VERIFYING FILE VERSIONS IN A NETWORKED COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT

• US 20120179708A1
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McMahon, Patrick W., Day, Russell S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for identifying a most recent version of an electronic file (e.g., prior to or while the electronic file is being opened). In one embodiment, an application programming interface (API), plug-in, or the like, can enable both file management tools and on-line repositories to exchange file information. Along these lines, this approach can be especially useful for common business assets such as textual documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Moreover, this approach is a “pro-active” function in that it does not require the user to consciously seek out and determine if a newer version is available. The implementation of the method performs this function automatically.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a most current version of an electronic file in a networked computing environment, comprising:

receiving a request to open the electronic file;

comparing a content within the electronic file to a content within a set of electronic files stored in at least one repository in the networked computing environment;

determining if the electronic file comprises the most current version based on the comparing before the electronic file is opened; and

identifying the most current version from the set of files if the determining indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version.

3. The method of claim 1, the determining comprising determining if the electronic file comprises a most current version of the content based on the comparing.

4. The method of claim 3, the identifying comprising identifying the most current version of the content from the set of files if determining indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, the comparing comprising comparing meta data associated with the electronic file with meta data associated with the set of electronic files.

6. The method of claim 5, the meta data associated with the electronic file and the meta data associated with the set of files comprising at least one of the following:

time stamps, word counts, version identities, file names, markups, markup meta data, font/pitch sizes, font colors, or content formatting.

7. The method of claim 1, the comparing, the determining, and the identifying being performed using an application programming interface (API).

8. The method of claim 1, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

2. (canceled)

9. A system for identifying a most current version of an electronic file in a networked computing environment, comprising:

a bus;

a processor coupled to the bus; and

a memory medium coupled to the bus, the memory medium comprising instructions to;

receive a request to open the electronic file;

compare a content within the electronic file to a content within a set of electronic files stored in at least one repository in the networked computing environment;

determine if the electronic file comprises the most current version based on the comparison before the electronic file is opened; and

identify the most current version from the set of files if the determination indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version.

11. The system of claim 9, the memory medium further comprising instructions to determine if the electronic file comprises a most current version of the content based on the comparison.

12. The system of claim 11, the memory medium further comprising instructions to identify the most current version of the content from the set of files if determining indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version of the content.

13. The system of claim 9, the memory medium further comprising instructions to compare meta data associated with the electronic file with meta data associated with the set of electronic files.

14. The system of claim 13, the meta data associated with the electronic file and the meta data associated with the set of files comprising at least one of the following:

time stamps, word counts, version identities, file names, markups, markup meta data, font/pitch sizes, font colors, or content formatting.

15. The system of claim 9, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

10. (canceled)

16. A computer program product for identifying a most current version of an electronic file in a networked computing environment, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, to:

receive a request to open the electronic file;

compare a content within the electronic file to a content within a set of electronic files stored in at least one repository in the networked computing environment;

determine if the electronic file comprises the most current version based on the comparison before the electronic file is opened; and

identify the most current version from the set of files if the determination indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium to determine if the electronic file comprises a most current version of the content based on the comparison.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium media to identify the most current version of the content from the set of files if determining indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version of the content.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium to compare meta data associated with the electronic file with meta data associated with the set of electronic files.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, the meta data associated with the electronic file and the meta data associated with the set of files comprising at least one of the following:

time stamps, word counts, version identities, file names, markups, markup meta data, font/pitch sizes, font colors, or content formatting.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, the networked computing environment comprising a cloud computing environment.

17. (canceled)

23. A method for deploying a system for identifying a most current version of an electronic file in a networked computing environment, comprising:

deploying a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive a request to open the electronic file;

compare a content within the electronic file to a content within a set of electronic files stored in at least one repository in the networked computing environment;

determine if the electronic file comprises the most current version based on the comparison before the electronic file is opened; and

identify the most current version from the set of files if the determination indicates that the electronic file does not comprise the most current version.