servers such that the client looks up or changes the electronic document file in each subordinate server, to execute:

a step of copying from the subordinate server an event notice list for the electronic document files stored in the subordinate server, the event notice list being a list of electronic document files having a high frequency of use, to hold the copied list on a subordinate-server-by-subordinate-server basis;

a step of, when a change of an electronic document file takes place in a certain subordinate server, copying the changed electronic document file and checking whether the changed electronic document file is present on an event notice list of another subordinate server, and only when the file is present, notifying a change event to the other subordinate servers, for storing the change event on the change history list; and

a step of, only when an electronic document file requested for look up in the subordinate server is present on the change history list, copying the corresponding electronic document file onto the subordinate server for looking up.