TRANSIENT STORAGE IN DISTRIBUTED COLLABORATIVE COMPUTING ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20070239695A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Twitter Inc (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chakra, Al, Ogle, David, Kaminsky, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/457 containing identifiers of data entities on a computer, e.g. file names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Content files are managed and tracked in a distributed collaborative computing environment to receive, store, and maintain content descriptor data associated with a distributed content files in a central directory registry. The central directory registry can be accessed by a plurality of remote distributed computing devices via one or more network connections. The remote distributed computing devices create content files using locally hosted software applications. Upon saving the content file to a portable or transient storage device connected to a computing device, content descriptor data comprised of administrative data pertaining to the content file and associated with the content file is created and forwarded to the central directory server.

Claims

1. A method of managing and tracking content files in a distributed collaborative computing environment, comprising:

storing content descriptor data pertaining to a content file storable on a portable storage device that is associable with a remote computing device; and

adding the content descriptor data to a central directory registry of content descriptor data for other content files being managed and tracked,

wherein the central directory registry is accessible to at least one remote computing device within the distributed collaborative computing environment such that the at least one remote computing device can locate and obtain a copy of the content file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the content descriptor data in a central directory server responsible for managing and tracking content files in a distributed collaborative computing environment.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming the content descriptor data, wherein forming the content descriptor data comprises at least one of:

assigning unique file identifier data to distinguish the content file from the other content files;

receiving file name data;

receiving file owner data for indicating an identity of at least one of a creator of the content file and an entity responsible for the content file;

determining current file holder data for indicating which user is currently working with the file;

determining file status data for indicating whether the content file is currently on-line or off-line;

receiving access control list data for indicating which users have access to the content file and the privileges each user has with respect to the content file;

receiving notification list data for indicating which users receive a status update when the status of the content file is changed; and

determining current location data for indicating where the content file can be retrieved in response to the content file being on-line.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining current location data comprises determining a combination IP address and file directory address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying anyone on a notification list in response to a change in status of the content file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein notifying anyone on the notification list comprises providing sufficient information to identify a current location of the content file in the distributed collaborative computing environment and any changes in the current location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising treating the content file as persistent content in response to the content file being on-line.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a status of the content file by at least one of a group comprising active notification, leases and heartbeats.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing an owner of the content file to override a current holder of the content file and to replace an off-line version of the content file with a new version; and

rejecting any revisions to the content file in response to the current holder attempting to return the off-line version to the distributed collaborative environment.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating a current holder of the content file in response to the current holder attempting to put the content file back on-line; and

updating the central directory registry to point to a current location of the content file in response to the authentication being successful.

11. A system for managing and tracking content files in a distributed collaborative computing environment comprising:

a central directory server; and

a directory registry accessible via the central directory server to store content descriptor data associated with a content file storable on a portable storage device, wherein the content descriptor data comprises data related to a current location of the content file in response to the content file being accessible in the distributed collaborative computing environment.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the content descriptor data associated with the content file comprises at least one of:

unique file identifier data to distinguish the content file from the other content files;

file name data for providing an alpha-numeric file identification file reference to assist when listing the content files maintained by the central directory registry;

file owner data for indicating which user created the content file;

current file holder data for indicating which user is currently working with the file;

file status data for indicating whether the content file is currently on-line or off-line;

access control list data for indicating which users have access to the content file and the privileges each user has with respect to the content file;

notification list data for indicating which users receive a status update when the status of the content file is changed; and

current location data for indicating where the content file can be retrieved.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a transient storage application to form the content descriptor data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the central directory server automatically notifies anyone on a notification list in response to a change in status of the content file.

15. A computer program product for managing and tracking content files in a distributed collaborative computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable medium comprising:

computer usable program code configured to track a current status and a current location of a content file in the distributed collaborative computing environment, wherein the content file is storable on a portable storage device; and

computer usable program code configured to update content descriptor data responsive to a change in at least one of the current status and the current location of the content file, wherein the content descriptor data comprises the current status and current location of the content file.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising at least one of:

computer useable program code configured to assign unique file identifier data to distinguish the content file from the other content files;

computer useable program code configured to receive file name data;

computer useable program code configured to receive file owner data for indicating an identity of at least one of a creator of the content file and an entity responsible for the content file;

computer useable program code configured to determine current file holder data for indicating which user is currently working with the file;

computer useable program code configured to determine file status data for indicating whether the content file is currently on-line or off-line;

computer useable program code configured to receive access control list data for indicating which users have access to the content file and the privileges each user has with respect to the content file;

computer useable program code configured to receive notification list data for indicating which users receive a status update when the status of the content file is changed; and

computer useable program code configured to determine current location data for indicating where the content file can be retrieved in response to the content file being on-line.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer useable program code configured to notify anyone on a notification list in response to the change in at least one of the status and location of the content file.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising computer useable program code configured to determine the current status of the content file by at least one of a group comprising active notification, leases, and heartbeats.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer useable program code configured to allow an owner of the content file to override a current holder of the content file and to replace an off-line version of the content file with a new version; and

computer useable program code configured to reject any revisions to the content file in response to the current holder attempting to return the off-line version to the distributed collaborative environment.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer program code configured to authenticate a current holder of the content file in response to the current holder attempting to put the content file back on-line; and

computer program code configured to update the central directory registry to point to the current location of the content file in response to the authentication being successful.