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

• US 9,077,697 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LYFT Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Gregory B.
• Primary Examiner(s): MACILWINEN, JOHN MOORE JAIN
• Application Number:
  US13/644,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20130031209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 a file from a source computer to a destination computer, comprising:

reading a configuration file containing a plurality of parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions and post transfer operations, wherein a first parameter in the plurality of parameter expressions comprises a wait time between file transfer attempts, wherein the wait time is reduced until a successful file transfer attempt, wherein a second parameter in the plurality of parameter expressions comprises an instruction to transfer a transfer file only if the transfer file has changed since a previous transfer of the transfer file, wherein the configuration file includes a first post transfer operation instructing where to place the transfer file after a successful transfer of the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer and a second post transfer operation for appending a timestamp to the transfer file after the successful transfer;

incrementing a counter for each time one of the file transfer attempts, in a continuous loop of the file transfer attempts made in accordance with the plurality of parameter expressions, identifies no files for transfer from the source computer;

upon the successful transfer of the file to the destination computer, executing the first post transfer operation to move the file stored on the source computer and executing the second post transfer operation to append the timestamp to the file; and

when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of the file transfer attempts, then;

closing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer;

receiving a command line parameter that corresponds to different levels of detail, the different levels of detail including;

warnings, errors and fatal errors; and

generating an output file based on receipt of the command line parameter, the output file including debugging messages having the different levels of detail.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein incrementing a counter comprises:

incrementing the counter when a particular one of the file transfer attempts fails in accordance with a source path parameter included in the plurality of parameter expressions, the source path parameter indicating where an export file to be transferred is located on the source computer.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of parameter expressions includes a transfer readiness parameter that represents a forced transfer of the transfer file when a specified time expires regardless of whether the transfer file has changed since a previous transfer of the transfer file.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein reading the configuration file comprises:

reading a source file parameter and a transfer readiness parameter contained within the configuration file, wherein the source file parameter indicates a set of transfer files and the transfer readiness parameter represents one of the file transfer instruction for transferring a newest transfer file in the set of transfer files.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration file includes a third post transfer operation instructing deletion of the transfer file after the successful transfer of the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer.

6. 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 containing a plurality of parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions and post transfer operations, wherein a first parameter in the plurality of parameter expressions comprises a wait time between file transfer attempts, wherein the wait time is reduced until a successful file transfer attempt, wherein a second parameter in the plurality of parameter expressions comprises an instruction to transfer a transfer file only if the transfer file has changed since a previous transfer of the transfer file, wherein the configuration file includes a first post transfer operation instructing where to place the transfer file after a successful transfer of the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer and a second post transfer operation for appending a timestamp to the transfer file after the successful transfer;

incrementing a counter for each time one of the file transfer attempts, in a continuous loop of the file transfer attempts made in accordance with the plurality of parameter expressions, identifies no files for transfer from the source computer;

upon the successful transfer of the file to the destination computer, executing the first post transfer operation to move the file stored on the source computer and executing the second post transfer operation to append the timestamp to the file; and

when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of the file transfer attempts, then;

closing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer;

receiving a command line parameter that corresponds to different levels of detail, the different levels of detail including;

warnings, errors and fatal errors; and

generating an output file based on receipt of the command line parameter, the output file including debugging messages having the different levels of detail.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein incrementing the counter comprises:

incrementing the counter when a particular one of the file transfer attempts fails in accordance with a source path parameter included in the plurality of parameter expressions, the source path parameter indicating where an export file to be transferred is located on the source computer.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of parameter expressions includes a transfer readiness parameter that represents a forced transfer of the transfer file when a specified time expires regardless of whether the transfer file has changed since a previous transfer of the transfer file.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein reading the configuration file comprises:

reading a source file parameter and a transfer readiness parameter contained within the configuration file, wherein the source file parameter indicates a set of transfer files and the transfer readiness parameter represents one of the file transfer instruction for transferring a newest transfer file in the set of transfer files.

10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the configuration file includes a third post transfer operation instructing deletion of the transfer file after the successful transfer of the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer.

11. A tangible computer-readable storage device 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 containing a plurality of parameter expressions representing file transfer instructions and post transfer operations, wherein a first parameter in the plurality of parameter expressions comprises a wait time between file transfer attempts, wherein the wait time is reduced until a successful file transfer attempt, wherein a second parameter in the plurality of parameter expressions comprises an instruction to transfer a transfer file only if the transfer file has changed since a previous transfer of the transfer file, wherein the configuration file includes a first post transfer operation instructing where to place the transfer file after a successful transfer of the transfer file from the source computer to the destination computer and a second post transfer operation for appending a timestamp to the transfer file after the successful transfer;

incrementing a counter for each time one of the file transfer attempts, in a continuous loop of the file transfer attempts made in accordance with the plurality of parameter expressions, identifies no files for transfer from the source computer;

upon the successful transfer of the file to the destination computer, executing the first post transfer operation to move the file stored on the source computer and executing the second post transfer operation to append the timestamp to the file; and

when the counter exceeds a predetermined number of the file transfer attempts, then;

closing a connection between the source computer and the destination computer;

receiving a command line parameter that corresponds to different levels of detail, the different levels of detail including;

warnings, errors and fatal errors; and

generating an output file based on receipt of the command line parameter, the output file including debugging messages having the different levels of detail.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage device according to claim 11, wherein incrementing the counter comprises:

incrementing the counter when a particular one of the file transfer attempts fails in accordance with a source path parameter included in the plurality of parameter expressions, the source path parameter indicating where an export file to be transferred is located on the source computer.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage device according to claim 11, wherein reading the configuration file comprises:

reading a source file parameter and a transfer readiness parameter contained within the configuration file, wherein the transfer readiness parameter further represents a forced transfer of the transfer file when a specified time expires regardless of whether the transfer file has changed since a previous transfer of the transfer file.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage device according to claim 11, wherein reading the configuration file comprises:

reading a source file parameter and a transfer readiness parameter contained within the configuration file, the source file parameter indicates a set of transfer files and the transfer readiness parameter represents one of the file transfer instructions for transferring a newest transfer file in the set of transfer files.