Virtual file-sharing network
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for enabling access to a data resource, which is held on a file server (25) on a first local area network (LAN) (21a), by a client (28) on a second LAN (21b). A proxy receiver (48) on the second LAN (21b) intercepts a request for the data resource submitted by the client (28) and transmits a message via a wide area network (WAN) (29) to a proxy transmitter (52) on the first LAN (21a), requesting the data resource. The proxy transmitter (52) retrieves a replica of the data resource from the file server (25) and conveys the replica of the data resource over the WAN (29) to the proxy receiver (48), which serves the replica of the data resource from the proxy receiver (48) to the client (28) over the second LAN (21b).
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Citations
366 Claims
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1-76. -76. (Canceled)
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77. A method for enabling access to a data resource, which is held on a file server on a first local area network (LAN), by a client on a second LAN, the method comprising:
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conveying a replica of the data resource over a wide area network (WAN) from the file server to a cache held by a proxy receiver on the second LAN;
intercepting at the proxy receiver a file system request for the data resource submitted by the client over the second LAN;
checking the cache to determine whether the replica of the data resource is present in the cache and valid; and
responsive to the file system request and to determining that the replica is present and valid, serving the replica of the data resource from the cache of the proxy receiver to the client over the second LAN. - View Dependent Claims (78, 82, 85, 87, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 105, 107, 108, 109, 110, 112, 113, 114)
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79-81. -81. (Canceled)
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83-84. -84. (Canceled)
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86. (Canceled)
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89. (Canceled)
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101-104. -104. (Canceled)
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106. (Canceled)
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111. (Canceled)
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115-116. -116. (Canceled)
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117. A method for enabling access to data resources held on a file server on a first local area network (LAN) by a client on a second LAN, the method comprising:
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reading metadata from the file server using a proxy transmitter on the first LAN;
transmitting the metadata via a wide area network (WAN) from the proxy transmitter to a proxy receiver on the second LAN; and
based on the metadata, constructing at the proxy receiver a directory of the data resources on the file server, for use by the client in accessing the data resources. - View Dependent Claims (119, 120, 121)
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118. (Canceled)
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122-200. -200. (Canceled)
- 201. Apparatus for enabling access to a data resource, which is held on a file server on a first local area network (LAN), by a client on a second LAN, the apparatus comprising a proxy receiver, which is located on the second LAN and comprises a cache, and which is adapted to retrieve a replica of the data resource from the file server over a wide area network (WAN) to the cache, to intercept a file system request for the data resource submitted by the client over the second LAN, to check the cache to determine whether the replica of the data resource is present in the cache and valid, and, responsive to the file system request and to determining that the replica is present and valid, to serve the replica of the data resource from the cache to the client over the second LAN.
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203-205. -205. (Canceled)
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207-208. -208. (Canceled)
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210. (Canceled)
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213. (Canceled)
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225-228. -228. (Canceled)
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230. (Canceled)
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235. (Canceled)
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239-240. -240. (Canceled)
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241. Apparatus for enabling access to data resources held on a file server on a first local area network (LAN) by a client on a second LAN, the apparatus comprising:
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a proxy transmitter, located on the first LAN and adapted to read metadata from the file server, to transmit the metadata via a wide area network (WAN) to the second LAN; and
a proxy receiver, located on the second LAN, which is adapted to construct a directory, based on the metadata, of the data resources on the file server, for use by the client in accessing the data resources. - View Dependent Claims (243, 244, 245)
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242. (Canceled)
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246-324. -324. (Canceled)
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325. A computer software product for enabling access to a data resource, which is held on a file server on a first local area network (LAN), by a client on a second LAN, the product comprising a computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer on the second LAN, cause the computer to operate as a proxy receiver having a cache, so as to retrieve a replica of the data resource from the file server over a wide area network (WAN) to the cache, to intercept a file system request for the data resource submitted by the client over the second LAN, to check the cache to determine whether the replica of the data resource is present in the cache and valid, and, responsive to the file system request and to determining that the replica is present and valid, to serve the replica of the data resource from the cache to the client over the second LAN.
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326-364. -364. (Canceled)
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365. A computer software product for enabling access to data resources held on a file server on a first local area network (LAN) by a client on a second LAN, the product comprising a computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a first computer on the first LAN, cause the first computer to operate as a proxy transmitter, so as to read metadata from the file server, and to transmit the metadata via a wide area network (WAN) to the second LAN, and which instructions, when read by a second computer on the second LAN, cause the second computer to operate as a proxy receiver, and to construct a directory, based on the metadata, of the data resources on the file server, for use by the client in accessing the data resources.
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366-372. -372. (Canceled)
Specification