Method and system for managing the transfer of files among multiple computer systems

• US 8,307,096 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Gregory B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MacIlwinen, John
• Application Number:
  US12/152,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/228
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer. The system and method comprises reading a configuration file containing one or more parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions. One or more transfer files stored on the source computer are identified based on at least one of the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file. The identified transfer files are transferred from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the parameter expressions contained within the configuration file.

Claims

1. A method for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer, comprising:

reading a configuration file received from the source computer, the configuration file containing a plurality of parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions and post transfer operations;

identifying a transfer file stored on the source computer based on the plurality of parameter expressions contained within the configuration file;

determining whether the transfer file is to be transferred based on the configuration file;

transferring, in response to determining whether the transfer file is to be transferred based on the configuration file, the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the plurality of parameter expressions contained within the configuration file;

executing, at the source computer, the post transfer operations on the transfer file stored on the source computer in response to successful transfer of the transfer file to the destination computer;

generating, at the source computer, an output file including debugging messages, the debugging messages having different levels of detail based on the plurality of parameter expressions, wherein the output file is generated based on receipt of a command line parameter that corresponds to one of the different levels of detail that include;

warnings, errors and fatal errors;

wherein the plurality of parameter expressions includes a configurable parameter that limits a number of transferred files;

incrementing a counter each time no files are identified on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters;

re-attempting to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters; and

closing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of attempts to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameter expressions contained in the configuration file includes a transfer detail parameter identifying the destination computer and the source computer, and a source file parameter identifying the transfer file to be transferred.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising identifying predetermined conditions that must be satisfied before transferring the transfer file based on a transfer condition parameter contained in the configuration file specifying the predetermined conditions.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising establishing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer after identifying the transfer file based on the source file parameter and when the predetermined conditions specified by the transfer condition parameter are satisfied.

5. The method according to claim 3, further comprising repeating the identifying and the transferring after the transfer file is transferred when a scheduling parameter expression in the configuration file specifies that another file transfer should be attempted.

6. The method according to claim 2, further comprising identifying where the transfer file to be transferred is located on the source computer based on a source path parameter expression contained within the configuration file specifying a location of the transfer file to be transferred on the source computer.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising identifying where the transfer file is to be stored on the destination computer based on a destination path parameter contained within the configuration file specifying a location where the transfer file is to be stored.

8. The method according to claim 2, further comprising naming the transfer file stored on the destination computer based on a destination file parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies a name of the transfer file after transferring the transfer file to the destination computer.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a memory storing computer program instructions;

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the processor configured to execute the computer program instructions, which, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

reading a configuration file received from a source computer, the configuration file containing a plurality of parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions and post transfer operations;

identifying a transfer file stored on the source computer based on the plurality of parameter expressions contained within the configuration file;

determining whether the transfer file is to be transferred based on the configuration file;

transferring, in response to determining whether the transfer file is to be transferred based on the configuration file, the transfer file from the source computer to a destination computer in accordance with the plurality of parameter expressions contained within the configuration file;

executing, at the source computer, the post transfer operations on the transfer file stored on the source computer in response to successful transfer of the transfer file to the destination computer;

generating, at the source computer, an output file including debugging messages, the debugging messages having different levels of detail based on the plurality of parameter expressions, wherein the output file is generated based on receipt of a command line parameter that corresponds to one of the different levels of detail that include;

warnings, errors and fatal errors;

wherein the plurality of parameter expressions includes a configurable parameter that limits a number of transferred files;

incrementing a counter each time no files are identified on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters;

re-attempting to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters; and

closing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of attempts to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of parameter expressions contained in the configuration file includes a transfer detail parameter identifying the destination computer and the source computer, and a source file parameter identifying the transfer file to be transferred.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, the operations further comprising:

identifying predetermined conditions that must be satisfied before transferring the transfer file based on a transfer condition parameter contained in the configuration file specifying the predetermined conditions.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, the operations further comprising:

establishing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer after identifying the transfer file based on the source file parameter and when the predetermined conditions specified by the transfer condition parameter are satisfied.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, the operations further comprising:

identifying where the transfer file to be transferred is located on the source computer based on a source path parameter expression contained within the configuration file specifying a location where the transfer file is to be stored.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, the operations further comprising:

identifying where the transfer file is to be stored on the destination computer based on a destination path parameter contained within the configuration file specifying a location where the transfer file is to be stored.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, the operations further comprising:

naming the transfer file stored on the destination computer based on a destination file parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies a name of the transfer file after transferring the transfer file to the destination computer.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions for transferring files from a source computer to a destination computer, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

reading a configuration file received from the source computer, the configuration file containing a plurality of parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions and post transfer operations;

identifying a transfer file stored on the source computer based on the plurality of parameter expressions contained within the configuration file;

determining whether the transfer file is to be transferred based on the configuration file;

transferring, in response to determining whether the transfer file is to be transferred based on the configuration file, the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer in accordance with the plurality of parameter expressions contained within the configuration file;

executing, at the source computer, the post transfer operations on the transfer file stored on the source computer in response to successful transfer of the transfer file to the destination computer;

generating, at the source computer, an output file including debugging messages, the debugging messages having different levels of detail based on the plurality of parameter expressions, wherein the output file is generated based on receipt of a command line parameter that corresponds to one of the different levels of detail that include;

warnings, errors and fatal errors;

wherein the plurality of parameter expressions includes a configurable parameter that limits a number of transferred files;

incrementing a counter each time no files are identified on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters;

re-attempting to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters; and

closing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of attempts to identify files on the source computer matching the source file and transfer condition parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of parameter expressions contained in the configuration file includes a transfer detail parameter identifying the destination computer and the source computer, and a source file parameter identifying the transfer file to be transferred.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, the operations further comprising:

identifying predetermined conditions that must be satisfied before transferring the transfer file based on a transfer condition parameter contained in the configuration file specifying the predetermined conditions.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, the operations further comprising:

establishing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer after identifying the transfer file based on the source file parameter and when the predetermined conditions specified by the transfer condition parameter are satisfied.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18, the operations further comprising:

repeating the identifying and the transferring after the transfer file is transferred when a scheduling parameter expression in the configuration file specifies that another file transfer should be attempted.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, the operations further comprising:

identifying where the transfer file to be transferred is located on the source computer based on a source path parameter expression contained within the configuration file specifying a location of the transfer file to be transferred on the source computer.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, the operations further comprising:

identifying where the transfer file is to be stored on the destination computer based on a destination path parameter contained within the configuration file specifying a location where the transfer file is to be stored.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 17, the operations further comprising:

naming the transfer file stored on the destination computer based on a destination file parameter contained within the configuration file that specifies a name of the transfer file after transferring the transfer file to the destination computer.