Method and apparatus for providing a web-based active virtual file system

• US 7,444,390 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2004
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cdimensions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cdimensions Incorporated
• Inventors: Osterday, Patrick B., Tadayon, Vali, Zwick, Charles M., Sadri, Mohammad Reza
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pollack; Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US10/831,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 707/2, 707/101, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707204-206, 709/203, 709217-219, 709/225, 709/248
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/10 File systems; File servers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/11 File system administration, e.g. details of archiving or snapshots file system backup G06F11/14
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A computerized file system is accessible over the Internet or other type of network, in which certain “triggering events” pertaining to the operation of the file system automatically generate a notification message to users. Once a user has been authenticated, this user'"'"'s access rights are determined. An Automatic Notification function checks to see if any “triggering” events have occurred when a user performs a particular task. The Automatic Notification function defines what type of event will become a triggering event, and also defines what will be the triggering action, once the triggering event occurs, and stores this information in a database. The Auto-notification function can comprise programs that are launched to perform certain tasks. The precise type of auto-notification message is fully configurable for each component in the file system.

Claims

1. A computerized active file system, comprising:

a memory circuit for storing data;

a communications port that is in communication with a network, said communications port being configured to transmit and receive data over said network; and

a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port;

said processing circuit also being configured to control said memory circuit so as to operate as a file server, wherein the file server comprises a plurality of folders;

said processing circuit being further configured to automatically cause one or more automatic response actions upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined triggering event pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein the at least one predetermined triggering event comprises one or more of;

(i) manipulation of at least one of the folders residing on the file server, wherein the manipulation is performed by a user,

(ii) editing of one or more objects within one of the folders residing on the file server, wherein the editing is performed by a user, or

(iii) introduction of one or more objects into one of the folders residing on the file server, wherein the introduction is performed by a user,

wherein the one or more automatic response actions comprise, in addition to carrying out the at least one triggering event, one or more of;

(i) archiving one or more objects,

(ii) running a script,

(iii) launching one or more programs, or

(iv) triggering a rule,

wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type and content of the automatic response action are configurable under the control of an auto-response computer program routine residing on said computerized active file system.

2. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and said associated one or more automatic response actions are configurable by a systems administrator.

3. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said one or more associated automatic response actions are transmitted over said network by use of a predetermined rules-based function.

4. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said memory circuit comprises random access memory (RAM) and a hard disk drive.

5. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 4, wherein said file server comprises:

(1) said hard disk drive, (2) said RAM, and (3) control software that stores and retrieves groupings of data organized as individual files onto and from said hard disk drive, while utilizing said RAM for temporary storage of data that make up portions of said files or entire said files.

6. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a database that contains information relating to said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type of one or more automatic response actions.

7. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a web server that is in communication with one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers.

8. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

at least one user that is in communication with said one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers;

said at least one user having a computer platform that contains browser software and graphical user interface software.

9. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(1) an authentication function, (2) an access rights function, (3) a user management function, (4) a group management function, (5) a modules management function, and (6) an objects management function.

10. The computerized active file system as recited in claim 1, wherein said triggering event comprises one of said file server granting access to:

(1) read a file, (2) write a file, (3) read/write a file, (4) download a file, and (5) upload a file.

32. The computerized active file system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of folders, wherein each predetermined triggering event and an associated automatic response action form corresponding rule, wherein each rule is associated with at least one folder of the plurality of folders.

33. The computerized active file system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of folders, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to cause a cascading workflow to occur among the plurality of folders upon the occurrence of an associated predetermined triggering event.

34. The computerized active file system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of folders, wherein the response action further comprises triggering a workflow among the plurality of folders.

35. The computerized active file system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of folders, wherein several folders of the plurality of folders are linked via rules.

11. A method for operating a computerized active file system, comprising:

providing a file server having a memory circuit for storing data, a communications port for transmitting and receiving data over a network, and a processing circuit that controls the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port, said file server treating predetermined data groups as single file entities, wherein the file server comprises a plurality of folders residing on the file server;

and

automatically causing one or more automatic response actions upon the occurrence of a least one predetermined triggering event pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein the one or more automatic response actions comprise one or more of;

(i) archiving one or more objects,

(ii) running a script,

(iii) launching one or more programs, or

(iv) triggering a rule,

wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type and content of the automatic response action are configurable under the control of an auto-response computer program routine residing on said computerized active file system, wherein the one or more automatic response actions further comprises triggering a workflow among at least two folders of the plurality of folders residing on the server.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event comprises a complex event.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

storing in a database information relating to said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type of one or more automatic response actions.

14. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

performing over said network said associated one or more automatic response actions by use of a predetermined rules-based function.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said one or more automatic response actions comprises a complex action.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said complex action comprises launching an application program.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said application program is launched for a user that is in communication with said file server over a Local Area Network, said user having a computer platform that contains browser software and graphical user interface software.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

providing a web server that is in communication with said file server and one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers;

providing at least one user that is in communication with said one of a Local Area Network, a Wide Area Network, and a global set of networks interconnected with routers;

said at least one user having a computer platform that contains browser software and graphical user interface software; and

upon the occurrence of one of said one or more automatic response actions, a link provided to said at least one user is configured to open said at least one user'"'"'s browser software and take the user to a folder or object that was just triggered.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein a distribution of said one or more automatic response actions is determined by:

(1) a type of said at least one predetermined triggering event, and (2) a predetermined set of said at lest one user, as per a group definition.

20. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

(1) providing at least two users that are in communication with said file server over said network; and

(2) storing more that one single file under an identical virtual filename as represented to said at lest two users as a Display Name, while storing said more than one single file under unique actual filenames in a Files Table contained within said memory circuit along with a link to a location of said more than one single file in a virtual folder, wherein said location is based upon;

(a) a setting in a database and (b) a username of the virtual folder where the file is being uploaded to with said file server.

21. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

(1) an authentication function, (2) an access rights function, (3) a user management function;

(4) a group management function, (5) a modules management function, and (6) an objects management function.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

importing users and groups from other computer systems.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

controlling a plurality of objects by use of said modules management function and said objects management function, wherein said plurality of objects each comprises one of;

a file, calendar, contact, report, and E-mail message.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

controlling, by use of said access rights function, a user'"'"'s rights to read, write, or read/write a file being downloaded from or uploaded to said file server.

25. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said triggering event comprises one of said file server granting access to:

(1) read a file, (2) write a file, (3) read/write a file, (4) download a file, and (5) upload a file.

26. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising:

seamlessly encrypting data while uploading a file to said file server.

27. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said file server operations run on top of another architecture that also runs on said processing circuit.

28. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein a system for tracking bugs and fixes runs on top of said file server operations, also on said processing circuit.

29. A computerized active virtual file system,

comprising:

a memory circuit for storing data;

a communications port that is in communication with a network, said communications port being configured to transmit and receive data over said network; and

a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port;

said processing circuit also being configured to control said memory circuit so as to operate as a file server;

said processing circuit being further configured to control the access rights over said network of a plurality of users to files stored on, or uploaded to, said file server, while providing one or more automatic response actions to predetermine of said plurality of users over said network when a triggering event occurs pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein the triggering event comprises the file server granting access to one of the users to perform, but the triggering event is complete before the user performs, one or more of;

(i) reading a file residing on the file server,

(ii) writing a file residing on the file server,

(iii) downloading of a file from the file server,

(iv) uploading of a file to the file server,

wherein the one or more automatic response actions comprise, in addition to carrying out the triggering event, one or more of;

(i) archiving one or more objects,

(ii) running a script,

(iii) launching one or more programs, or

(iv) triggering a rule.

30. The computerized active virtual file system as recited in claim 29, wherein said triggering event comprises one of said file server granting access to:

(1) read a file, (2) write a file, (3) read/write a file, (4) download a file, and (5) upload a file.

31. The computerized active virtual file system as recited in claim 29, wherein said at least one triggering event and its associated type and content of one or more automatic response actions are configurable under the control of an auto-response computer program routine residing on said computerized active virtual file system.