Copying and updating files

• US 20070038688A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Morrill, Jason, Larsson, Josef
• Granted Patent: US 7,490,300 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1844 Management specifically adapted to replicated file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Copied and source files are tracked so that authors of these documents can selectively update these files. Stale copied files can be eliminated. A control is provided to mediate copying of files among servers that have differing security policies. Metadata of a file being copied is downloaded from a server to the control and the control uploads the metadata of the file to one or more servers. A relationship between copied files and source files are memorialized whether or not copied files reside in different namespaces from the namespace of the source files.

Claims

1. A networked system, comprising:

a first server with a first security policy containing a file at a first address; and

a browser that displays options selectable to reproduce the file at the first address as a copy of the file at a second address within the server with the first security policy, the options including an option to update the copy of the file automatically when the file has been changed.

2. The networked system of claim 1, further comprising a second server with a second security policy different from the first security policy of the first server, the networked system further comprising a control that facilitates the reproduction of the file as another copy on the second server.

3. A computer-readable medium having one or more data structures stored thereon for tracking copies of a file, comprising:

a destinations field that stores a pointer to another data structure that contains addresses of the copies of the file;

a version field that stores a version of the file; and

a source field that contains an address of another file from which the file was copied.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the another data structure includes one or more copy destination tags that contain addresses of copies of the file.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the addresses include Web addresses.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the another data structure includes an attribute that specifies whether a copy is to be updated when the file has been changed.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, wherein the another data structure includes another attribute that specifies an alias of a user who creates the copy.

8. A computer-implemented method for copying files, comprising:

receiving events that indicate an act of hovering a pointer over a file to invoke a context menu, which displays an option to send a copy of the file to an address and another option to go to the source of the file; and

displaying a fly-out menu when the option to send the copy of the file to an address is selected, the fly-out menu displaying three categories of menu items that are selected from a group consisting of copying to suggested destinations, upgrading copies, and specifying new locations.

9. The method of claim 8, further presenting a window when the menu item for specifying new locations is selected, the window providing a first text box adapted to receive an address, a second text box adapted to receive a name for the copy, an indication of whether the copy is to receive updates, and another indication of whether an alert is sent when an update is available.

10. The method of claim 8, further presenting a window when the menu item for upgrading copies is selected, the window providing click boxes for each copy of the file for a particular address, the click boxes being selectable to indicate that an upgrade is to be sent.

11. The method of claim 8, further presenting a window that lists namespaces and addresses under the namespaces where copies of the file will be reproduced, the window including a button that is selectable to indicate that copying shall proceed and another button that is selectable to terminate the copying.

12. The method of claim 8, further presenting a window that lists namespaces and addresses under the namespaces where attempts have been tried to reproduce the copies of the file, the window indicating whether the copying at each address terminates successfully or terminates in failure, the window including a button that is selectable to indicate that copying shall be attempted again for copying that terminates in failure.

13. The method of claim 8, further presenting a text box that indicates that a file is a copy of another file, the text box further indicating an address of the another file, the text box further presenting an upgrade link that is selectable to upgrade copies of the another file.

14. The method of claim 8, further presenting a window that displays copies that requested updates and copies that did not request updates.