Method and system for managing the transfer of files among multiple computer systems

• US 20090287830A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Gregory B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer. The system and method comprises reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions. One or more transfer files stored on the source computer are identified based on at least one of the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file. The identified transfer files are transferred from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file.

Claims

1. A method for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer, comprising:

reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions;

identifying one or more transfer files stored on the source computer based on at least one parameter expression contained within the configuration file; and

transferring the identified transfer files from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameter expressions contained in the configuration file include a transfer detail parameter identifying at least the destination computer or source computer, and a source file parameter identifying the files to be transferred.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising identifying predetermined conditions that must be satisfied before transferring the identified files based on a transfer condition parameter contained in the configuration file specifying the predetermined conditions.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising identifying where the files to be transferred are located on the source computer based on a source path parameter expression contained within the configuration file specifying the location of the files to be transferred on the source computer.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising identifying where the identified transfer files are to be stored on the destination computer based on a destination path parameter contained within the configuration file specifying the location where the transfer files are to be stored.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising naming the transferred files stored on the destination computer based on a destination file parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies the name of each transfer file once it is transferred to the destination computer.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising executing predetermined post transfer file commands based on a post transfer parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies the predetermined file commands to execute after the transfer is complete.

8. The method according to claim 3, further comprising establishing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer when transfer files are identified based on the source file parameter and when the predetermined conditions specified by the transfer condition parameter are satisfied.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

incrementing a counter each time there are no files identified on the source computer system matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters;

making another attempt to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters; and

closing the connection between the source computer system and the destination system when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of attempts to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters.

10. The method according to claim 3, further comprising repeating the identifying and transferring steps after the previously identified files are transferred when a scheduling parameter expression in the configuration file specifies that another file transfer should be attempted.

11. A file delivery management system for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer, comprising:

means for reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions;

means for identifying one or more transfer files stored on the source computer based on at least one parameter expression contained within the configuration file; and

means for transferring the identified transfer files from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the parameter expressions contained in the configuration file include a transfer detail parameter identifying at least the destination computer or source computer, and a source file parameter identifying the files to be transferred.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising means for identifying predetermined conditions that must be satisfied before transferring the identified files based on a transfer condition parameter contained in the configuration file specifying the predetermined conditions.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising means for identifying where the files to be transferred are located on the source computer based on a source path parameter expression contained within the configuration file specifying the location where the transfer files are to be stored.

15. The system according to claim 12, further comprising means for identifying where the transfer files are to be stored on the destination computer based on a destination path parameter contained within the configuration file specifying the location where the transfer files are to be stored.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising means for naming the transferred files stored on the destination computer based on a destination file parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies the name of each transfer file once it is transferred to the destination computer.

17. The system according to claim 12, further comprising means for executing predetermined post transfer file commands based on a post transfer parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies the predetermined file commands to execute after the transfer is complete.

18. The system according to claim 13, further comprising means for establishing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer when transfer files are identified based on the source file parameter and when the predetermined conditions specified by the transfer condition parameter are satisfied.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for incrementing a counter each time there are no files identified on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters;

means for attempting to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters; and

means for closing the connection between the source computer and the destination computer when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of attempts to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters.

20. A computer-readable medium storing program instructions for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer, the program instructions defining the steps of:

reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions;

identifying one or more transfer files stored on the source computer based on at least one parameter expression contained within the configuration file; and

transferring the identified transfer files from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20, wherein the parameter expressions contained in the configuration file include a transfer detail parameter identifying at least the destination computer or source computer, and a source file parameter identifying the files to be transferred.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of identifying predetermined conditions that must be satisfied before transferring the identified files based on a transfer condition parameter contained in the configuration file specifying the predetermined conditions.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of identifying where the files to be transferred are located on the source computer based on a source path parameter expression contained within the configuration file specifying the location of the files to be transferred on the source computer.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of identifying where the identified transfer files are to be stored on the destination computer based on a destination path parameter contained within the configuration file specifying the location where the transfer files are to be stored.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of naming the transferred files stored on the destination computer based on a destination file parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies the name of each transfer file once it is transferred to the destination computer.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of executing predetermined post transfer file commands based on a post transfer parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies the predetermined file commands to execute after the transfer is complete.

27. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of establishing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer when transfer files are identified based on the source file parameter and when the predetermined conditions specified by the transfer condition parameter are satisfied.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 27, further comprising computer program instructions defining the steps of:

incrementing a counter each time there are no files identified on the source computer system matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters;

making another attempt to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters; and

closing the connection between the source computer system and the destination system when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of attempts to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer conditions parameters.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, further comprising computer program instructions defining the step of repeating the identifying and transferring steps after the previously identified files are transferred when a scheduling parameter expression in the configuration file specifies that another file transfer should be attempted.