Methods and apparatuses for single-connection file synchronization workgroup file update

• US 6,654,746 B1
• Filed: 05/03/1999
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clouding Corporation (Marathon Patent Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Danny, Stutzmann, Leo, Dickinson, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Homere, Jean R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US09/304,295
• Time in Patent Office: 1,667 Days
• Field of Search: 345/330-331, 345/346, 345/329, 345/339, 345/328, 345/355, 345/333, 707/101, 707/515, 707/200-203, 709/204-205, 701/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A server computer updates client computers'"'"' copies of subscription files stored on a network. The server computer retrieves a database record from a subscription database. The database record includes at least client computer and subscription file information. The server computer checks the subscription file stored on the network for any changes which may have occurred to the file since the previous checking of the subscription file preferably by comparing the last save time stamp to a time stamp on the subscription file stored on the network. If changes have occurred, the server computer creates an update file for the client computer and transmits the update file to the client computer, preferably by electronic mail. Each database record may further contain a check interval indicating the periodicity of the checking of the subscription file for changes. The database record may further contain a time last checked field which is updated each time the subscription file is checked for changes. The subscription file is checked for changes only when the current time is equal to or greater than the time last checked plus the check interval. The subscription database is built by the server computer. The server computer receives subscription information from each client computer which includes at least the client computer and subscription file information, and this information is stored. The subscription database is stored either on the server computer'"'"'s hard disk or on the network.

Claims

1. A method for a server computer for providing a file update for a client file on a client computer, wherein the client file was copied from a server file in communication with the server computer, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a server file digital signature indicative of the content of the server file;

comparing the server file digital signature to client file information that comprises a client file digital signature indicative of the content of the client file, the client file information accessible to the server computer, to determine if the server file has changed since the client file was copied;

if the server file has changed, identifying a variation in the content of the server file from the content of client file;

if the server file has changed, creating a file update for the client file, wherein the file update comprises the variation of the content of the server file without including unchanged portions of the server file; and

if the server file has changed, communicating the file update as an email attachment to an electronic mail box accessible by the client computer;

wherein the steps of comparing, identifying, creating, and communicating are initiated and performed by The server computer without user intervention and without interaction with the client computer, and

wherein the email attachment will cause the client file to be updated in response to the client computer accessing the electronic mail box and launching the email attachment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the steps of comparing identifying, creating, and communicating are repeated after a predetermined time interval.

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

if the server file has changed, creating server file information from the server file; and

if the server file has changed, replacing the client file information with the server file information.

4. An article of manufacture including an information storage medium wherein is stored information, the information comprising:

a group of processor readable instructions adapted to operate on a processing device,

wherein the group of processor readable instructions are adapted to operate the

processing device according to a method comprising;

generating a server file digital signature indicative of the content of the server file;

comparing the server file digital signature to client file information that comprises a client file digital signature indicative of the content of the client file, the client file information accessible to the server computer, to determine if the server file has changed since the client file was copied;

if the server file has changed identifying a variation in the content of the server file from the content of client file;

if the server file has changed, creating a file update for the client file, wherein the file update comprises the variation of the content of the server file without including unchanged portions of the server file; and

if the server file has changed, communicating the file update as an email attachment to an electronic mail box accessible by the client computer;

wherein the steps of comparing, identifying, creating, and communicating are initiated and performed by the server computer without user intervention and without interaction with the client computer; and

wherein the email attachment will cause the client file to be updated in response to the client computer accessing the electronic mail box and launching the email attachment.

5. The method article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein:

the steps of comparing, identifying, creating, and communicating are repeated after a predetermined time interval.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 4, wherein the group of processor readable instructions are further adapted to operate the processing device to perform the following steps:

if the server file has changed, creating server file information from the server file; and

if the server file has changed, replacing the client file information with the server file information.

7. A method for a server computer for maintaining an up-to-date client file on a client computer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a file request from the client computer for a server file in communication with the server computer;

creating client file information from the server file;

communicating a copy of the server file to the client computer;

generating a server file digital signature indicative of the contents of the server file;

comparing the server file digital signature to the client file information, which comprises a client file digital signature indicative of the copy communicated to the client computer, to determine if the server file has changed since the client file was copied;

if the server file has changed, identifying a variation in the content of the server file from the content of client file;

if the server file has changed, creating a file update for the client file, wherein the file update comprises the variation of the content of the server file without including unchanged portions of the server file; and

if the server file has changed, communicating the file update as an email attachment to an electronic mail box accessible by the client computer;

wherein the steps of comparing the server file, identifying a variation, creating a file update, and communicating the file update are initiated and performed by the server computer without user intervention and without interaction with the client computer; and

wherein the email attachment will cause the client file to be updated in response to the client computer accessing the electronic mail box and launching the email attachment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the steps of comparing the server file, identifying a variation, creating a file update, and communicating the file update are repeated after a predetermined time interval.

9. A method for enabling a server computer to provide an update to a client computer, after the client computer has received a copy of a server file from the server computer, the copy of the server file received by the client computer being stored in the client computer as a client file, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining client file information, associated with the client file at a location other than the client computer, the location being accessible to the server computer;

comparing the server file to the client file information, to determine if the server file has changed since the client computer stored the client file;

if the server file has changed, identifying a variation between the server file and the client file;

if the server file has changed, creating a file update that specifies the identified variation without including unchanged portions of the server file; and

if the server file has changed, sending the file update as an email attachment to an electronic mail box accessible by the client computer;

wherein the steps of comparing, identifying, creating, and sending are initiated and performed by the server computer without access to the client computer, and without two-way communication between the server computer and client computer; and

wherein the email attachment will cause the client file to be updated in response to the client computer accessing the electronic mail box and launching the email attachment.