Transfer server of a secure system for unattended remote file and message transfer

• US 20050097041A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 05/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bottomline Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bottomline Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Campbell, Eric, Lemanis, Maris N., Maloney, Robert Jr., Hoffman, Robert F., Mintzer, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A web server system provides for the secure exchanging files with a remote transfer server over an open network such as the Internet. The transfer server operates a plurality of transfer methods. Exemplary transfer methods comprise: i) a log-on method comprising steps for returning a session ID to an authenticated transfer client; ii) an active event keys method comprising steps for returning each of a plurality of event keys associated with the transfer client; iii) a read event method comprising steps for returning event parameters associated with an event key, iv) an upload method comprising steps for receiving and storing a binary object in an object storage and associating the binary object with an object ID value in an ownership table; v) a process binary object method comprising steps for determining data elements within the binary contents of the file an loading the data elements into an application table in accordance with the loading rules; and vi) a set owner method comprising steps for associating the identification of a second transfer client with the object ID value in the ownership table.

Claims

1. A web services transfer server for:

exchanging files with a transfer client over an open network; and

operating a plurality of transfer methods, the transfer methods comprising;

a log-on method operated in response to receiving a log-on method call from a transfer client, the log-on method call comprising authentication credentials of the transfer client, the log-on method comprising steps for returning a session ID to the transfer client if the authentication credentials match those of an authorized transfer client;

a read event method operated in response to a read event method call, the read event method call comprising the session ID, the read event method comprising steps for returning event parameters associated with the event, the event parameters comprising identification of a file;

an upload method operated in response to receiving an upload method call, the upload method call comprising the session ID, the identification of the file, and is a binary object, the upload method comprising steps for storing the binary object in an object storage, associating the binary object with an object ID value, and returning the object ID value to the transfer client; and

a process binary object method operated in response to receiving a process binary object method call, the process binary object method call comprising the session ID, the object ID value, and loading rules, the process binary object method comprising steps for determining data elements within the binary contents of the file an loading the data elements into an application table in accordance with the loading rules.

2. The web services transfer server of claim 1, further comprising

an event key method operated in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing an event key for each upload event associated with the transfer client;

and

wherein the read event method call further comprises an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event identified by the event key.

3. The web services transfer server of claim 1, wherein:

an event key method operated in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing at least two event keys including an event key for each of at least two upload events associated with the transfer client; and

wherein each of at least two read event method calls further comprise an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

4. A web services transfer server for:

exchanging files with a transfer client over an open network; and

operating a plurality of transfer methods, the transfer methods comprising;

a log-on method operated in response to receiving a log-on method call from a transfer client, the log-on method call comprising authentication credentials of the transfer client, the log-on method comprising steps for returning a session ID to the transfer client if the authentication credentials match those of an authorized transfer client;

a read event method operated in response to a read event method call, the read event method call comprising the session ID, the read event method comprising steps for returning event parameters associated with the event, the event parameters comprising identification of a file;

an upload method operated in response to receiving an upload method call, the upload method call comprising the session ID, the identification of the file, and a binary object, the upload method comprising steps for storing the binary object in an object storage, associating the binary object with an object ID value, and returning the object ID value to the transfer client; and

a set owner method operated in response to receiving a set owner method call, the set owner method call comprising the session ID, the object ID value, and an identification of a second transfer client, the set owner method comprising steps for associating the identification of the second transfer client with the object ID value in an ownership table.

5. The web services transfer server of claim 4, further comprising

an event key method operated in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing an event key for each upload event associated with the transfer client;

and

wherein the read event method call further comprises an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

6. The web services transfer server of claim 4, wherein:

an event key method operated in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing at least two event keys including an event key for each of at least two upload events associated with the transfer client; and

wherein each of at least two read event method calls further comprise an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

7. The web services transfer server of claim 5, further comprising:

a file download method operated in response to receiving a file download method call from the second transfer client, the file download method call comprising a second session ID assigned to the second transfer client, the file download method comprising steps for returning the binary object to the second transfer client.

8. The web services transfer server of claim 5, further comprising:

a check availability method operated in response to receiving a check availability method call from the second transfer client, the check availability method call comprising a second session ID provided to the second client, the check availably method comprising steps for returning an object ID value of an object associated with the second transfer client in the ownership table; and

a download method operated in response to receiving a download method call from the second transfer client, the download method call comprising the second session ID and the object ID value, the download method comprising steps for returning the binary object to the second transfer client.

9. The web services transfer server of claim 8, further comprising

an event key method operated in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing an event key for each upload event associated with the transfer client;

and

wherein the read event method call further comprises an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

10. The web services transfer server of claim 8, wherein:

an event key method operated in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing at least two event keys including an event key for each of at least two upload events associated with the transfer client; and

wherein each of at least two read event method calls further comprise an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

11. A method of operating a web services transfer server for exchanging files with a transfer client over an open network, the method comprising:

operating a log-on method in response to receiving a log-on method call from a transfer client, the log-on method call comprising authentication credentials of the transfer client, the log-on method comprising steps for returning a session ID to the transfer client if the authentication credentials match those of an authorized transfer client;

operating a read event method in response to a read event method call, the read event method call comprising the session ID, the read event method comprising steps for returning event parameters associated with the event, the event parameters comprising identification of a file;

operating an upload method in response to receiving an upload method call, the upload method call comprising the session ID, the identification of the file, and a binary object, the upload method comprising steps for storing the binary object in an object storage, associating the binary object with an object ID value, and returning the object ID value to the transfer client; and

operating a process binary object method operated in response to receiving a process binary object method call, the process binary object method call comprising the session ID, the object ID value, and loading rules, the process binary object method comprising steps for determining data elements within the binary contents of the file an loading the data elements into an application table in accordance with the loading rules.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising

operating an event key method in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing an event key for each upload event associated with the transfer client;

and

wherein the read event method call further comprises an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

operating an event key method in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing at least two event keys including an event key for each of at least two upload events associated with the transfer client; and

wherein each of at least two read event method calls further comprise an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

14. A method of operating a web services transfer server for exchanging files with a transfer client over an open network, the method comprising:

operating a log-on method in response to receiving a log-on method call from a transfer client, the log-on method call comprising authentication credentials of the transfer client, the log-on method comprising steps for returning a session ID to the transfer client if the authentication credentials match those of an authorized transfer client;

operating a read event method in response to a read event method call, the read event method call comprising the session ID, the read event method comprising steps for returning event parameters associated with the event, the event parameters comprising identification of a file;

operating an upload method in response to receiving an upload method call, the upload method call comprising the session ID, the identification of the file, and a binary object, the upload method comprising steps for storing the binary object in an object storage and associating, associating the binary object with an object ID value, and returning the object ID value to the transfer client; and

operating a set owner method in response to receiving a set owner method call, the set owner method call comprising the session ID, the object ID value, and an identification of a second transfer client, the set owner method comprising steps for associating the identification of the second transfer client with the object ID value in an ownership table.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising

operating an event key method in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing an event key for each upload event associated with the transfer client;

and

wherein the read event method call further comprises an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

operating an event key method in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing at least two event keys including an event key for each of at least two upload events associated with the transfer client; and

wherein each of at least two read event method calls further comprise an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

operating a download method in response to receiving a download method call from the second transfer client, the download method call comprising a second session ID assigned to the second transfer client, the download method comprising steps for returning the binary object to the second transfer client.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

operating a check availability method in response to receiving a check availability method call from the second transfer client, the check availability method call comprising a second session ID provided to the second client, the check availably method comprising steps for returning an object ID value of an object associated with the second transfer client in the ownership table; and

operating a download method in response to receiving a download method call from the second transfer client, the download method call comprising the second session ID and the object ID value, the download method comprising steps for returning the binary object to the second transfer client.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising

operating an event key method in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing an event key for each upload event associated with the transfer client;

and

wherein the read event method call further comprises an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein:

operating an event key method in response to receiving an event key method call, the event key method call comprising the session ID, the event key method comprising steps for providing at least two event keys including an event key for each of at least two upload events associated with the transfer client; and

wherein each of at least two read event method calls further comprise an event key; and

the steps of returning event parameters associated with the event comprise returning the event parameters associated with the event key.