Method of inserting an image into a container file

1. A method of inserting an image into a container file, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more processors configured to execute processing operations comprising:

reading source data including the image;

opening the container file where the image will be stored, the container file comprising one or more records, each record including:

an image file section reserved for storing the image,

an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the image, and

a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty;

determining whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records;

if the source of data is valid, preparing the record and the image metadata; and

writing the image into the record and the record into the container file and marking the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the container file.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising analyzing the source data including the image.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein analyzing comprises checking whether the source data is valid or whether the source data includes an error.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising inquiring whether the record exists in the container file, if the record exists in the container file, inquiring whether the container file metadata status is set to available, and if the container file metadata is set to available, writing the record into the container file and marking the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the container file.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising if the container file metadata is set to unavailable, inquiring whether the record is the last record in the container file, and if the record is not the last record in the container file, writing the record in the file container and if the record is the last record in the container file reporting an error message.

6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein inquiring whether the record exist in the container file comprises determining whether F sz >C sz +R sz (N+1), where F sz is the container file size, C sz is the container file metadata size, and R sz is the record size, and N is a record number being updated.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising after writing the record into the container file, marking the status flag or status mark of the record metadata section of the record as being valid, if the writing is successful, or marking the status flag or status mark of the record metadata section of the record as being invalid and providing a reason, if the writing is not successful.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising after writing the record into the container file, rewriting a first block of the record.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a size of the first block of the record is substantially equal a storage device block size (SDBS) of the storage device.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising closing the container file, after rewriting the first block of the record.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is implemented as a web-based service.

12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising writing a plurality of records using a plurality of computing platforms, wherein each computing platform writes one record in the plurality of records into the container file.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein writing the plurality of records comprises writing the plurality of records substantially simultaneously using the plurality of computing platforms.

14. A method of monitoring and controlling insertion of image files into a container file on a storage device, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more processors configured to execute processing operations comprising:

retrieving, by a job manager in one or more job managers, a job of inserting one or more images into a container file in one or more container files from a queue manager, the job manager being assigned to a single container file in the one or more container files and the queue manager overseeing a submission, by the one or more job managers, of the one or more images to the one or more container files on the storage device; and

inserting, by one or more insert services associated with the job manager, the one or more images into a container file in the one or more container files, each insert service in the one or more insert services being configured to:

read source data including an image in the plurality of images;

open the container file in the one or more container files, the container file comprising one or more records, each record including:

(i) an image file section reserved for storing the image,

(ii) an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the image, and

(iii) a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty;

determine whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records;

if the source of data is valid, preparing the record and the image metadata; and

write the image into the record and the record into the container file and mark the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the container file.

15. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising inquiring by the job manager whether a job assigned by the queue manager is valid for a container file associated with the job manager.

16. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising processing the image to prepare for forwarding the image to the insert service for inserting into the record of the container file.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving, by a plurality of job managers, a plurality of jobs of inserting a plurality of images into a plurality of containers from the queue manager, each job manager in the plurality of job managers being assigned to a single container file in the plurality of container files and the queue manager overseeing a submission, by the plurality of job managers, of the plurality of images to the plurality of container files on the storage device.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the retrieving by the plurality of job managers the plurality of jobs of inserting the plurality of images into the plurality of containers is performed in parallel.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the inserting comprises inserting, by a plurality of insert services associated with the plurality of job managers, the plurality of images into the plurality of container files, each of the plurality of images being inserted by a corresponding one insert service in the plurality of insert services.

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the inserting by the plurality of insert services comprises running a plurality of insert services using a plurality of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) requests.

21. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the retrieving comprises retrieving, by a plurality of job managers, a plurality of jobs of inserting a plurality of images into a plurality of containers from a plurality of queue managers, each queue manager overseeing a submission, by a plurality of job managers, of the plurality of images to the plurality of container files on the storage device.

22. A method of monitoring and controlling insertion of image files into a container file on a storage device, the method being implemented by a computer system that includes one or more processors configured to execute processing operations comprising:

retrieving, by a first job manager from a queue manager, a first job of inserting a first image into a first container file and inserting a second image into the first container file, the first job manager being assigned to the first container file,

retrieving, by a second job manager from the queue manager, a second job of inserting a third image into a second container file and inserting a fourth image into the second container file, the second job manager being assigned to the second container file, the queue manager overseeing a submission, by the first job manager, of the first and second images to the first container file on the storage device, and a submission, by the second job manager, of the third and fourth images to the second container file on the storage device; and

inserting, by a first insert service associated with the first job manager, the first image into the first container file;

inserting, by a second insert service associated with the first job manager, the second image into the first container file;

inserting, by a third insert service associated with the second job manager, the third image into the second container file; and

inserting, by a fourth insert service associated with the second job manager, the fourth image into the second container file.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the first insert service is configured to:

read source data including the first image;

open the first container file, the first container file comprising one or more records, each record including:

(i) an image file section reserved for storing the first image,

(ii) an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the first image, and

(iii) a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty;

determine whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records;

if the source of data is valid, prepare the record and the image metadata; and

write the first image into the record and the record into the first container file and mark the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the first container file.

24. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the second insert service is configured to:

read source data including the second image;

open the first container file, the first container file comprising one or more records, each record including:

(i) an image file section reserved for storing the second image,

(ii) an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the second image, and

(iii) a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty;

determine whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records;

if the source of data is valid, prepare the record and the image metadata; and

write the second image into the record and the record into the first container file and mark the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the first container file.

25. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the third insert service is configured to:

read source data including the third image;

open the second container file, the second container file comprising one or more records, each record including:

(i) an image file section reserved for storing the third image,

(ii) an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the third image, and

(iii) a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty;

determine whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records;

if the source of data is valid, prepare the record and the image metadata; and

write the third image into the record and the record into the second container file and mark the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the second container file.

26. The method according to claim 22 , wherein the fourth insert service is configured to:

read source data including the fourth image; open the second container file, the second container file comprising one or more records, each record including:

(i) an image file section reserved for storing the fourth image,

(ii) an image metadata section reserved for storing data about the fourth image, and

(iii) a record metadata section having a status flag or status mark indicating whether the image file section is empty;

determine whether the source data is valid to be entered into a record in the one or more records;

if the source of data is valid, prepare the record and the image metadata; and

write the fourth image into the record and the record into the second container file and mark the status mark of the record as being updated while writing the record into the second container file.