File system interface to web and network services

• US 20070162564A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Markel, Arieh, Schow, Peter, Williams, Gregory, Son-Bell, Mark, Meske, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 9,241,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A method for providing an interface to a service for a plurality of clients by a backend data center using a remote file system that includes receiving a first file by the remote file system from a client of the plurality of clients, determining the service associated with the first file, reformatting the first file based on the service, transmitting the reformatted first file as a request to the service, receiving a response from the service based on the request, and storing the response in a second file on the remote file system, wherein the second file is accessed remotely by the client from the remote file system, and wherein the first file is simultaneously visible to the client and the backend data center.

Claims

1. A method for providing an interface to a service for a plurality of clients by a backend data center using a remote file system comprising:

receiving a first file by the remote file system from a client of the plurality of clients;

determining the service associated with the first file;

reformatting the first file based on the service;

transmitting the reformatted first file as a request to the service;

receiving a response from the service based on the request; and

storing the response in a second file on the remote file system,

wherein the second file is accessed remotely by the client from the remote file system, and

wherein the first file is simultaneously visible to the client and the backend data center.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is a commerce service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is a patch retrieval service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is a management service.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is a component of the backend data center.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client accesses the remote file system using the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote file system uses a hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the service associated with the first file is determined by the location of the first file within the hierarchy.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the second file between the remote file system and a cache of the remote file system.

10. A backend data center for providing an interface comprising:

a service for processing a request for a client of a plurality of clients; and

a remote file system for;

receiving a first file from the client of the plurality of clients;

determining the service associated with the first file;

reformatting the first file based on the service;

transmitting the reformatted first file as the request from the remote file system to the service;

receiving a response from the service based on the request; and

storing the response in a second file on the remote file system,

wherein the second file is accessed remotely by the client from the remote file system, and

wherein the first file is simultaneously visible to the client and the backend data center.

11. The backend data center of claim 10, wherein the service is a commerce service.

12. The backend data center of claim 10, wherein the service is a patch retrieval service.

13. The backend data center of claim 10, wherein the service is a management service.

14. The backend data center of claim 10, wherein the client accesses the remote file system using the Internet.

15. The backend data center of claim 10, wherein the remote file system uses a hierarchy.

16. The backend data center of claim 15, wherein determining the service associated with the first file is determined by the location of the first file within the hierarchy.

17. The backend data center of claim 10, wherein accessing the second file remotely by the client from the remote file system is performed using a satellite server.

18. The backend data center of claim 17, wherein the second file is synchronized between the remote file system and a cache on the satellite server.

19. A computer system for providing an interface to a service for a plurality of clients by

a backend data center comprising:

a remote file system for receiving a first file from a client of the plurality of clients;

a processor within the computer system for executing software instructions to;

determine the service associated with the first file;

reformat the first file based on the service;

transmit the reformatted first file as a request to the service;

receive a response from the service based on the request; and

store the response in a second file on the remote file system,

wherein the second file is accessed remotely by the client from the remote file system, and

wherein the first file is simultaneously visible to the client and the backend data center.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising synchronizing the second file between the remote file system and a cache of the remote file system.