Automatically configuring a server to support different types of file accesses

• US 20070282853A1
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheung, Angela, Wadford, Larry, Campbell, Heather
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,341 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically configures a server to support different types of file accesses. During operation, the system determines whether a file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server. The system also determines whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file. If the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, and if the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, the system configures the server to support multi-user access to the file, thereby eliminating the need for the user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring a server to support different types of file accesses, comprising:

automatically determining whether a file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file; and

if the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, and if the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, thereby eliminating the need for a user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining whether the file should be accessed in multi-user mode involves:

determining whether the file is open in multi-user mode;

determining whether a client application, which is attempting to access the file through the server, is in multi-user mode; and

if the file is open in multi-user mode or the client application is in multi-user mode, determining that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file involves automatically configuring the server to enter a “

hosting mode,”

which supports network connections to multiple clients, whereby the server can use the multiple network connections to facilitate multi-user access to the file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file involves automatically prompting the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining whether the file is a remote file;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to access a remote file;

if the file is a remote file and if the server is not configured to access a remote file, automatically configuring the server to access a remote file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically configuring the server to run as a process which is able to access remote files.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically prompting the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to access a remote file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a database server and the file is a database file.

9. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for automatically configuring a server to support different types of file accesses, the method comprising:

automatically determining whether a file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file; and

if the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, and if the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, thereby eliminating the need for a user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein automatically determining whether the file should be accessed in multi-user mode involves:

determining whether the file is open in multi-user mode;

determining whether a client application, which is attempting to access the file through the server, is in multi-user mode; and

if the file is open in multi-user mode or the client application is in multi-user mode, determining that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file involves automatically configuring the server to enter a “

hosting mode,”

which supports network connections to multiple clients, whereby the server can use the multiple network connections to facilitate multi-user access to the file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file involves automatically prompting the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising:

automatically determining whether the file is a remote file;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to access a remote file;

if the file is a remote file and if the server is not configured to access a remote file, automatically configuring the server to access a remote file.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically configuring the server to run as a process which is able to access remote files.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically prompting the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to access a remote file.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the server is a database server and the file is a database file.

17. An apparatus that automatically configures a server to support different types of file accesses, comprising:

an analysis mechanism configured to determine whether a file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server;

wherein the analysis mechanism is additionally configured to determine whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file; and

a configuration mechanism, wherein if the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, and if the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, the configuration mechanism configures the server to support multi-user access to the file, thereby eliminating the need for a user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein while determining whether the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, the analysis mechanism is configured to:

determine whether the file is open in multi-user mode;

determine whether a client application, which is attempting to access the file through the server, is in multi-user mode; and

if the file is open in multi-user mode or the client application is in multi-user mode, to determine that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein while configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, the configuration mechanism configures the server to enter a “

hosting mode,”

which supports network connections to multiple clients, whereby the server can use the multiple network connections to facilitate multi-user access to the file.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein while configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, the configuration mechanism prompts the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file.

21. The apparatus of claim 17,

wherein the analysis mechanism is additionally configured to determine whether the file is a remote file, and whether the server is configured to access a remote file;

and

wherein if the file is a remote file and if the server is not configured to access a remote file, the configuration mechanism configures the server to access a remote file.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein configuring the server to access a remote file involves configuring the server to run as a process which is able to access remote files.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein while configuring the server to access a remote file, the configuration mechanism prompts the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to access a remote file.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the server is a database server and the file is a database file.