Dynamic file access to files of unmapped remote computers

• US 9,577,998 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2008
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Natarajan, Murali
• Primary Examiner(s): Traore, Fatoumata
• Application Number:
  US12/336,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20100154038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,988 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

Dynamically providing access to files of presently unmapped remote computers, including, responsive to receiving a file access request from a user, displaying a file access Graphical User Interface (‘GUI’) dialog box; receiving, from the user through the file access GUI dialog box, a Uniform Resource Locator (‘URL’) representing a file location on a remote computer, wherein the URL specifies a particular access protocol among a number of available access protocols, a network location of the remote computer, a port number, and a file system path; and accessing, in dependence upon the URL, a file on the remote computer at the file system path through data communications established between a local server module and a remote server running on the remote computer using the particular access protocol, the network location of the remote computer, and the port number.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of dynamically providing access to files of presently unmapped remote computers, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a file access request from a user, displaying a file access Graphical User Interface (‘

GUI’

) dialog box;

receiving, from the user through the file access GUI dialog box, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) formation parameters, wherein receiving URL formation parameters includes receiving an access protocol select ion specifying an access protocol to use in connection to an unmapped remote computer, a network location of the unmapped remote computer, a port number, and a file system path;

forming a URL in dependence upon the URL formation parameters specifying an access protocol to use in connection to the unmapped remote computer, the network location of the unmapped remote computer, the port number, and the system path; and

accessing, by a local user leveled editing application in dependence upon the URL, a file on the unmapped remote computer at the file system path through data communications established between a local server module and a remote server running on the unmapped remote computer using the particular access protocol, the network location of the unmapped remote computer, and the port number, wherein accessing the file on the unmapped remote computer comprises editing the file on the unmapped remote computer by the local user level editing application, wherein the local user level editing application uses the received URL, transparently to the user, to send the edited file to the unmapped remote computer for storage.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

accessing the file through data communications carried out according to the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (‘

TCP/IP’

) among the local server module and the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

requesting, from the user, authorization credentials;

receiving the authorization credentials from the user; and

providing, by the local server module, the authorization credentials to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

providing, by the local server module, an authentication certificate to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the file access request further comprises a request for access to save a file on the unmapped remote computer; and

accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises sending the file by the local server module in one or more data communications packets to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer for storage at the file system path specified in the URL.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the file access request further comprises a request to open a file stored on the unmapped remote computer; and

accessing the file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises requesting, by the local server module, the file from the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer and receiving the file in response to the request in one or more data communications packets.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the local server module comprises a software component of the local user level application.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the local user level application further comprises one of a word processing application, a presentation development application, or a spreadsheet application.

9. An apparatus for dynamically providing access to files of presently unmapped remote computers, the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that when executed by the computer processor cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

responsive to receiving a the access request from a user, displaying a the access Graphical User Interface (‘

GUI’

) dialog box;

receiving, from the user through the file access GUI dialog box, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) Formation parameters, wherein receiving URL formation parameters includes receiving an access protocol selection specifying an access protocol to use in connection to an unmapped remote computer, a network location of the unmapped remote computer, a port number, and a the system path;

forming a URL in dependence upon the URL formation parameters specifying an access protocol to use in connection to the unmapped remote computer, the network location of the unmapped remote computer, the port number, and the system path; and

accessing, by a local user level editing application in dependence upon the URL, a file on the unmapped remote computer at the file system path through data communications established between a local server module and a remote server running on the unmapped remote computer using the particular access protocol, the network location of the unmapped remote computer, and the port number, wherein accessing the file on the unmapped remote computer comprises editing the file on the unmapped remote computer by the local user level editing application, wherein the local user level editing application uses the received URL, transparently to the user, to send the edited file to the unmapped remote computer for storage.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

accessing the file through data communications carried out according to the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (‘

TCP/IP’

) among the local server module and the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

requesting, from the user, authorization credentials;

receiving the authorization credentials from the user; and

providing, by the local server module, the authorization credentials to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

providing, by the local server module, an authentication certificate to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the file access request further comprises a request for access to save a file on the unmapped remote computer; and

accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises sending the file by the local server module in one or more data communications packets to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer for storage at the file system path specified in the URL.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the file access request further comprises a request to open a file stored on the unmapped remote computer; and

accessing the file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises requesting, by the local server module, the file from the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer and receiving the file in response to the request in one or more data communications packets.

15. A computer program product for dynamically providing access to files of presently unmapped remote computers, the computer program product disposed in a computer readable recordable medium, wherein the computer readable recordable medium is not a signal, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to carry out the steps of:

responsive to receiving a file access request from a user, displaying a file access Graphical User Interface (‘

GUl’

) dialog box;

responsive to receiving a file access request from a user, displaying a file access Graphical User Interface (‘

GUI’

) dialog box;

receiving, from the user through the file access GUI dialog box, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) formation parameters, wherein receiving URL formation parameters includes receiving an access protocol selection specifying an access protocol to use in connection to an unmapped remote computer, a network location of the unmapped remote computer, a port number, and a file system path;

forming a URL in dependence upon the URL formation parameters specifying an access protocol to use in connection to the unmapped remote computer, the network location of the unmapped remote computer, the port number, and the file system path; and

accessing, by a local user level editing application in dependence upon the URL, a file on the unmapped remote computer at the file system path through data communication established between a local sever module and a remote server running on the unmapped remote computer using the particular access protocol, the network location of the unmapped remote computer, and the port number, wherein accessing the file on the unmapped remote computer comprises editing the file on the unmapped remote computer by the local user level editing application, wherein the local user level editing application uses the received URL, transparently to the user, to send the edited file on the unmapped remote computer for storage.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

accessing the file through data communications carried out according to the Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (‘

TCP/IP’

) among the local server module and the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

requesting, from the user, authorization credentials;

receiving the authorization credentials from the user; and

providing, by the local server module, the authorization credentials to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises:

providing, by the local server module, an authentication certificate to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein:

the file access request further comprises a request for access to save a file on the unmapped remote computer; and

accessing a file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises sending the file by the local server module in one or more data communications packets to the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer for storage at the file system path specified in the URL.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein:

the file access request further comprises a request to open a file stored on the unmapped remote computer; and

accessing the file on the unmapped remote computer further comprises requesting, by the local server module, the file from the remote server running on the unmapped remote computer and receiving the file in response to the request in one or more data communications packets.