Unwrapping system and method for multiple files of a container

• US 6,079,047 A
• Filed: 05/22/1998
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Cotugno, Lauren Ann, Frankel, Edward Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Phung M.
• Application Number:
  US09/084,040
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 714/807, 714/799, 713/200, 713/202
• US Class Current: 714/807
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/116 Details of conversion of file system types or formats

Abstract

Industry standard byte stream data files organized as a Container having a directory with multiple files on a Compact Disk are reconstituted to match the protocol of a first computer system'"'"'s specialized native files in an integrated network where a second platform using standard byte stream Containers works in conjunction with a first platform having specialized native files. Specialized "Unwrap" commands are effectuated by two programmable interfaces to take the byte stream data Containers and re-translate them to native-style files applicable to said first platform'"'"'s operating system.

Claims

1. In a computer platform which processes data files in an original specialized second format and which accesses a first format Container (CD\FILE) of data files and Directory organized as byte stream text files in a first format on a CD-ROM (31d), a method for re-creating original specialized second format files (MY/FILE/=) which duplicate the files and Directory information of said first format Container but is now organized in said second format, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) unwrapping said first format Container (CD\FILE, 21d) of files and Directory in said first format for processing by a first (36) and second (38) interface program;

(b) executing said first (36) and second (38) interface program on said first format Container to convert said first format Container (CD\FILE) into multiple second format original specialized files (MY/FILE/=,21) which restore the data into said original specialized second format.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes the steps of:

(a1) entering an UNWRAP command to a Master Control Program of said computer platform to call said first interface program (MCP_-- FILEWRAPPER) which then calls said second interface program (MCP_-- WRAPPER).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first interface program (36) includes the steps of:

(b1) opening said first format Container (CD\FILE, 21d) to verify it is a Container and to verify its checksum and its security privilege in order to access the files of said first format Container;

(b2) locating the Directory information in said first format Container;

(b3) locating each file of said first Container, via its directory location, to set up input and output file name pairs in main memory (18);

(b4) setting up input and output file names in main memory and setting up parameters for said second interface program (38);

(b5) calling said second interface program (MCP_-- WRAPPER).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said second interface program (MCP_-- WRAPPER) includes the steps of:

(b6) converting each input file of said first format Container and its Directory into an output file in said second specialized format.

5. In a computer operating on a specialized original native file format with a Disk File Header (DFH) for each file, a system for accessing a CD-ROM holding a first format Container (CD\FILE) with industry standard byte stream data files and Directory of a first format and converting said first format to individual second format files compatible for said specialized original native file format, said system comprising:

(a) means for accessing said first format Container (21d)(CD\FILE) holding said byte stream files of first format;

(b) means to execute a first interface program (MCP_-- FILEWRAPPER,

     36) which initiates an input read procedure (35i) to transfer said first format Container (21d, CD\FILE) to a second interface program (38);

(c) means to execute said second interface program (MCP_-- WRAPPER,

     38) to re-create said first format Container (21d) into resultant multiple native second format files (MY/FILE/=(21).

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said first interface program includes:

(b1) means to open an input data file in said first format Container (CD\FILE, 21d);

(b2) means to read said first format Container ID to verify that input file is a Container;

(b3) means to verify said first format Container checksum;

(b4) means to verify that User has proper security privilege to access data in said first format Container;

(b5) means to locate each file of said first format Container via said Directory and to set up, in local memory (18), input and output file name pairs for each file;

(b6) means to call said second interface program (38, MCP_-- FILEWRAPPER) for each file to be converted (unwrapped).

7. The system of claim 5 to wherein said second interface program (38) includes:

(c1) means to verify each output file name and call said input Read procedure (35i) and verify option information for each data file in said first format Container (CD\FILE 21d);

(c2) means to verify that each said data file in said first format Container is a "wrapped" file in said first byte stream format;

(c3) means to call said input procedure (35i) to access the Disk File Header (DFH) of each data file of said wrapped file;

(c4) means to verify the options selected and to verify the DFH information for said wrapped file.

(c5) means to call an input procedure (35i) to complete the access of the DFH and DFH checksum for each said data file;

(c6) means to calculate the running checksum located in local memory for each said data file;

(c7) means for creating a new system Disk File Header as an output file for placement in local memory (18);

(c8) means to use said input read procedure (35i) to read each input data file of said first format Container and then write an output file (MY/FILE

     21) on disk (20, MYDISK);

(c9) means to calculate the running checksum in local memory (18) for each row of each file being processed within said first format Container (CD\FILE);

(c10) means to convert each input file of said first format Container (CD\FILE) to an output file of said second specialized format Container (MY/FILE/=) (21);

(c11) means to obtain the stored checksum of the entire first format Container (CD\FILE, 21d) for comparison to the calculated running checksum that was set in local memory (18);

(c12) means to exit the interface program (38) when the checksums match or to send an error signal if the checksums do not match.

8. In an integrated network holding first (14) and second (30) platform means each using respectively a first and second format, each said format being a different file format from the other and wherein said first platform means utilizes an original native data file of first format, and said second platform means (30) utilizes an industry standard byte stream data file of second format, a system for converting a second format Container (CD\FILE, 21d) of said second format files and directory from a CD-ROM (31d) into said original native data files in said first format for said first platform means, said system comprising:

(a) means (31d,

     33), in said second platform (30) means, for accessing said second format Container (CD\FILE,21d) holding said second format files and transferring said second format Container to a shared disk means (24);

(b) said shared disk means (24) utilized by said first (14) and second (30) platform means for holding said second format Container (48) of said second format files (CD/FILE

     48);

(c) program means (36,38) for converting said second format Container (48) of second format files into separate original native first format files compatible for said first platform means.

9. The system of claim 8 where each said first format and second format Container includes:

(a) a Container ID;

(b) a location address for a directory;

(c) a checksum for the Container;

(d) a set of data files;

(e) a directory ID;

(f) a directory of file names with a locational address for each file in the Container.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein each file of each said set of data files in said second format Container includes:

(d1) a Disk File Header; and

(d2) a Disk File Header checksum; and

(d3) native first platform files represented as standard byte stream files.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said means for accessing said second format Container (CD\FILE, 21d) for transfer to a shared disk means (24) includes:

(a1) a Microsoft Explorer program (30x) for dragging said Container (CD\FILE,21d) to said shared Disk (C,24).

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said program means (36,38) includes:

(c1) first interface program means (MCP_-- FILEWRAPPER

     36) to read out said second format Container (CD/FILE

     48) on shared Disk C (24) for transfer to a second interface program (38);

(c2) said second interface program (38, MCP_-- WRAPPER) for converting said second format Container (CD/FILE

     48) of second format files into a first format Container of first format files suitable for utilization by said first platform means.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said second interface program (38) (MCP_-- WRAPPER) includes the steps of:

(b5) executing an input procedure (35i) of said program (38) to re-create said first format files in said original specialized first format compatible for said first platform means.