AVOIDING CONFLICT IN UPDATE IN DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENT EMPLOYING MULTIPLE CLIENTS

• US 20100251206A1
• Filed: 03/30/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: WAKAO, MASAKI, UCHIDA, KENJI, HORIUCHI, YOSHIO
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1767 Concurrency control, e.g. optimistic or pessimistic approaches

Abstract

A client transmits, to a server, an instruction to copy a certain file for update, and receives the copied file. Upon update of the received file, the client generates update information on the update of the received file, and transmits the generated update information to the server. The server extracts a file containing a part related to the received update information, and judges whether or not the extracted file has been copied and then transmitted to a different client. If judging that the extracted file has been copied and transmitted to the different client, the server transmits warning information to the different client to which the extracted file has been transmitted, the warning information indicating that the file is updated in the client other than the different client.

Claims

1. A method for avoiding conflicts when serving files to a plurality of clients capable of updating the files comprising:

collecting and storing a plurality of files at a server communicatively linked to a plurality of clients, wherein each of the plurality of files has been previously updated in at least one of the clients, wherein said files are stored in a tangible storage medium communicatively linked to the server;

receiving update information on an update of a copied one of the files from one of the clients, the update information being generated when the one of the clients updates the copied file;

extracting a file containing a part related to the received update information;

judging whether or not the extracted file has been copied and then transmitted to another client of the plurality of clients; and

when the extracted file is judged to have been copied and transmitted to the another client, transmitting warning information to the another client to which the file has been transmitted, the warning information indicating that the file is updated in the one of the clients.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing the update information in association with the file; and

transmitting the copied file together with the update information stored in association with the file.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

storing information on structures of files to be updated, wherein the extracting of the file containing the part related to the update information, extracts on the basis of the stored information on the structures of the files.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the information on the structures of the files contains information on parameter passing between the files.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the files are program files for program development.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the collecting and storing of the plurality of files, the receiving the update information, the extracting the file, the judging, and the transmitting of the warning information are performed by at least one computer program when the at least one computer program is executed on the server, wherein the at least one computer program is stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium.

7. A method for avoiding conflicts in a distributed environment deploying a plurality of clients, each of which are communicatively linked to a server, which collects and stores a plurality of files in a tangible storage medium, wherein said plurality of files are updatable by the plurality of clients, said method comprising:

transmitting, to the server from one of the clients, an instruction to copy a certain file for update, wherein said certain file is one of said plurality of files;

receiving, at the one client, the copied file;

upon update of the received file, generating, at the one client, update information on the update of the received file; and

transmitting, to the server from the one client, the generated update information.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

judging whether or not the received file is associated with the update information; and

only if the information the file is judged as associated with the update information, making notification that the file is associated with the update information.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

upon receipt of warning information from the server indicating a file served to the client was updated by a different one of the clients, presenting a notification via a user interface of the one client that the warning information has been received.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the transmitting of the instruction, the receiving, the generating, and the transmitting of the generated update information are performed by at least one computer program when the at least one computer program is executed on the one client, wherein the at least one computer program is stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium.

11. A server that is connected to a plurality of clients so as to be capable of data communication with the clients, wherein said server is operable to collect and store a plurality of files updated in some of the clients, wherein the server comprises hardware operable to execute computer program instructions, the server further comprising:

a first receiving unit that receives update information on update of a copied one of the files from one of the clients, the update information generated if the one of the clients updates the copied file;

an extracting unit that extracts a file containing a part related to the received update information;

a copy judging unit that judges whether or not the extracted file has been copied and then transmitted to another client; and

a second information transmitting unit that, if the copy judging unit judges that the extracted file has been copied and transmitted to the another client, transmits warning information to the another client to which the file has been transmitted, the warning information indicating that the file is updated in the one of the clients.

12. The server according to claim 11, further comprising:

an information attaching unit that stores the update information in association with the file; and

a file transmitting unit that transmits the copied file together with the update information stored in association with the file.

13. The server according to claim 11, further comprising a structure storing unit that stores information on structures of files to be updated, wherein the extracting unit extracts a file containing a part related to the update information, on the basis of the information on the structures of the files stored in the structure storing unit.

14. The server according to claim 13, wherein the information on the structures of the files contains information on parameter passing between the files.

15. The server according to 11, wherein the files are program files for program development.

16. The server according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of clients includes:

an instruction transmitting unit that transmits, to the server, an instruction to copy a certain file for update;

a file receiving unit that receives the copied file;

a generating unit that, upon update of the received file, generates update information on the update of the received file; and

a first information transmitting unit that transmits the generated update information to the server.

17. The server according to claim 16, further comprising:

an information attaching unit that stores the update information in association with the file; and

a file transmitting unit that transmits the copied file together with the update information stored in association with the file, wherein each of said plurality of clients further includes;

an information judging unit that judges whether or not the received file is associated with the update information; and

a notifying unit that, if the information judging unit judges that the file is associated with the update information, makes notification that the file is associated with the update information.

18. The server according to claim 16, wherein each of the plurality of clients further includes a warning notifying unit that, upon receipt of the warning information, makes notification that the warning information has been received.

19. The server according to claim 11, wherein the first receiving unit, the extracting unit, the copy judging unit, and the second information transmitting units are each computer programs that are stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium, which perform functions when executed on hardware of the server.

20. A client, which is one of a plurality of clients communicatively linked to a server, wherein said server is operable to collect and store a plurality of files updated in some of the clients including said client, wherein the client comprises hardware operable to execute computer program instructions, the client comprising:

an instruction transmitting unit that transmits, to the server, an instruction to copy a certain file for update;

a file receiving unit that receives the copied file;

a generating unit that, upon update of the received file, generates update information on the update of the received file; and

a first information transmitting unit that transmits the generated update information to the server.

21. The client of claim 20, further comprising:

an information judging unit that judges whether or not the received file is associated with the update information; and

a notifying unit that, if the information judging unit judges that the file is associated with the update information, makes notification that the file is associated with the update information.

22. The client of claim 20, further comprising:

a warning notifying unit that, upon receipt of the warning information, makes notification that the warning information has been received.

23. The client of claim 20, wherein instruction transmitting unit, the file receiving unit, the generating unit, and the first information transmitting unit are each computer programs that are stored in a tangible, non-transitory storage medium, which perform functions when executed on hardware of the client.