Method and apparatus for providing a web-based active virtual file system

• US 20040249902A1
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles M. Zwick, Mohammad Reza Sadri, Patrick B. Osterday, Vali Tadayon
• Original Assignee: Charles M. Zwick, Mohammad Reza Sadri, Patrick B. Osterday, Vali Tadayon
• Inventors: Sadri, Mohammad Reza, Osterday, Patrick B., Tadayon, Vali, Zwick, Charles M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A computerized file system is provided that is accessible by users over the Internet or other type of network, in which certain “triggering events” pertaining to the operation of the file system automatically generate a notification message to certain of the users. Once a user has been properly authenticated, this user'"'"'s access rights are determined to see whether the user can read, write, or read/write files on the file server of the file system, and these rights also determine if the user may download files from or upload files to the file server. An Automatic Notification function checks to see if any “triggering” events have occurred when a user performs a particular task. The Automatic Notification function defines what exact type of event will become a triggering event, and also defines what will be the triggering action, once the triggering event occurs, and stores this information in a database. In the preferred embodiment, these Automatic Notification messages are transmitted via E-mail technology. By use of E-mail-type messages, the notification process can be initiated simultaneously for all users who are to receive any such notification message. The Auto-notification function can also comprise other programs that are launched to perform certain tasks. The precise type of auto-notification message is fully configurable for each component in the file system. More than one single file can be stored having the same virtual filename, at least as far as the individual users can determine. The actual filename on the file server is always unique for each individual file, and the actual filenames are stored in a “Files Table,” and links to the files are stored in the database.

Claims

1. A computerized active file system, comprising:

a memory circuit for storing data;

a communications port that is in communication with a network, said communications port being configured to transmit and receive data over said network; and

a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port;

said processing circuit also being configured to control said memory circuit so as to operate as a file server;

said processing circuit being further configured to automatically cause a notification message to be sent to said network upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined triggering event pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type and content of automatic notification message are configurable under the control of an auto-notification computer program routine residing on said computerized active file system.

2. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and said associated automatic notification messages are configurable by a systems administrator.

3. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said associated automatic notification messages are transmitted over said network by use of one of:

(a) E-mail message technology, and (b) a predetermined rules-based function.

4. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory circuit comprises random access memory (RAM) and a hard disk drive.

5. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 4, wherein said file server comprises:

(1) said hard disk drive, (2) said RAM, and (3) control software that stores and retrieves groupings of data organized as individual files onto and from said hard disk drive, while utilizing said RAM for temporary storage of data that make up portions of said files or entire said files.

6. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a database that contains information relating to said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type of automatic notification message.

7. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a web server that is in communication with one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers.

8. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

at least one user that is in communication with said one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers;

said at least one user having a computer platform that contains browser software and graphical user interface software.

9. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 8, wherein said associated automatic notification messages are transmitted over said network to predetermined of said at least one user by use of one of:

(a) E-mail message technology, and (b) a predetermined rules-based function.

10. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(1) an authentication function, (2) an access rights function, (3) a user management function, (4) a group management function, (5) a modules management function, and (6) an objects management function.

11. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 10, further comprising:

a function that imports users and groups from other computer systems.

12. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said triggering event comprises one of said file server granting access to:

(1) read a file, (2) write a file, (3) read/write a file, (4) download a file, and (5) upload a file.

13. A method for operating a computerized active file system, comprising:

providing a file server having a memory circuit for storing data, a communications port for transmitting and receiving data over a network, and a processing circuit that controls the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port, said file server treating predetermined data groups as single file entities; and

automatically causing a notification message to be sent to said network upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined triggering event pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type and content of automatic notification message are configurable under the control of an auto-notification computer program routine residing on said computerized active file system.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

configuring, by a systems administrator, said at least one predetermined triggering event and said associated automatic notification messages.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event comprises a complex event.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

storing in a database information relating to said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type of automatic notification message.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting over said network said associated automatic notification messages by use of one of;

(a) E-mail message technology, and (b) a predetermined rules-based function.

18. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said automatic notification message comprises a complex action.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said complex action comprises launching an application program.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said application program is launched for a user that is in communication with said file server over a Local Area Network, said user having a computer platform that contains browser software and graphical user interface software.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

providing a web server that is in communication with said file server and one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers;

providing at least one user that is in communication with said one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers;

said at least one user having a computer platform that contains browser software and graphical user interface software; and

upon the occurrence of one of said automatic notification messages, a link contained within said automatic notification message opens said at least one user'"'"'s browser software and takes the user to a folder or object that was just triggered.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein a distribution of said automatic notification messages is determined by:

(1) a type of said at least one predetermined triggering event, and (2) a predetermined set of said at least one user, as per a group definition.

23. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

(1) providing at least two users that are in communication with said file server over said network; and

(2) storing more than one single file under an identical virtual filename as presented to said at least two users as a Display Name, while storing said more than one single file under unique actual filenames in a Files Table contained within said memory circuit along with a link to a location of said more than one single file in a virtual folder, wherein said location is based upon;

(a) a setting in a database and (b) a username of the virtual folder where the file is being uploaded to with said file server.

24. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

(1) an authentication function, (2) an access rights function, (3) a user management function, (4) a group management function, (5) a modules management function, and (6) an objects management function.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

importing users and groups from other computer systems.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

controlling a plurality of objects by use of said modules management function and said objects management function, wherein said plurality of objects each comprises one of;

a file, calendar, contact, report, and E-mail message.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

controlling, by use of said access rights function, a user'"'"'s rights to read, write, or read/write a file being downloaded from or uploaded to said file server.

28. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said triggering event comprises one of said file server granting access to:

(1) read a file, (2) write a file, (3) read/write a file, (4) download a file, and (5) upload a file.

29. The method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

seamlessly encrypting data while uploading a file to said file server.

30. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said file server operations run on top of another architecture that also runs on said processing circuit.

31. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein a system for tracking bugs and fixes runs on top of said file server operations, also on said processing circuit.

32. A computerized active virtual file system, comprising:

a memory circuit for storing data;

a communications port that is in communication with a network, said communications port being configured to transmit and receive data over said network; and

a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port;

said processing circuit also being configured to control said memory circuit so as to operate as a file server;

said processing circuit being further configured to control the access rights over said network of a plurality of users to files stored on, or uploaded to, said file server, while providing an automatic notification message to predetermined of said plurality of users over said network when a triggering event occurs pertaining to the operation of said file server.

33. The computerized active virtual file system as recited in claim 32, wherein said triggering event comprises one of said file server granting access to:

(1) read a file, (2) write a file, (3) read/write a file, (4) download a file, and (5) upload a file.

34. The computerized active virtual file system as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one triggering event and its associated type and content of automatic notification message are configurable under the control of an auto-notification computer program routine residing on said computerized active virtual file system.

35. The computerized active virtual file system as recited in claim 32, wherein said at least one triggering event and its associated type and content of automatic notification message are sent via an E-mail message to virtually immediately notify said predetermined users who are currently logged-on of appropriate site activity at said file server, wherein others of said predetermined users are notified upon their next login session.