System and method for providing access to a file in real time during a cloud storage upload process

• US 8,918,368 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gladinet, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Gladinet, Inc.
• Inventors: Du, Haikun, Huang, Zhihui
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US13/626,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20130091188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 707/609, 707/687, 707/688, 707/693, 707/736, 707/758, 707/781
• US Class Current: 707/687
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A cloud server includes a cloud storage for storing a folder uploaded to the cloud server, a database for storing administrative data; and a cloud service application. The cloud service application establishes a communication connection with an end point device to retrieve a user identification about the user, the end point device name, and folder name and location and stores this information in the database. A remote device communicates with the cloud server to access a folder stored on at least one of the endpoint device and the cloud storage. The cloud service application determines an authorized user and provides access to the folder by providing direct access to the endpoint device from the remote device utilizing the communication connection during uploading of the folder to the cloud, or directly to the cloud storage if the folder has been uploaded.

Claims

1. A system for uploading a folder comprises:

an endpoint device having a folder stored thereon;

a cloud server in communication with the end point device, the cloud server including a cloud storage for storing a folder unloaded to the cloud server, a database for storing administrative data; and

a cloud service application, the cloud service application establishing first communication connection with the end point device and retrieving a user identification for the user of the end point device, an endpoint device name, a folder name, and folder location; and

storing the user identification, end point device name, the folder name, and the folder location in the database and causing the end point device to upload the folder to the cloud storage utilizing a second communication connection;

a remote device communicating with the cloud server to access a folder stored on at least one of the end point device and the cloud storage, the remote device providing the user identification and the folder name to the cloud service application as a request to access a folder;

the cloud service application determining the user, the end point device name, and the folder name from the administrative database, and providing access to the folder by at least one of providing direct access a.) to the end point device from the remote device utilizing the first communication connection during uploading of a folder to the cloud storage and b.) to the cloud storage;

wherein the cloud service application determines whether the folder is currently being uploaded to the cloud server, and provides access to the end point device if the a file within the folder has not been completely uploaded to the cloud server, and the cloud service application providing access to the file within the folder in the cloud storage if the file has been completely uploaded to the cloud server; and

in response to the request, the cloud service application determines whether the folder is being uploaded to the cloud server, each folder including files, the cloud service application creating a folder name space as a directory of at least one folder and the files contained within a respective one of the at least one folder by merging a first directory of a folder and the respective files within the folder which has been uploaded to the cloud server, and a second directory of files, stored at the endpoint device of the folder and respective files within the folder stored at the endpoint device, and creating the folder name space by merging the first directory and second directory, and presenting the folder name space at the remote device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the cloud service application is an exposed set of an application programming interface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the end point device is a personal computer, and wherein the cloud service application presents a folder names apace to the end user device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each folder includes one or more files, and the request includes a file name, the cloud service application determines whether the file is currently being uploaded to the cloud server, and provides access to the file at the end point device if the file has not been completely uploaded to the cloud server, and the cloud service application providing access to the file in the cloud storage if the file has been completely uploaded to the cloud storage.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first directory includes a first version indicator for indicating a latest version of the at least one folder and the files contained within a respective one of the at least one folder uploaded to the cloud server, the second directory includes a second version indicator for indicating a version of the folder and the files contained therein stored at the endpoint device, the server application comparing the first version indicator with the second version indicator, and determining whether a file stored at the cloud server is a later version than a corresponding file stored at the endpoint device and transmitting later version of the file in response to the request.

2. A cloud server for providing access to a folder being uploaded to the cloud server during the uploading process comprising:

a cloud storage for storing one or more folders;

an administrative database for storing user identification, an end point device name for an end point device from which the folder is uploaded, and a folder location for the folder being uploaded;

a cloud service application for controlling the cloud storage and the administrative database, and for establishing a first communication connection with an end point device;

the cloud server application determining a folder to be uploaded in response to a request from the end point device, storing the user identification associated with the user of the input device, the input device name, the name of the folder, and the location of the folder to be uploaded from the end point device, and a second communication connection to upload the folder from the end point device to the cloud storage; and

the cloud service application receiving a request to access the folder, the cloud service application determining the identity of the user making the request and the folder location as a function of the request, and providing access to the folder at at least one of (a) the cloud storage, and (b) the end point device utilizing the first communication connection, as a function of a status of the upload of the folder;

wherein in response to the request, the cloud service application determines whether the folder is being uploaded to the cloud server, each folder including files, the cloud service application creating a folder name space as a directory of at least one folder and the files contained within a respective folder by merging a first directory of folders uploaded to the cloud server and the files contained therein, and a second directory of the folder and files therein as stored at the endpoint device, and creating a folder name space by merging the first directory and second directory and presenting the folder name space at the remote device.

8. The cloud server of claim 2, wherein the cloud service application determines the status of the uploading of the folder from the end point device to the cloud storage and provides access to the folder at the end point device, across the first communication connection, when uploading of the folder is ongoing, and provides access to the folder at the cloud storage when it is determined that the uploading of the folder is complete.

9. The cloud server of claim 2, wherein each folder includes one or more files, the request includes a file name, the cloud service application determines the status of the uploading of the file from the end point device to the cloud storage and provides access to the file at the end point device, across the first communication connection, when uploading of the file is ongoing, and provides access to the file at the cloud storage when it is determined that the uploading of the file is complete.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the first directory includes a first version indicator for indicating the latest version of the at least one folder and the files contained within a respective one of the at least one folder uploaded to the cloud server, the second directory includes a second version indicator for indicating a version of the folder and the files contained therein stored at the endpoint device, the cloud server application comparing the first version indicator to the second version indicator and determining whether a file stored at the cloud server is a later version than a corresponding file stored at the endpoint device and transmitting a later version of the file in response to the request.

3. A method for uploading a folder from an endpoint device to a cloud server comprising:

storing a folder at the endpoint device;

creating a first communication connection between the endpoint device and the cloud server, the cloud server retrieving a user identification for the user of the endpoint device, an endpoint device name, a folder name and folder location utilizing the communication connection, storing the user identification and endpoint device name, folder name, and the folder location and causing the endpoint device to upload the folder to the cloud server utilizing the second communication connection;

transmitting a request for access to a folder stored on at least one of the endpoint device or the cloud storage by providing the user identification and the folder name to the cloud server, the cloud server determining the user, the endpoint device name, and the folder, and providing access to a file within the folder which has not been uploaded to the cloud server by providing direct access to the endpoint device from the remote device utilizing the first communication connection; and

providing access to a file, within the folder, which has been uploaded to the cloud server from the cloud server; and

in response to the request, the cloud service application determining whether the folder is being uploaded to the cloud server, each folder including files, the cloud server creating a folder name space as a directory of at least one folder and the files contained within a respective folder by merging a first directory, stored at the cloud server, of the folder and the files within which are uploaded to the cloud server, and a second directory, stored at the endpoint device, of the folder and files within the folder as stored at the endpoint device, and merging the first directory and second directory and presenting the folder name space at the remote device.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of storing a first latest version indicator of each file as an element of the first directory:

storing a second version indicator for each file as an element of the second directory, comparing the first version indicator of the file with a second indicator of the corresponding file, determining a latest version of the file and transmitting the latest version of the file to the remote device in response to the request.