METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FILE TRANSFER

• US 20080040503A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ofek, Lilach, Kleks, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54

Abstract

A method and system for file transfer are provided in which a file is transferred between a source client and a destination client via a middle server. The server receives segments of a file from the source client and stores the segments of the file as they are received. The server also forwards the segments of the file to a destination client as they are received, with the exception of one segment. The server combines the segments to form the whole file and applies a process to the whole file. The process may be for example an authorisation process such as an anti-virus check, a confidentiality check, or a content validity check. If the file passes the process, the remaining excepted segment is forwarded to the destination client.

Claims

1. A method for file transfer, comprising:

receiving segments of a file;

storing the segments of the file as they are received;

forwarding the segments of the file to a destination client as they are received, excepting at least one segment;

combining the segments to form the file;

applying a process to the whole file; and

if the file passes the process, forwarding the excepted segment to the destination client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a source client divides the file into segments and transmits the segments to a server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the excepted segment is the last segment to be received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the segments are appended to a file as they are received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the process is an authorization process including one of the set consisting of an anti-virus check, a confidentiality check, and a content validity check.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the segments are received out of sequence order in the file and contain an indication of their position in the file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the segments includes an indication of the number of segments in the file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the excepted segment which is not to be forwarded on receipt is identified by a count of segments.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the segments are forwarded to more than one destination client simultaneously.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein if the file fails the process, the excepted segment is not sent to the destination client and a failure message is sent.

11. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having program code stored thereon for file transfer, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving segments of a file;

program code for storing the segments of the file as they are received;

program code for forwarding the segments of the file to a destination client as they are received, excepting at least one segment;

program code for combining the segments to form the file;

program code for applying a process to the whole file; and

program code for, if the file passes the process, forwarding the excepted segment to the destination client.

12. A method of providing a service to a client over a network, comprising:

receiving segments of a file;

storing the segments of the file as they are received;

forwarding the segments of the file to a destination client as they are received, excepting at least one segment;

combining the segments to form the file;

applying a process to the whole file; and

if the file passes the process, forwarding the excepted segment to the destination client.

13. A system for file transfer comprising:

a source client including;

dividing means for dividing a file into segments, and

transmitting means for transmitting file segments;

a destination client including;

receiving means for receiving file segments; and

a middle server including;

receiving means for receiving file segments from the source client,

a store for storing file segments as they are received;

forwarding means for transmitting file segments to the destination client as they are received,

means for identifying one segment which is not forwarded to the destination client on receipt, and

re-combining means for combining the file segments into the whole file, and

a file processing means for applying a process to the whole file.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the middle server includes a dividing means for dividing the whole file into segments once it has passed the process.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the dividing means of the source client and the middle server use the same dividing method to provide the same file segments.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the destination client includes a re-combining means for combining the file segments into the whole file.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein there is more than one destination client and the middle server forwards the file segments to the destination clients simultaneously.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is an instant messaging system and the source and destination clients are instant messaging clients.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is a file sharing system and the source and destination clients are file sharing applications.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the system is a file replication system and the middle server is a replication server.

21. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the computer data signal having program code stored thereon for file transfer, the program code comprising:

program code for receiving segments of a file;

program code for storing the segments of the file as they are received;

program code for forwarding the segments of the file to a destination client as they are received, excepting at least one segment;

program code for combining the segments to form the file;

program code for applying a process to the whole file; and

program code for, if the file passes the process, forwarding the excepted segment to the destination client.