Dynamic file transfer scheduling and server messaging

• US 8,819,266 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Salonikios, Stamos D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ibrahim, Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US12/125,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,287 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers

Abstract

According to some embodiments, first and second schedule patterns are determined. For example, a graphical user interface might be used to indicate the times, days, and/or weeks when information is to be transferred. A first transfer of information may be scheduled between remote devices in accordance with the first schedule pattern, and a second transfer may be scheduled in accordance with the second schedule pattern. Moreover, a third transfer of information between remote devices may be automatically scheduled in accordance with both the first and second schedule patterns.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented remote access file transfer method, comprising:

determining a first file transfer schedule pattern for a first file transfer including a source and destination for the first file transfer;

determining a second file transfer schedule pattern for a second file transfer including a source and destination for the second file transfer;

automatically scheduling the first file transfer between the source and destination in accordance with the first file transfer schedule pattern;

automatically scheduling the second file transfer between the source and destination in accordance with the second file transfer schedule pattern; and

automatically scheduling a third file transfer between a source and a destination, wherein the third file transfer has a file transfer schedule pattern in accordance with a conditional combination of the first and second file transfer schedule patterns.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating at least one file transfer in accordance with the schedule patterns.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing a persistence copy with at least one of the file transfers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first file transfer is associated with a primary transfer queue and the second file transfer is associated with a secondary transfer queue.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

before the transferring, determining whether a first file associated with the first file transfer is ready and when the first file is not ready, (i) transferring another file associated with another file transfer from the primary transfer queue and (ii) moving an indication of the first file from the primary transfer queue to the secondary transfer queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a schedule pattern is associated with at least one of:

(i) a time of day, (ii) a day of week, (iii) a day of month, (iv) a week of year, (v) holiday information, (vi) country information, and (vii) a time zone of a device to send or receive information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a schedule pattern indicates at least one of:

(i) when a file should be transferred, or (ii) when a file should not be transferred.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification message indicating a status of each of the file transfers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging information associated with a status of each of the file transfers wherein the logged information includes a trace identifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first schedule pattern and the second schedule pattern is performed via a graphical user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the file transfers are performed in accordance with messages sent from an automation scheduling process to a plurality of script processes via a plurality of process services.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first file transfer, second file transfer, and third file transfer is associated with an encryption process.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the file transfers comprises financial services information.

14. The computer-implemented remote access file transfer method of claim 1, wherein the conditional combination is a NOT operation which causes scheduling of the third file transfer according to a schedule that is not the same as either the first schedule pattern or the second schedule pattern.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a remote access file transfer method, said method comprising:

receiving a request to schedule a first file transfer by selecting a first file transfer schedule pattern input via a graphical user interface, the first file transfer schedule pattern selected from among a set of available file transfer schedule patterns, the request including information identifying a source and a destination of the first file transfer;

receiving a request to schedule a second file transfer by selecting a second file transfer schedule pattern input via a graphical user interface, the second the transfer schedule pattern selected from among a set of available file transfer schedule patterns, the request including information identifying a source and a destination of the second file transfer;

automatically scheduling the first file transfer between the source and the destination of the first file transfer in accordance with the first file transfer schedule pattern;

automatically scheduling the second file transfer between the source and the destination of the second file transfer in accordance with the second file transfer schedule pattern; and

automatically scheduling a third file transfer between a source and a destination of a third file transfer, wherein the third file transfer has a file transfer schedule pattern in accordance with a conditional combination of the first file transfer schedule pattern and the second file transfer schedule pattern.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the conditional combination is associated with at least one of a combination rule or a Boolean operation.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein a schedule pattern indicates when a file should be transferred in connection with at least one of:

(i) a time of day, (ii) a day of week, (iii) a day of month, (iv) a week of year, (v) holiday information, (vi) country information, or (vii) a time zone of a device to send or receive information.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

sending an electronic notification message to a plurality of user devices indicating a status of a file transfer; and

logging information associated with a status of a file transfer, wherein the logged information includes a trace identifier.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

transferring a file in accordance with at least one of the automatic schedules, wherein the first file transfer is associated with a primary transfer queue and the second file transfer is associated with a secondary transfer queue; and

before the transferring, determining that a first file associated with the first file transfer is not ready and, (i) transferring another file from the primary transfer queue and (ii) moving an indication of the first file from the primary transfer queue to the secondary transfer queue.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the conditional combination is a NOT operation which causes scheduling of the third file transfer according to a schedule that is not the same as either the first schedule pattern or the second schedule pattern.

21. An apparatus to provide an automation control process for a remote access file transfer system, comprising:

a communication device to receive and transmit message information via a communication network;

a processor coupled to the communication device; and

a storage device in communication with the processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to;

receive a first file transfer schedule pattern for a first file transfer including a source and destination for the first file transfer,

receive a second file transfer schedule pattern for a second file transfer including a source and destination for the second file transfer,

automatically schedule the first file transfer between the source and destination in accordance with the first file transfer schedule pattern,

automatically schedule the second file transfer between the source and destination in accordance with the second file transfer schedule pattern,

automatically schedule a third file transfer between a source and a destination, wherein the third file transfer has a file transfer schedule pattern in accordance with a conditional combination of the first file transfer schedule pattern and the second file transfer schedule pattern; and

initiate file transfers in accordance with the automatic schedules.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the processor is further adapted to:

determine a change to the first schedule pattern, and

automatically adjust the first file transfer and third file transfer without adjusting the second file transfer.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the communication device is configured to exchange message information with at least one of:

(i) a message queue client server interface, (ii) a remote access file transfer request service, (iii) a file request service, (iv) a message queue client server interface, (v) a notification service, (vi) a message queue gateway, (vii) an error service, (viii) a process service, (ix) a message router, (x) a log process, (xi) a control process, (xii) a command center interface, (xiii) a file watcher service, (xiv) a message queue, or (xv) another automation control process for the remote access file transfer system.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein at least one memory object defined to a persistence layer of the remote access file transfer system is saved to multiple physical locations.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the conditional combination is a NOT operation which causes scheduling of the third file transfer according to a schedule that is not the same as either the first schedule pattern or the second schedule pattern.