Method and apparatus for secure data file uploading

• US 6,782,418 B1
• Filed: 01/24/2000
• Issued: 08/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Czarnecki, David Anthony, Vivier, Barbara Jean, Cerrone, David Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, David Y.
• Application Number:
  US09/490,142
• Time in Patent Office: 1,674 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/217, 709/220, 709/223, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Disclosed is a distributed computer application that utilizes the Internet and Web browsers as the interface to the distributed computer application server. Users who are providers of data utilize Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) enabled HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) to encrypt communications between their Web browser and the distributed computer application Web server (HTTPS). A Java servlet on the external HTTPS distributed computer application Web server handles the file upload from the Web browser and re-POSTs the data to a processing Java servlet on an internal HTTPS distributed computer application application server. The processing Java servlet on the internal HTTPS distributed computer application server is used to handle the file upload from the collection Java servlet on the external HTTPS distributed computer application Web server and saves the file locally in a database on the internal HTTPS distributed computer application application server.

Claims

1. A method for securely uploading a data file from a first computer to a distributed computer application operating within a distributed computing network in which the distributed computing network comprises an application server, having a memory and a database, and capable of running a network operating system and the distributed computer application, a firewall, a router, a network server capable of communicating with the application server using the router, and the first computer is capable of communicating with the network server over the distributed computing network through the firewall and the router using browser software loaded on the first computer, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) uploading the data file from the first computer using the browser software over the distributed computing network, through the firewall and the router, and to the network server;

(b) processing the data file in a first processing program loaded in the network server, wherein said first processing program handles the uploading of the data file from the first computer to the network server;

(c) uploading the data file from the network server to the application server;

(d) processing the data file in a second processing program loaded in the application server, wherein said second processing program handles the uploading of the data file from the network server to the application server;

(e) storing the data file in the database in the memory within the application server;

wherein step (a) further comprises uploading the data file from the first computer using Web browser software and HTTPS over the Internet and through the firewall and the router to a first HTTPS server within said network server having a Window NT operating system;

step (b) further comprises processing the data file in a first Java servlet loaded in said network server;

checking the data file uploaded from the first computer for a plurality of required form elements;

adding an IP address of the first computer having the Web browser software to said plurality of required form elements;

posting the data file uploaded from the first computer to said second Java servlet; and

step (d) further comprises processing the data file in a second Java servlet loaded in the application server having a second HTTPS server.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the following steps performed before said uploading step (a):

loading said Web browser software on the first computer;

requesting an HTML page from the distributed computer application with said Web browser software loaded on the first computer;

displaying said HTML page with said Web browser software loaded on the first computer;

entering a user name in a user name field in said HTML page;

entering a PIN number in a PIN number field in said HTML page;

entering a document type in a document type field in said HTML page;

entering a file name in a file name field in said HTML page;

selecting an upload content button in said HTML page sending an upload request;

receiving said upload request in said first HTTPS server; and

invoking said first Java servlet by said first HTTPS server.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said checking step further comprises sending an error message to said Web browser software on the first computer when an error is detected in one of said plurality of required form elements.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said processing step (d) further comprises the steps of:

checking the data file uploaded from the network server for said plurality of required form elements;

verifying that an identity for said posting of the data file uploaded from said network server is valid;

returning a response to said first Java servlet;

recording said response of said second Java servlet in said first Java servlet; and

returning said response recorded in said first Java servlet to said Web browser software loaded on the first computer.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein said checking step further comprises sending an error message to said Web browser software on the first computer when an error is detected in one of said plurality of required form elements or when an identity for said posting of the data file uploaded from said network server is invalid.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for uploading a second data file from the first computer to the distributed computer application.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for uploading a second data file from a second computer to the distributed computer application, wherein said second computer is capable of communicating over the distributed computing network with the network server through the firewall and the router using the browser software loaded onto said second computer.