Data processing system and method for accessing files

• US 6,801,911 B1
• Filed: 11/21/1997
• Issued: 10/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Berstis, Viktors
• Primary Examiner(s): Pardo, Thuy N.
• Application Number:
  US08/976,888
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/104, 707/4, 707/2, 707/102, 395/200.31, 395/200.48, 395/187.01, 395/200.58, 395/200.47, 713/201
• US Class Current: 707/827
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/922 Communications
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/959 Network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A data processing system and method are provided for using URLs to access files located on the Internet in a similar manner used to access local files.

Claims

1. A computer program product in a computer readable medium comprising:

an operating system on a local data processing system, said operating system comprising;

input means for receiving a command to access a first file;

means for evaluating the command to determine a first type of the first file; and

means for retrieving the first file from a remote data processing system when the first file type indicates the first file is stored outside the local data processing system.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first file is retrieved from the remote data processing system when the command specifies a uniform resource locator.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein a portion of the uniform resource locator specifies the remote data processing system.

4. The computer program product of claim 2, wherein the uniform resource locator indicates a transfer protocol for communicating the first file from the remote data processing system to the local data processing system.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the transfer protocol is a hypertext transfer protocol.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the means for retrieving the first file from the remote data processing system, further comprises:

means for opening a socket to communicate between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system;

means for selectively communicating a first plurality of data values between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system; and

means for closing the socket between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein at least one of a plurality of data values corresponding to the first file is modified by the local data processing system to generate a modified data value.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

means for transmitting the modified data value to the first file in the remote data processing system using a transfer protocol.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the transfer protocol is a file transfer protocol.

10. A data processing system, comprising:

a communication interface for selectively enabling the data processing system to communicate with a remote data processing system;

a local memory;

input means for receiving a command to access a first file; and

a central processing unit for executing an operating system, wherein the operating system evaluates the command to determine when the first file is stored in the local memory and when the first file is stored in the remote data processing system.

11. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the operating system determines that the first file is stored in the remote data processing system when the command specifies a uniform resource locator.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein a portion of the uniform resource locator specifies the remote data processing system.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the remote data processing system is coupled to the data processing system via an Internet communication network.

14. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the uniform resource locator indicates a transfer protocol for communicating the first file from the remote data processing system to the data processing system.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the transfer protocol is a hypertext transfer protocol.

16. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein the operating system enables the communication interface to open a socket to communicate between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system, to selectively communicate a first plurality of data values between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system, and to close the socket between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system.

17. The data processing system of claim 10, wherein at least one of a plurality of data values corresponding to the first file is modified by the data processing system to generate a modified data value.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the operating system enables the communication interface to transmit the modified data value to the first file in the remote data processing system using a transfer protocol.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein the transfer protocol is a file transfer protocol.

20. A method implementing an operating system on a local data processing system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a command to access a first file;

evaluating the command to determine a first type of the first file; and

retrieving the first file from a remote data processing system when the first file type indicates the first file is stored outside the local data processing system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first file is retrieved from the remote data processing system when the command specifies a uniform resource locator.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a portion of the uniform resource locator specifies the remote data processing system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the uniform resource locator indicates a transfer protocol for communicating the first file from the remote data processing system to the local data processing system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the transfer protocol is a hypertext transfer protocol.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

opening a socket to communicate between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system;

selectively communicating a first plurality of data values between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system; and

closing the socket between the local data processing system and the remote data processing system.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of:

modifying at least one of a plurality of data values corresponding to the first file is modified by the local data processing system to generate a modified data value.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the modified data value to the first file in the remote data processing system using a transfer protocol.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the transfer protocol is a file transfer protocol.