Methods and apparatus for permitting transactions across firewalls
First Claim
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.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, the method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
and a password indicating that the client e-mail is to be handled by a document control system.
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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.
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10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the acknowledgement e-mail includes an attachment;
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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.
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11. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:
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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.
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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.
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13. The method as recited in claim 12, the attachment including at least a portion of a file identified by the associated file name.
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14. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:
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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.
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15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein appending includes:
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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.
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16. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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19. The method as recited in claim 1, further including:
deleting information associated with the document access request from memory.
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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:
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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.
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21. An apparatus for providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, comprising:
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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.
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22. An apparatus for providing access to a document across a firewall having a first side and a second side, comprising:
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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.
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Specification