Notifying users of file updates on computing devices using content signatures

• US 8,868,501 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Einstein's Elephant Incorporated, Carmenso Data Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Borden, Bruce, Brand, Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, BRYAN F
• Application Number:
  US13/242,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 726/30
• US Class Current: 707/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/137 Hash-based content-based indexing of textual data G06F16/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1756 based on delta files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1873 Versioning file systems, temporal file systems, e.g. file system supporting different historic versions of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/20 of structured data, e.g. relational data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and apparatus for managing file updates using content signatures that use file identicality properties are provided. A method and computer program product are provided for the notification of receipt of a new version of the old file using content signatures that take advantage of file identicality properties. Content signature application modules and registries exist within information source clients and centralized servers to support the notification methods. An apparatus is provided that associates a file it has received, that is a new version of an old file, with previously stored content signatures in an indexed archive system. The information source clients that have the previously stored content signatures are then identified. These information source clients are then notified that the new version of the file exists.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a file at an indexed archive system, the received file comprising an updated version of an indexed file in the indexed archive system;

associating, by the indexed archive system, the received file with a content signature corresponding to the indexed file;

identifying, using the indexed archive system, information source clients having the indexed file corresponding to the content signature; and

sending a message from the indexed archive system to the identified information source clients that causes an information agent on each of the identified information source clients to identify that the updated version of the indexed file exists.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

replacing the indexed file with the received file comprising the updated version;

wherein the associating comprises using a file update application in an application module on the indexed archive system to review metadata contained within a metadata repository on the indexed archive system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises reviewing information contained in a content repository on the indexed archive system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending the message to cause the identified information source clients to display a notification message that the file has been updated.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending the message to cause the information agent on each of the identified information source clients to identify that the file has been updated when the file is next opened.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending comprises sending file owners an email, calling the file owners, or messaging the file owners that a file update has occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the file is a web page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content signature is a unique file identifier generated by hashing using one or more of the SHA-1, MD2, MD4, MD5, NAVAL, RIPEMD-128, RIPEMD-256, RIPEMD-160, RIPEMD-320, Tiger, SHA-2, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512, Panama, or Whirlpool algorithms.

9. A non-transitory computer program product stored and executed on a computing device, the non-transitory computer program product having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising:

receiving a file at the computing device, the received file comprising an updated version of an indexed file in the indexed archive system;

associating the received file with a content signature corresponding to the indexed file;

identifying information source clients having the indexed file corresponding to the content signature; and

sending a message from the indexed archive system to the identified information source clients that causes an information agent on each of the identified information source clients to identify that the updated version of the indexed file exists.

10. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

replacing the indexed file with the received file comprising the updated version;

wherein the associating comprises using a file update application in an application module on the indexed archive system to review metadata contained within a metadata repository on the indexed archive system.

11. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the identifying comprises reviewing information contained in a content repository on the indexed archive system.

12. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the sending comprises sending the message to cause the identified information source clients to display a notification message that the file has been updated.

13. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the sending comprises sending the message to cause the information agent on each of the identified information source clients to identify that the file has been updated when the file is next opened.

14. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the sending comprises sending file owners an email, calling the file owners, or messaging the file owners that a file update has occurred.

15. The non-transitory computer program product of claim 9, wherein the file is a web page, and wherein the content signature is a unique file identifier generated by hashing using one or more of the SHA-1, MD2, MD4, MD5, HAVAL, RIPEMD-128, RIPEMD-256, RIPEMD-160, RIPEMD-320, Tiger, SHA-2, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512, Panama, or Whirlpool algorithms.

16. An indexed archive system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations, comprising;

receiving a file, the received file comprising an updated version of an indexed file in the indexed archive system;

associating the received file with a content signature corresponding to the indexed file;

identifying information source clients having the indexed file corresponding to the content signature; and

sending a message from the indexed archive system to the identified information source clients that causes an information agent on each of the identified information source clients to identify that the updated the new version of the indexed file exists.

17. The indexed archive system of claim 16, the operations further comprising:

replacing the indexed file with the received file comprising the updated version;

wherein the associating comprises using a file update application in an application module on the indexed archive system to review metadata contained within a metadata repository on the indexed archive system.

18. The indexed archive system of claim 16, wherein the identifying comprises reviewing information contained in a content repository on the indexed archive system.

19. The indexed archive system of claim 16, wherein the sending comprises:

sending the message to cause the identified information source clients to display a notification message that the file has been updated;

sending the message to cause the information agent on each of the information source clients to identify that the file has been updated when the file is next opened; and

sending file owners an email, calling the file owners, or messaging the file owners that a file update has occurred.

20. The indexed archive system of claim 16, wherein the file is a web page, and wherein the content signature is a unique file identifier generated by hashing using one or more of the SHA-1, MD2, MD4, MD5, HAVAL, RIPEMD-128, RIPEMD-256, RIPEMD-160, RIPEMD-320, Tiger, SHA-2, SHA-224, SHA-256, SHA-384, and SHA-512, Panama, or Whirlpool algorithms.