Method and system for transferring files using file transfer protocol

• US 7,155,578 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genworth Holdings, Inc. (Genworth Financial Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genworth Financial Incorporated
• Inventors: Hashem, Tony, Parmar, Ashwin, Quinn, Keri
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US10/116,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20030191811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/10, 707/200, 709/213, 709/216, 711/100, 711/147, 711/154, 109/213
• US Class Current: 711/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

The method and system of the invention provides a technique for transferring files from a first location to a second location using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). That is, the invention provides a method of transferring files using FTP from a first memory associated with a first processing portion to a second processing portion, the method comprising placing a file in the first memory; determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory, the destination of the file being the second processing portion; and attempting to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion in order to transfer the file from the first memory to the second processing portion.

Claims

1. A method of transferring files using file transfer protocol (FTP) from a first memory associated with a first processing portion to a second processing portion, the method comprising:

placing a file in the first memory;

determining a destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory, the destination of the file being the second processing portion; and

attempting to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion in order to transfer the file from the first memory to the second processing portion;

wherein the first processing portion includes a second memory into which a second file is placed for transferring using FTP, the method further including;

implementing a first set of instructions as a result of placing the file in the first memory, the first set of instructions identifying the second processing portion as the destination, the first set of instructions and the first memory associated with and, for sending to, only a single destination, which is the second processing portion; and

implementing a second set of instructions as a result of placing the second file in the second memory, the first set of instructions being different than the second set of instructions, the second set of instructions identifying a further processing portion as the destination, the further processing portion being different than the second processing portion;

the second set of instructions and the second memory associated with, and for sending to, only a single destination, which is the further processing portion.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

determining that the connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion is successful;

retrieving the file from the first memory; and

transferring the file to the second processing portion.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the file transfer from the first processing portion and the second processing portion is successful; and

providing notification that the file transfer attempts were successful.

4. The method of claim 3, further including recording the status of the successful file transfer to a log file.

5. The method of claim 3, further including the step of removing the file from the first memory and placing the file into a backup directory.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the process further includes sending a notification e-mail that the file transfer was successful.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second processing portion includes a third memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first memory is an internal outbasket disposed in a home FTP processing portion and the third memory is an external inbasket disposed in a remote entity FTP processing portion.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first memory is an external outbasket disposed in a remote FTP processing portion and the third memory is an internal inbasket disposed in a home FTP processing portion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory is performed by retrieving information from a configuration parameters file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration parameters file is an INI file.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the configuration parameters include at least one of the name of an external inbasket, timeout-period between attempts, local-source-directory, remote-destination-directory, and polling-interval.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory includes the second processing portion determining the destination of the file upon receipt of the file from the first processing portion.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters are stored in the first processing portion.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters are stored in the second processing portion, the configuration parameters associating the first memory in the first processing portion with a third memory in the second processing portion.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory includes determining at least two destinations of the file based on placement of the file in the first memory.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration parameters result in the file being transferred to a designated inbasket in the second processing portion.

18. A method of transferring files using file transfer protocol (FTP) from a first memory associated with a first processing portion to a second processing portion, the method comprising:

placing a file in the first memory;

determining a destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory, the destination of the file being the second processing portion; and

attempting to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion in order to transfer the file from the first memory to the second processing portion;

the method further including the steps of;

determining that the connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion is successful;

retrieving the file from the first memory; and

transferring the file to the second processing portion; and

the method further comprising the steps of;

determining that a file transfer from the first processing portion to the second processing portion is not successful;

determining if a threshold number of attempts for file transfer has been exceeded;

if a threshold number of attempts for file transfer has not been exceeded, then attempting again to transfer the file from the first processing portion to the second processing portion; and

if a threshold number of attempts for file transfer has been exceeded, then terminating the attempts and providing notification that the file transfer attempts were unsuccessful; and

wherein the determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory includes implementing a first set of instructions as a result of placing the file in the first memory, the first set of instructions identifying the second processing portion as the destination, the first set of instructions and the first memory associated with and, for sending to, only a single destination, which is the second processing portion; and

determining a destination of a further file, based on configuration parameters associated with a second memory in which the further file is placed, including implementing a second set of instructions as a result of placing the second file in the second memory, the first set of instructions being different than the second set of instructions, the second, set of instructions identifying a further processing portion as the destination, the further processing portion being different than the second processing portion;

the second set of instructions and the second memory associated with, and for sending to, only a single destination, which is the further processing portion, the first processing portion including the second memory.

19. The method of claim 18, further including recording the status of the unsuccessful file transfer to a log file.

20. A method of transferring files using file transfer protocol (FTP) from a first memory associated with a first processing portion to a second processing portion, the method comprising:

placing a file in the first memory;

determining a destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory, the destination of the file being the second processing portion; and

attempting to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion in order to transfer the file from the first memory to the second processing portion;

the method further comprising the steps of;

determining that the connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion is not successful;

determining if a threshold number of attempts for connection has been exceeded;

if a threshold number of attempts for connection has not been exceeded, then attempting again to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion; and

if a threshold number of attempts for connection has been exceeded, then providing notification that the connection attempts failed; and

wherein the determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory includes implementing a first set of instructions as a result of placing the file in the first memory, the first set of instructions identifying the second processing portion as the destination, the first set of instructions and the first memory associated with and, for sending to, only a single destination, which is the second processing portion; and

determining a destination of a further file, based on configuration parameters associated with a second memory in which the further file is placed, including implementing a second set of instructions as a result of placing the second file in the second memory, the first set of instructions being different than the second set of instructions, the second set of instructions identifying a further processing portion as the destination, the further processing portion being different than the second processing portion;

the second set of instructions and the second memory associated with, and for sending to, only a single destination, which is the further processing portion, the first processing portion including the second memory.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the notification that the connection attempts failed is in the form of an e-mail.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the first memory is an internal outbasket;

and

the process further includes checking another internal outbasket between attempts to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion.

23. A method of transferring files using file transfer protocol (FTP) from a first memory associated with a first processing portion to a second processing portion, the method comprising:

placing a file in the first memory;

determining a destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory, the destination of the file being the second processing portion; and

attempting to establish a connection between the first processing portion and the second processing portion in order to transfer the file from the first memory to the second processing portion; and

wherein the configuration parameters result in the file being transferred to at least one of a first designated inbasket in the second processing portion and a second designated inbasket in the second processing portion; and

the second processing portion implementing a first set of instructions if the file is placed in the first designated inbasket; and

the second processing portion implementing a second set of instructions if the file is placed in the second designated inbasket, the first set of instructions being different than the second set of instructions; and

wherein the determining the destination of the file based on configuration parameters associated with the first memory includes implementing a first set of instructions as a result of placing the file in the first memory, the first set of instructions identifying the second processing portion as the destination, the third set of instructions and the first memory associated with and, for sending to, only a single destination, which is the second processing portion; and

determining a destination of a further file, based on configuration parameters associated with a second memory in which the further file is placed, including implementing a second set of instructions as a result of placing the second file in the second memory, the first set of instructions being different than the second set of instructions, the second set of instructions identifying a further processing portion as the destination, the further processing portion being different than the second processing portion;

the second set of instructions and the second memory associated with, and for sending to, only a single destination, which is the further processing portion, the first processing portion including the second memory.