Automatically configuring a server to support different types of file accesses

• US 7,565,341 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2006
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Cheung, Angela, Campbell, Heather A., Wadford, Larry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Breene; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly; Anh
• Application Number:
  US11/431,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/9, 707/10, 709203-204, 709/220, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that automatically configures a server to support different types of file accesses. During operation, the system determines whether a file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server. The system also determines whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file. If the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, and if the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, the system configures the server to support multi-user access to the file, thereby eliminating the need for the user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

Claims

1. A method for automatically configuring a server to support different types of file accesses, on a computer system having a memory and a processor, comprising:

automatically determining a mode in which a file should be accessed through the server;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file; and

wherein when it is determined that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server, and when it is determined that the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, wherein automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file involves;

automatically configuring the server to enter a “

hosting mode,”

which supports network connections to multiple clients, whereby the server can use the multiple network connections to facilitate multi-user access to the file; and

automatically prompting a user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file;

thereby eliminating the need for a-the user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining whether the file should be accessed in multi-user mode involves:

determining whether the file is open in multi-user mode;

determining whether a client application, which is attempting to access the file through the server, is in multi-user mode; and

if the file is open in multi-user mode or the client application is in multi-user mode, determining that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically determining whether the file is a remote file;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to access a remote file;

if the file is a remote file and if the server is not configured to access a remote file, automatically configuring the server to access a remote file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically configuring the server to run as a process which is able to access remote files.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically prompting the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to access a remote file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a database server and the file is a database file.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for automatically configuring a server to support different types of file accesses, the method comprising:

automatically determining whether a file should be accessed through the server;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file; and

wherein when it is determined that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server, and when it is determined that the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, wherein automatically configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file involves;

automatically configuring the server to enter a “

hosting mode,”

which supports network connections to multiple clients, whereby the server can use the multiple network connections to facilitate multi-user access to the file; and

automatically prompting a user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file;

thereby eliminating the need for the user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein automatically determining whether the file should be accessed in multi-user mode involves:

determining whether the file is open in multi-user mode;

determining whether a client application, which is attempting to access the file through the server, is in multi-user mode; and

if the file is open in multi-user mode or the client application is in multi-user mode, determining that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, further comprising:

automatically determining whether the file is a remote file;

automatically determining whether the server is configured to access a remote file;

if the file is a remote file and if the server is not configured to access a remote file, automatically configuring the server to access a remote file.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically configuring the server to run as a process which is able to access remote files.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein automatically configuring the server to access a remote file involves automatically prompting the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to access a remote file.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the server is a database server and the file is a database file.

13. A computer system that includes a server, and that automatically configures the server to support different types of file accesses, comprising:

a processor;

memory;

an analysis mechanism embedded in the computer system configured to determine a mode in which a file should be accessed through the server;

wherein the analysis mechanism is additionally configured to determine whether the server is configured to support multi-user access to the file; and

a configuration mechanism embedded in the computer system, wherein when it is determined that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, wherein multiple users can simultaneously access the file through the server, and when it is determined that the server is not configured to support multi-user access to the file, the configuration mechanism configures the server to support multi-user access to the file, wherein while configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file, the configuration mechanism further configures the server to;

enter a “

hosting mode,”

which supports network connections to multiple clients, whereby the server can use the multiple network connections to facilitate multi-user access to the file; and

to

prompt a user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to support multi-user access to the file;

thereby eliminating the need for the user to manually configure the server to support multi-user access to the file.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein while determining whether the file should be accessed in multi-user mode, the analysis mechanism is configured to:

determine whether the file is open in multi-user mode;

determine whether a client application, which is attempting to access the file through the server, is in multi-user mode; and

if the file is open in multi-user mode or the client application is in multi-user mode, to determine that the file should be accessed in multi-user mode.

15. The computer system of claim 13,

wherein the analysis mechanism is additionally configured to determine whether the file is a remote file, and whether the server is configured to access a remote file;

and

wherein if the file is a remote file and if the server is not configured to access a remote file, the configuration mechanism configures the server to access a remote file.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein configuring the server to access a remote file involves configuring the server to run as a process which is able to access remote files.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein while configuring the server to access a remote file, the configuration mechanism prompts the user to obtain permission from the user before configuring the server to access a remote file.

18. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the server is a database server and the file is a database file.