Method and apparatus for peer-to-peer file sharing

• US 20030225796A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi America Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsubara, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,488 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]

Abstract

A peer-to-peer file sharing system includes software components for providing and maintaining a virtual directory in a server system component of the file sharing system. Client system components of the file sharing system cooperate with the server system to facilitate manipulations to the virtual directory.

Claims

1. A peer-to-peer file sharing method comprising:

transmitting from a first client first information indicative of a request to register a first file, the first information comprising information representative of;

the first file, a first address for communicating with the first client, and a first directory pathname;

receiving at a server the first information and in response thereto creating a first link to the first file in a location of a directory contained in the server specified by the first directory pathname;

associating the first address with the first link;

transmitting from a second client second information indicative of a request to create a file link to the first file, the second information comprising information representative of the first file, a second identifier, and a second directory pathname;

receiving at the server the second information and in response thereto creating a second link to the first file in a location in the directory based on the second directory pathname;

associating the first address with the second link; and

receiving at the server, from a requesting client, an access request comprising a reference to the first file link or the second file link, and in response thereto transmitting information representative of the first address to the requesting client,

wherein the requesting client can communicate with the first client to access the first file.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

transmitting from a third client third information indicative of a request to create a subdirectory, the third information including a third directory pathname; and

receiving at the server the third information and in response thereto creating the subdirectory in a location of the directory specified by the third directory pathname.

3. The method of claim 1 further including producing a copy of the first file in a distribution file archive of the first client, the requesting client accessing the copy of the first file to produce a local copy.

4. The method of claim 3 further including:

receiving at the server a request to delete the copy of the first file; and

if it is determined that sufficient permission exists, then communicating a delete instruction to the first client;

the first client in response to receiving the delete command, deleting the copy of the first file.

5. The method of claim 4 transmitting the request to delete the copy of the first file from the first client system.

6. The method of claim 4 transmitting the request to delete the copy of the first file from a client system other than the first client system.

7. The method of claim 3 further including making a payment of a form of currency in exchange for producing the local copy.

8. The method of claim 3 further including:

storing the local copy in a cache file archive of the requesting client;

the requesting client providing access to the local copy from other requesting clients; and

the requesting client receiving a form of currency when the other requesting clients access the local copy.

9. In a server system, a method for peer-to-peer file sharing comprising:

maintaining a directory of file links;

receiving a file registration request comprising information representative of a file, a first address indicative of a location of the file, and a first directory entry in the directory;

creating a first link to the file in a location in the directory based on the first directory entry;

associating the first address with the first link;

receiving a file link creation request comprising information representative of the file and a second directory entry in the directory;

creating a second link to the file in a location in the directory based on the second directory entry;

associating the first address with the second link;

receiving a file access request comprising information representative of the first link or the second link; and

in response to receiving a file access request, communicating the first address to a sender of the file access request.

10. The method of claim 9 further including:

receiving a file link delete request for a specified file link; and

in response to receiving the file link delete request, deleting the specified file link from the directory.

11. The method of claim 9 further including:

receiving a file de-register request for a specified file; and

in response to receiving the file de-register request, deleting all file links associated with the specified file.

12. The method of claim 9 further including:

receiving a delete distribution file request for a specified file;

if there is sufficient permission, then identifying a client system from which the specified file originated; and

communicating to the client system a delete command to delete the specified file from the client system.

13. The method of claim 9 further including the sender accessing the file, and receiving a payment of a form of currency from the sender in exchange for accessing the file.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the sender accesses the file and stores a copy of the file as a cached file in a cache file archive of the sender, the method further including making a payment of a form of currency to the sender in exchange for allowing client systems to access the cached file.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein payment is made each time a client system accesses the sender'"'"'s cached file.

16. In a server system for peer-to-peer file sharing comprising a computer system, a computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage media having contained thereon computer program code, the computer program code suitable for being executed by the computing system, the computer program code comprising;

first program code effective to operate the computer system to maintain a directory of file links;

second program code effective to operate the computer system to receive a file registration request comprising information representative of a file, a first address indicative of a location of the file, and a first directory entry in the directory;

third program code effective to operate the computer system to create a first link to the file in a location in the directory based on the first directory entry;

fourth program code effective to operate the computer system to associate the first address with the first link;

fifth program code effective to operate the computer system to receive a file link creation request comprising information representative of the file and a second directory entry in the directory;

sixth program code effective to operate the computer system to create a second link to the file in a location in the directory based on the second directory entry;

seventh program code effective to operate the computer system to associate the first address with the second link;

eighth program code effective to operate the computer system to receive a file access request comprising informal ion representative of the first link or the second link; and

ninth program code effective to operate the computer system to receive a file access request, and in response thereto to communicate the first address to a sender of the file access request.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 further including tenth program code effective to operate the computer system to receive a payment of a form of currency from the sender when the sender accesses the file.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the sender accesses the file and stores a copy of the file as a cached file in a cache file archive of the sender, the computer program product further including tenth program code effective to operate the computer system to make a payment of a form of currency to the sender in exchange for allowing client systems to access the cached file.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein payment is made each time a client system accesses the sender'"'"'s cached file.

20. A server system for peer-to-peer file sharing comprising:

a computer processor component;

a computer memory component;

a data storage component; and

computer program code stored variously among the computer memory component and the data storage component, the computer program code comprising;

first program code effective to operate the computer processor component to maintain a directory of file links;

second program code effective to operate the computer processor component to receive a file registration request comprising information representative of a file, a first address indicative of a location of the file, and a first directory entry in the directory;

third program code effective to operate the computer processor component to create a first link to the file in a location in the directory based on the first directory entry;

fourth program code effective to operate the computer processor component to associate the first address with the first link;

fifth program code effective to operate the computer processor component to receive a file link creation request comprising information representative of the file and a second directory entry in the directory;

sixth program code effective to operate the computer processor component to create a second link to the file in a location in the directory based on the second directory entry;

seventh program code effective to operate the computer processor component to associate the first address with the second link;

eighth program code effective to operate the computer processor component to receive a file access request comprising information representative of the first link or the second link; and

ninth program code effective to operate the computer processor component to receive a file access request, and in response thereto to communicate the first address to a sender of the file access request.