Managing time-dependent electronic files

• US 10,148,445 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Deakin, Oliver M., Nicholson, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sherkat, Arezoo
• Application Number:
  US14/943,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0733 in a data processing system embedded in an image processing device, e.g. printer, facsimile, scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1471 involving logging of persistent data for recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4887 involving deadlines, e.g. rate based, periodic
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/505 considering the load
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

Managing time-dependent electronic files. A set of time-dependent files is identified. A time period for processing for each file resulting in a set of time periods is identified. A minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods is calculated. Batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files to be processed at the time instance.

Claims

1. A method of managing time-dependent electronic files, the method comprising:

identifying, by a file processing manager executing on one or more processors in a distributed computing system, a set of time-dependent files, wherein each time-dependent file of the set of time-dependent files comprises a temporal restriction preventing processing associated with the time-dependent file other than within the temporal restriction, wherein the identifying comprises;

polling, by the one or more processors, one or more centralized servers for updates available for one or more files deployed on one or more computing resources comprising the distributed computing system;

determining, by the one or more processors, based on the polling, that updates are available for a portion of the one or more files, wherein for each file of the portion of the one or more files, availability of an update for the file indicates the temporal restriction for the file; and

identifying, by the file processing manager, the portion of the one or more files as the set of time-dependent files;

identifying, by the file processing manager, a time period for processing for each time-dependent file of a plurality of time-dependent files of the set of time-dependent files, wherein the time periods for processing for each time-dependent file of the plurality of time-dependent files of the set of time-dependent files are different, and wherein for each time-dependent file the time period is consistent with the temporal restriction of the time-dependent file, resulting in a set of time periods, wherein for at least one time-dependent file of the plurality of time-dependent files, more than one time instance falls within the time period for processing for the at least one time-dependent file;

based on the identifying the time period for processing for each time-dependent file, dynamically calculating, by the file processing manager, a minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods, by identifying overlaps between time periods for processing for the plurality of time-dependent files to minimize a number of individual messages sent to the one or more centralized servers, wherein a single message is sent during each time instance; and

batching, by the file processing manager, for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, wherein the processing at each time instance comprises transmitting a message to the one or more centralized servers, and wherein the batching comprises minimizing a number of messages, wherein the processing comprises distributing, from the central location, a renewed version of the sub-set of files to replace the sub-set of files back to the one or more computing resources comprising the distributed computing system.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further including:

defining one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a first sub-set of the set of time periods which overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a second sub-set of the set of time periods which do not overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods; and

wherein the calculating the minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods includes;

calculating one resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the first sub-set and the one or more additional preferred time periods;

calculating another resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the second sub-set; and

combining the one resultant minimum set of time instances and the other resultant minimum set of time instances.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the one or more additional preferred time periods are defined for time periods having optimal processing capability.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of time-dependent files are electronic certificates, and the time period for processing a time-dependent file is a renewal period for an electronic certificate.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, includes batching renewal messages for the sub-set of files.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the identifying the time period for processing for each file includes determining a renewal period within a lifespan of an electronic certificate.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising repeating at least one of the identifying the set of time-dependent files, the identifying the time period, the calculating, and the batching based on adding or removing from the identified set of time-dependent files.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, includes selecting a time instance for a file in which more than one time instance falls within the file'"'"'s processing time period.

9. A computer system for managing time-dependent electronic files, the computer system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communications with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising;

identifying, by a file processing manager executing on one or more processors in a distributed computing system, a set of time-dependent files, wherein each time-dependent file of the set of time-dependent files comprises a temporal restriction preventing processing associated with the time-dependent file other than within the temporal restriction, wherein the identifying comprises;

polling, by the one or more processors, one or more centralized servers for updates available for one or more files deployed on one or more computing resources comprising the distributed computing system;

determining, by the one or more processors, based on the polling, that updates are available for a portion of the one or more files, wherein for each file of the portion of the one or more files, availability of an update for the file indicates the temporal restriction for the file; and

identifying, by the file processing manager, the portion of the one or more files as the set of time-dependent files;

identifying, by the file processing manager, a time period for processing for each time-dependent file of a plurality of time-dependent files of the set of time-dependent files, wherein the time periods for processing for each time-dependent file of the plurality of time-dependent files of the set of time-dependent files are different, and wherein for each time-dependent file the time period is consistent with the temporal restriction of the time-dependent file, resulting in a set of time periods, wherein for at least one time-dependent file of the plurality of time-dependent files, more than one time instance falls within the time period for processing for the at least one time-dependent file;

based on the identifying the time period for processing for each time-dependent file, dynamically calculating, by the file processing manager, a minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods, by identifying overlaps between time periods for processing for the plurality of time-dependent files to minimize a number of individual messages sent to the one or more centralized servers, wherein a single message is sent during each time instance; and

batching, by the file processing manager, for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, wherein the processing at each time instance comprises transmitting a message to the one or more centralized servers, and wherein the batching comprises minimizing a number of messages, wherein the processing comprises distributing, from the central location, a renewed version of the sub-set of files to replace the sub-set of files back to the one or more computing resources comprising the distributed computing system.

10. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method further includes:

defining one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a first sub-set of the set of time periods which overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a second sub-set of the set of time periods which do not overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods; and

wherein the calculating the minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods includes;

calculating one resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the first sub-set and the one or more additional preferred time periods;

calculating another resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the second sub-set; and

combining the one resultant minimum set of time instances and the other resultant minimum set of time instances.

11. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the set of time-dependent files are electronic certificates, and the time period for processing a time-dependent file is a renewal period for an electronic certificate.

12. The computer system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, includes batching renewal messages for the sub-set of files.

13. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the method further comprises repeating at least one of the identifying the set of time-dependent files, the identifying the time period, the calculating, and the batching based on adding or removing from the identified set of time-dependent files.

14. The computer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein:

the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, includes selecting a time instance for a file in which more than one time instance falls within the file'"'"'s processing time period.

15. A computer program product for managing time-dependent electronic files, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

identifying, by a file processing manager executing on one or more processors in a distributed computing system, a set of time-dependent files, wherein each time-dependent file of the set of time-dependent files comprises a temporal restriction preventing processing associated with the time-dependent file other than within the temporal restriction, wherein the identifying comprises;

polling, by the one or more processors, one or more centralized servers for updates available for one or more files deployed on one or more computing resources comprising the distributed computing system;

determining, by the one or more processors, based on the polling, that updates are available for a portion of the one or more files, wherein for each file of the portion of the one or more files, availability of an update for the file indicates the temporal restriction for the file; and

identifying, by the file processing manager, the portion of the one or more files as the set of time-dependent files;

identifying, by the file processing manager, a time period for processing for each time-dependent file of a plurality of time-dependent files of the set of time-dependent files, wherein the time periods for processing for each time-dependent file of the plurality of time-dependent files of the set of time-dependent files are different, and wherein for each time-dependent file the time period is consistent with the temporal restriction of the time-dependent file, resulting in a set of time periods, wherein for at least one time-dependent file of the plurality of time-dependent files, more than one time instance falls within the time period for processing for the at least one time-dependent file;

based on the identifying the time period for processing for each time-dependent file, dynamically calculating, by the file processing manager, a minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods, by identifying overlaps between time periods for processing for the plurality of time-dependent files to minimize a number of individual messages sent to the one or more centralized servers, wherein a single message is sent during each time instance; and

batching, by the file processing manager, for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, a sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, wherein the processing at each time instance comprises transmitting a message to the one or more centralized servers, and wherein the batching comprises minimizing a number of messages, wherein the processing comprises distributing, from the central location, a renewed version of the sub-set of files to replace the sub-set of files back to the one or more computing resources comprising the distributed computing system.

16. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further includes:

defining one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a first sub-set of the set of time periods which overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods;

determining a second sub-set of the set of time periods which do not overlap with the one or more additional preferred time periods; and

wherein the calculating the minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the set of time periods includes;

calculating one resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the first sub-set and the one or more additional preferred time periods;

calculating another resultant minimum set of time instances that gives one time instance in each time period in the second sub-set; and

combining the one resultant minimum set of time instances and the other resultant minimum set of time instances.

17. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the set of time-dependent files are electronic certificates, and the time period for processing a time-dependent file is a renewal period for an electronic certificate.

18. The computer program product as claimed in claim 17, wherein the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, includes batching renewal messages for the sub-set of files.

19. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein the method further comprises repeating at least one of the identifying the set of time-dependent files, the identifying the time period, the calculating, and the batching based on adding or removing from the identified set of time-dependent files.

20. The computer program product as claimed in claim 15, wherein:

the batching for each time instance of the minimum set of time instances, the sub-set of files for processing at the time instance, includes selecting a time instance for a file in which more than one time instance falls within the file'"'"'s processing time period.