MANAGING TIME-DEPENDENT ELECTRONIC FILES

• US 20160156477A1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Published: 06/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Deakin, Oliver M., Nicholson, Robert B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,148,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4887 involving deadlines, e.g. rate based, periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Managing time-dependent electronic files. A set of time-dependent files is identified. A time period for processing for each file resulting in a set of time periods is identified. A minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods is calculated. Batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance.

Claims

1. A method of managing time-dependent electronic files, the method comprising:

identifying a set of time-dependent files;

identifying a time period for processing for each file of a plurality of files of the set of time-dependent files, resulting in a set of time periods;

calculating a minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods; and

batching, by a processor, for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including:

defining one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a first sub-set of the set of time periods which overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a second sub-set of the set of time periods which do not overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods; and

wherein the calculating the minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods includes;

calculating one resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the first sub-set and the one or more additional preferred time periods;

calculating another resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the second sub-set; and

combining the one resultant minimum set of time instances and the other resultant minimum set of time instances.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more additional preferred time periods are defined for time periods having optimal processing capability.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the time-dependent files are electronic certificates, and the time period for processing a time-dependent file is a renewal period for an electronic certificate.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance, includes batching renewal messages for the sub-set of files.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the identifying the time period for processing for each file includes determining a renewal period within a lifespan of an electronic certificate.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising repeating at least one of the identifying the set of time-dependent files, the identifying the time period, the calculating, and the batching based on adding or removing from the identified set of time-dependent files.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance, includes selecting a time instance for a file in which more than one time instance falls within the file'"'"'s processing time period.

9. A computer system for managing time-dependent electronic files, the computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising;

identifying a set of time-dependent files;

identifying a time period for processing for each file of a plurality of files of the set of time-dependent files, resulting in a set of time periods;

calculating a minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods; and

batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance.

10. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method further includes:

defining one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a first sub-set of the set of time periods which overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a second sub-set of the set of time periods which do not overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods; and

wherein the calculating the minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods includes;

calculating one resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the first sub-set and the one or more additional preferred time periods;

calculating another resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the second sub-set; and

combining the one resultant minimum set of time instances and the other resultant minimum set of time instances.

11. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the time-dependent files are electronic certificates, and the time period for processing a time-dependent file is a renewal period for an electronic certificate.

12. The computer system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance, includes batching renewal messages for the sub-set of files.

13. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises repeating at least one of the identifying the set of time-dependent files, the identifying the time period, the calculating, and the batching based on adding or removing from the identified set of time-dependent files.

14. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance, includes selecting a time instance for a file in which more than one time instance falls within the file'"'"'s processing time period.

15. A computer program product for managing time-dependent electronic files, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

identifying a set of time-dependent files;

identifying a time period for processing for each file of a plurality of files of the set of time-dependent files, resulting in a set of time periods;

calculating a minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods; and

batching, by a processor, for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further includes:

defining one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a first sub-set of the set of time periods which overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a second sub-set of the set of time periods which do not overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods; and

wherein the calculating the minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods includes;

calculating one resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the first sub-set and the one or more additional preferred time periods;

calculating another resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the second sub-set; and

combining the one resultant minimum set of time instances and the other resultant minimum set of time instances.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the time-dependent files are electronic certificates, and the time period for processing a time-dependent file is a renewal period for an electronic certificate.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance, includes batching renewal messages for the sub-set of files.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises repeating at least one of the identifying the set of time-dependent files, the identifying the time period, the calculating, and the batching based on adding or removing from the identified set of time-dependent files.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance, includes selecting a time instance for a file in which more than one time instance falls within the file'"'"'s processing time period.