Shared internet storage resource, user interface system, and method

• US 6,351,776 B1
• Filed: 05/12/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: XDrive LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hald, Martin, Whiteley, Sean, McGregor, Lucas, OʼBrien, Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B.
• Application Number:
  US09/570,583
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/223, 709/227, 709/247, 707/4, 707/10, 707/100-104
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The Shared Internet Storage Resource provides Internet-based file storage, retrieval, access, control, and manipulation for a user. Additionally, an easy-to-use user interface is provided both for a browser or stand-alone application. The entire method provides means by which users can establish, use, and maintain files on the Internet in a manner remote from their local computers yet in a manner that is similar to the file manipulation used on their local computers. A high capacity or other storage system is attached to the Internet via an optional internal network that also serves to generate and direct metadata regarding the stored files. A web server using a CGI, Java®-based, or other interface transmits and retrieves TCP/IP packets or other Internet information through a load balancer/firewall by using XML to wrap the data packets. File instructions may be transmitted over the Internet to the Shared Resource System. The user'"'"'s account may be password protected so that only the user may access his or her files. On the user'"'"'s side, a stand-alone client application or JavaScript object interpreted through a browser provide two means by which the XML or other markup language data stream may be received and put to use by the user. Internet-to-Internet file transfers may be effected by directly downloading to the user'"'"'s account space.

Claims

1. A client-server system for a network-based data storage and manipulation system, comprising:

a client system, said client system having a file access service and a file manipulation service;

a server, said server providing network-based data storage resources, said server creating and maintaining metadata regarding stored data, said server responding to requests transmitted by said client system, said server effecting said requests;

said server determining if a client request is one for metadata;

said server providing said metadata if said client request is for metadata and transmitting said metadata to said file manipulation service;

said server performing a file action if said client request is not for metadata, said server updating said metadata and transmitting said metadata to said file manipulation service;

said file access service having a request processing layer for processing requests and a first network I/O layer for transmitting said requests to said server;

said file manipulation service having an XML parser, said XML parser parsing said metadata from said server, said file manipulation service having a data structure, said data structure receiving and preserving parsed data from said parser, and said file manipulation service having a data display layer, said data display layer operating upon and displaying said parsed data so that metadata may be displayed to inform about data stored upon said server; and

said server having a second network I/O layer, said second network I/O layer engaged when said requests are not for metadata, said second network I/O layer transmitting requests for file action, said server having a resource access layer, said resource access layer receiving transmissions from said second network I/O layer and effecting said requests, said resource access layer engaged when said requests are for metadata, said resource access layer obtaining and transmitting said metadata, and said server having a metadata compiler in the form of an XML generator, said metadata compiler receiving said metadata from said resource access layer, compiling said metadata, and transmitting said compiled metadata to said client system;

whereby

said server operates as apparently local to said client system and said client system presents operations on said server in a manner similar to operations local to said client system.