File sharing system and client apparatus
First Claim
1. A file sharing system comprising a file server and a management server, and allowing a plurality of clients connected to the system via a network to make use of peer to peer (P2P) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in any of the clients and client/server (C/S) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in said file server, whereinsaid file server has means for notifying said management server of a C/S type shared file registration made by one of said clients, andsaid management server has a management table including an entry for each shared file, the entry indicating correspondence of at least file identifier, sharing type, and shared file location information, and means for managing the sharing type and file location information of a new shared file in said management table according to a shared file registration notification received from one of said clients or said file server, and means for sending the file location information retrieved from said management table back to a requester client in response to a shared file access request from the requester client,wherein when a P2P type shared file stored in said requester client has been uploaded to said file server and changed to a C/S type shared file, said management server changes in said management table the sharing type corresponding to the identifier of the file from P2P type to C/S type in response to a shifted file registration complete notification issued from said file server.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A file sharing system for managing both P2P type and C/S type shard files, wherein a management server accepts from each client a file registration request and a file access request for not only a P2P type shared file, but also a C/S type shared file, and each client executes a subsequent procedure for storing or accessing a shared file according to an acknowledgement response from the management server.
47 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A file sharing system comprising a file server and a management server, and allowing a plurality of clients connected to the system via a network to make use of peer to peer (P2P) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in any of the clients and client/server (C/S) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in said file server, wherein
said file server has means for notifying said management server of a C/S type shared file registration made by one of said clients, and said management server has a management table including an entry for each shared file, the entry indicating correspondence of at least file identifier, sharing type, and shared file location information, and means for managing the sharing type and file location information of a new shared file in said management table according to a shared file registration notification received from one of said clients or said file server, and means for sending the file location information retrieved from said management table back to a requester client in response to a shared file access request from the requester client, wherein when a P2P type shared file stored in said requester client has been uploaded to said file server and changed to a C/S type shared file, said management server changes in said management table the sharing type corresponding to the identifier of the file from P2P type to C/S type in response to a shifted file registration complete notification issued from said file server.
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4. A management server for use in a file sharing system which allows a plurality of clients connected to the management server via a network to make use of peer to peer (P2P) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in any of the client apparatuses and client/server (C/S) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in a file server connected to the management server via said network, said management server comprising:
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a management table storing an entry for each shared file, said entry indicating correspondence of at least file identifier, sharing type, and shared file location information, wherein when a P2P type shared file stored in a requester client has been uploaded to said file server and changed to a C/S type shared file, said management server changes in said management table the sharing type corresponding to the identifier of the file from P2P type to C/S type in response to a shifted file registration complete notification issued from said file server; means for acknowledging a shared file registration request from one of said clients; means for storing, in response to a shared file registration notification issued from one of said clients or said file server in association with completion of storing the acknowledged shared file, the sharing type and file location information of said shared file into said management table; and means for notifying, in response to a shared file access request from one of said clients, the requester client of the file location information retrieved from said management table. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A client apparatus for communicating with a management server in a file sharing system via a network and providing file data stored therein to another client connected to said network as a P2P type shared file, said client apparatus comprising:
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first means for transmitting to said management server a request message to register file data as a C/S type shared file with a file server connected to said network, wherein said management server includes a management table storing an entry for each shared file, said entry indicating correspondence of at least file identifier, sharing type, and shared file location information; and second means for uploading the file data to said file server in response to a file registration acknowledgment message from said management server, wherein when a P2P type shared file has been uploaded to said file server and changed to a C/S type shared file, said management server changes in said management table the sharing type corresponding to the identifier of the file from P2P type to C/S type in response to a shifted file registration complete notification issued from said file server. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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Specification