Methods and apparatus for permitting transactions across firewalls

• US 6,654,892 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1999
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Karim, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin E.
• Application Number:
  US09/328,178
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 713/201, 713/200, 709/229
• US Class Current: 726/11
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/23 Reliability checks, e.g. acknowledgments or fault reporting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for enabling document access across a firewall are disclosed. A method of accessing a document across a firewall includes obtaining a document access request on the first side of the firewall, where the document access request specifies a document control command and an associated file name. The document access request is then packaged in at least one client e-mail. The client e-mail is then sent across the firewall to the second side of the firewall. One or more acknowledgement e-mails are then received across the firewall from the second side of the firewall, where the acknowledgement e-mails specify a status of the executed document control command. In addition, a method of providing access to a document across a firewall includes receiving a client e-mail across the firewall from the first side of the firewall, where the client e-mail includes a document access request specifying a document control command and an associated file name. The document access request is then executed such that a status of the executed document access request is obtained. An acknowledgement e-mail specifying the status is then sent across the firewall to the first side of the firewall.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, the method comprising:

receiving a client e-mail across the firewall from the first side of the firewall, the client e-mail including a document access request specifying a document control command and an associated file name;

executing the document access request such that a status of the executed document access request is obtained;

sending an acknowledgement e-mail specifying the status across the firewall to the first side of the firewall;

parsing the client e-mail to obtain information associated with the document access request;

determining whether the client e-mail includes an attachment; and

wherein when it is determined that the client e-mail includes an attachment, concatenating the attachment to previously retrieved attachments associated with the document access request.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the status indicates success or failure of the document access request.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the document control command specifies at least one of check in, check out, view, or copy.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the file name identifies a source code file.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement e-mail provides notification of the status of the executed document control command to an originator of the document access request on the first side of the firewall.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a number of client e-mails are received in order to complete the document control command for the file.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the client e-mail includes the number of e-mails to complete the document control command.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the client e-mail further includes header information including source and destination addresses;

and a password indicating that the client e-mail is to be handled by a document control system.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein the client e-mail specifies a total number of client e-mails to be sent in order to complete the document access request.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement e-mail includes an attachment;

wherein the document control command is a check out command; and

wherein the attachment of the acknowledgement e-mail includes at least a portion of the file identified by the file name.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

determining whether the client e-mail includes a valid password; and

wherein when it is determined that the client e-mail does not include a valid password, dropping the client e-mail.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining whether the client-e-mail includes an attachment includes determining whether the document control command is a check in command.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, the attachment including at least a portion of a file identified by the associated file name.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

determining whether the document control command is a check out command;

wherein when it is determined that the document control command is a check out command, appending an attachment to the acknowledgement e-mail including at least a portion of a file identified by the file name associated with the document control command.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein appending includes:

locating the file identified by the file name on the second side of the firewall; and

determining a size of the file to ascertain a number of acknowledgement e-mails to be sent.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

entering a header in the acknowledgement e-mail, the header including source and destination addresses;

entering a password in the acknowledgement e-mail, the password indicating that the acknowledgement e-mail has been handled by a document control system; and

entering the file name associated with the document control command in the acknowledgement e-mail, wherein the status indicates success or failure of the document control command.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, further including:

entering a confirmation code associated with the document access request in the acknowledgement e-mail.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, further including:

entering in the acknowledgement e-mail a total number of acknowledgement e-mails that are to be received in association with the document access request.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:

deleting information associated with the document access request from memory.

20. A computer-readable medium storing thereon computer-readable instructions for providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, the comprising:

instructions for receiving a client e-mail across the firewall from the first side of the firewall, the client e-mail including a document access request specifying a document control command and an associated file name;

instructions for executing the document access request such that a status of the executed document access request is obtained;

instructions for sending an acknowledgement e-mail specifying the status across the firewall to the first side of the firewall;

instructions for parsing the client e-mail to obtain information associated with the document access request;

instructions for determining whether the client e-mail includes an attachment; and

instructions for concatenating the attachment to previously retrieved attachments associated with the document access request when it is determined that the client e-mail includes an attachment.

21. An apparatus for providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, comprising:

means for receiving a client e-mail across the firewall from the first side of the firewall, the client e-mail including a document access request specifying a document control command and an associated file name;

means for executing the document access request such that a status of the executed document access request is obtained;

means for sending an acknowledgement e-mail specifying the status across the firewall to the first side of the firewall;

means for parsing the client e-mail to obtain information associated with the document access request;

means for determining whether the client e-mail includes an attachment; and

means for concatenating the attachment to previously retrieved attachments associated with the document access request when it is determined that the client e-mail includes an attachment.

22. An apparatus for providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, at least one of the processor and the memory being adapted for;

receiving a client e-mail across the firewall from the first side of the firewall, the client e-mail including a document access request specifying a document control command and an associated file name;

executing the document access request such that a status of the executed document access request is obtained;

sending an acknowledgement e-mail specifying the status across the firewall to the first side of the firewall;

parsing the client e-mail to obtain information associated with the document access request;

determining whether the client e-mail includes an attachment; and

concatenating the attachment to previously retrieved attachments associated with the document access request when it is determined that the client e-mail in an attachment.