Method for organizing files in a library in a network printing system

• US 6,587,217 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1997
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lahey, Leonard Corning, Palmer, Dwight Ross, Walker, John Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Garcia, Gabriel I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poon, King Y.
• Application Number:
  US08/931,013
• Time in Patent Office: 2,115 Days
• Field of Search: 395/114, 395/115, 395/116, 358/403, 358/1.15, 358/1.16, 358/1.17, 358/1.13, 358/1.1, 358/1--, 358/1.11, 358/1.12, 358/1.14, 358/1.18, 709/211, 709/212, 709/214, 709/215, 709/312, 707/200, 707/201-206, 707/500
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1205 resulting in increased flexibility in print job configuration, e.g. job settings, print requirements, job tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1212 achieving reduced delay between job submission and print start
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1265 Printing by reference, e.g. retrieving document/image data for a job from a source mentioned in the job
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1268 Job submission, e.g. submitting print job order or request not the print data itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1285 Remote printer device, e.g. being remote from client or server
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

The present invention concerns a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for managing print files associated with a job ticket describing a plurality of print files included in a print job. The print files are stored in a library within a server. When space usage in the library has exceeded a predetermined limit, print files are migrated from the library to a backup unit. For each file migrated from the first storage device to the second storage device, a stub file is generated which includes information on the migrated file. A computer is used to select a print file to include in the print job described in the job ticket. If the print file selected is stored in the backup unit and a stub file is stored in the library, then the server will access the stub file upon selection of the print file. The stub file in the library is replaced with the print file in the backup unit when the stub file is accessed. When the print job including the selected print file is submitted for printing, the print file is transmitted from the library to the printer.

Claims

1. A method of managing print files associated with a job ticket describing a plurality of print files included in a print job, wherein the print files include data representing graphical images, comprising:

(a) storing print files in a first storage device in a non-volatile hierarchical storage system, wherein in the hierarchical storage system files are transferred between the first storage device and a second storage device;

(b) migrating print files from the first storage device to the second storage device;

(c) generating a stub file including information on a migrated print file and storing the stub file in the first storage device, wherein the stub file represents one migrated print file on the first storage device and the migrated print file is stored in the second storage device;

(d) selecting print files, including a plurality of print files represented by stub files to include in the print job described in the job ticket;

(e) before the print files represented by stub files are available in the first storage device, accessing reference information on the selected print files represented by stub files from the stub files representing the selected print files to include in the job ticket;

(f) using the accessed reference information on the print files represented by stub files from the stub files to recall the print files migrated to the second storage device and to continue processing the job ticket before a print process requires the print files migrated to the second storage device;

(g) replacing the stub files, representing the selected print files, in the first storage device with the selected print files from the second storage device; and

(h) transmitting the selected print files from the first storage device to the print process to prepare the job ticket for printing.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

creating an index describing a job ticket and associated print files;

communicating the index to a database for storage therein; and

archiving the job ticket and a copy of the associated print files described in the index to a location in the first storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the print file further includes the steps of:

searching a database of indexes for print files and job tickets; and

selecting a print file described in an index located during the search of the database.

4. The method of claim 3, further including:

wherein the database is stored in a server;

wherein the means for selecting a print file is a computer networked to the server, wherein the computer includes a graphical user interface (GUI) and a database program;

wherein the step of searching the indexes in the database further includes the steps of preparing a search with the GUI and interfacing the GUI with the database program in the computer to search the database in the server;

adding information from the selected print file to a job ticket displayed in the GUI when the print file is stored in the first storage device; and

adding information from a stub file representing the selected print file when the selected print file is stored in the second storage device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing reference information from the stub file comprises accessing a file name, location and size of the print file represented by the stub file.

5. A computer apparatus for managing print files associated with a job ticket describing a plurality of print files included in a print job, wherein the print files include data representing graphical images, including:

(a) a non-volatile hierarchical storage system comprising a first storage device storing print files and a second storage device, wherein in the hierarchical storage system files are transferred between the first and second storage devices;

(b) means for migrating print files from the first storage device to the second storage device;

(c) means for generating a stub file including information on the migrated file and storing the stub file in the first storage device, wherein the stub file represents one migrated print file on the first storage device and the migrated print file is stored in the second storage device;

(d) means for selecting print files, including a plurality of print files represented by stub files to include in the print job described in the job ticket;

(e) means for accessing reference information on the selected print files represented by stub files from the stub files, representing the selected print files, to include in the job ticket;

(f) means for using the accessed reference information on the print files represented by stub files from the stub files to recall the print files migrated to the second storage device and to continue processing the job ticket before a print process requires the print files migrated to the second storage device;

(g) means for replacing the stub files, representing the selected print files, in the first storage device with the selected print files from the second storage device;

(h) a printer;

(i) means for transmitting the selected print files from the first storage device to the print process that prepares the job ticket for printing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a server, wherein the server is the means for providing communication between the first and second storage devices, migrating print files, generating the stub file, accessing the stub file, and replacing the stub file; and

a computer networked to the server, wherein the computer is the means for selecting a print file.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further including:

a database;

means for creating an index describing the job ticket and associated print files;

means for communicating the index to the database for storage therein; and

means for archiving the job ticket and the associated print files described in the index to a location in the first storage device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the means for selecting the print file further includes:

means for searching indexes in the database for print files; and

means for selecting a print file described in an index located during the search of the database.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further including:

a server, wherein the database is stored in the server;

a computer networked to the server, wherein the computer is the means for selecting a print file;

a graphical user interface (GUI) included in the computer;

a database program within the computer;

means, performed by the GUI, for preparing a search of the database in the server;

means, performed by the computer, for interfacing the GUI with the database program to search the database in the server;

adding information from the selected print file to a job ticket displayed in the GUI when the print file is stored in the first storage device; and

adding information from a stub file representing the selected print file when the selected print file is stored in the second storage device.

18. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means for accessing reference information from the stub file accesses a file name, location and size of the print file represented by the stub file.

10. An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer system to manage print files associated with a job ticket describing print files included in a print job, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied therein that causes the computer system to perform:

(a) storing print files in a first storage device in a non-volatile hierarchical storage system, wherein in the hierarchical storage system files are transferred between the first storage device and a second storage device;

(b) migrating print files from the first storage device to a second storage device;

(c) generating a stub file including information on a migrated file and storing the stub file in the first storage device, wherein the stub file represents one migrated print file on the first storage device and the migrated print file is stored in the second storage device;

(d) selecting print files, including a plurality of print files represented by stub files to include in the print job described in the job ticket;

(e) before the print files represented by stub files are available in the first storage device, accessing reference information on the selected print files represented by stub files from the stub files representing the selected print files to include in the job ticket;

(f) using the accessed reference information on the print files represented by stub files from the stub files to recall the print files migrated to the second storage device and to continue processing the job ticket before a print process requires the print files;

(g) replacing the stub files, representing the selected print files, in the first storage device with the print files from the second storage device; and

(h) transmitting the selected print files from the first storage device to the print process that prepares the job ticket for printing printer.

11. The article of manufacture method of claim 10, further including the steps of:

creating an index describing a job ticket and associated print files with the computer;

communicating the index to a database for storage therein; and

archiving the job ticket and the associated print files described in the index to a location in the first storage device.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, wherein the step of selecting the print file further includes the steps of:

searching indexes in the database for print files and job tickets; and

selecting a print file described in an index located during the search of the database.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12, further performing the steps of:

wherein the step of selecting the print file is performed by a computer including a graphical user interface (GUI) and a database program,

wherein the database is stored in a server,

wherein the step of searching the indexes in the database further includes the steps of preparing a search with the GUI and interfacing the GUI with the database program in the computer to search the database in the server;

adding information from the selected print file to a job ticket displayed in the GUI when the print file is stored in the first storage device; and

adding information from a stub file representing the selected print file when the selected print file is stored in the second storage device.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein accessing reference information from the stub file comprises accessing a file name, location and size of the print file represented by the stub file.

14. A method for use by a print shop to fulfill a customer order, the method comprising:

enabling a creation of a job ticket data structure stored in a computer usable medium for identifying a plurality of print files included within the customer order;

storing the print files in a first storage device in a non-volatile hierarchical storage system, wherein in the hierarchical storage system files are transferred between the first storage device and a second storage device;

migrating print files from the first storage device to a second storage device;

generating a stub file including information on a migrated print file and storing the stub file in the first storage device, wherein the stub file represents one migrated print file on the first storage device and the migrated print file is stored in the second storage device;

selecting print files represented by stub files on the first storage device to include within the customer order;

before the print files represented by stub files are available in the first storage device, accessing reference information on the selected print files represented by stub files from the stub files representing the selected print file to include in the job ticket;

using the accessed reference information on the print files represented by stub files from the stub files to recall the print files migrated to the second storage device and to continue processing the job ticket before a print process requires the print files;

replacing the stub files, representing the selected print files, in the first storage device with the selected print files from the second storage device; and

transmitting the print files included within the customer order to the print process to that prepares the job ticket for printing.

15. A system for use by a print shop to fulfill a customer order, the system comprising:

means for enabling a creation of a job ticket data structure stored in a computer usable medium for identifying a plurality of print files included within the customer order;

means for storing the print files in a first storage device in a non-volatile hierarchical storage system, wherein in the hierarchical storage system files are transferred between the first storage device and a second storage device;

means for migrating print files from the first storage device to the second storage device means for generating a stub file including information on a migrated print file, wherein the stub file represents one migrated print file on the first storage device and the migrated print file content is stored in the second storage device;

means for storing the stub file in the first storage device;

means for accessing stub files upon receiving a selection of print files that have been migrated and are represented by stub files;

means for accessing reference information on the selected print files from the stub files representing the selected print files to include in the job ticket before the print files are available in the first storage device;

means for using the accessed reference information on the print files from the stub files to recall the print files migrated to the second storage device and to continue processing the job ticket before a print process requires the print file;

means for replacing the stub files, representing the selected print files, in the first storage device with the selected print files from the second storage device; and

means for transmitting the print files included within the customer order to the print process that prepares the job ticket for printing.

16. A system for use by a print shop to fulfill a customer order, the system comprising:

a job ticket data structure stored in a computer usable medium for identifying a plurality of print files included within the customer order;

a non-volatile hierarchical storage system including a first storage device for storing the print files and a second storage device, wherein print files are transferred between the first and second storage devices;

means for migrating print files from the first storage device to the second storage device;

means for generating a stub file including information on a migrated print file, wherein the stub file represents one migrated print file on the first storage device and the migrated print file is stored in the second storage device;

means for storing the stub file in the first storage device;

means for accessing stub files upon receiving a selection of print files that have been migrated and are represented by stub files;

means for accessing reference informatiion on the selected print files represented by stub files from the stub files representing the selected prnt files to include in the job ticket before the print files are available in the first storage device;

means for using the accessed reference information on the print files represented by the stub files from the stub files migrated to the second storage device and continue processing the job ticket before a print process requires the print files; and

means for transmitting the print files included within the customer order to the print process that preparas the print file in the job ticket for printing.