Granted Patent B2

US 9,110,911 · App. 14/107,906 · Granted Aug 18, 2015

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. A system comprising:

a client computer coupled to a database server via a network, the client computer comprising an operating system, a local application and a cache manager, wherein the cache manager is configured to:

store a file received over the network from the database server as a cached file in a local cache of the client computer;

interact with the operating system of the client computer to open the cached file in the local application associated with a file type for the cached file;

poll a file system of the operating system of the client computer;

receive information associated with the cached file from the operating system in response to the polling;

determine that the cached file has been modified by the local application based on the information associated with the cached file; and

communicate the modified cached file to the database server.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information associated with the cached file comprises time stamp indicating a last time the cached file was modified.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cache manager is further configured to select a polling frequency for polling the file system based on system resources of the client computer.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cache manager comprises a user space application running in a background, the cache manager configured to store the modified cached file to the database server without user interaction in the cache manager.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cache manager is further configured to determine if a newer version of the file is available at the database server and, in response to a determination that a newer version of the file is available at the database server, notify a user of the client computer that the newer version of the file is available.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the local cache comprises a hard disk drive.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cache manager is configured to display files in a hierarchical directory structure.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cache manager is further configured to:

store authentication information; and

reestablish a connection with the database server using the authentication information without requiring that a user re-enter login information.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer executable program instructions executable to provide a cache manager on a client computer, the cache manager configured to perform a method comprising:

storing a file received over a network from a database server as a cached file in a local cache of the client computer;

interacting with an operating system of the client computer to open the cached file in a local application associated with a file type for the cached file;

polling a file system of the operating system of the client computer;

receiving information associated with the cached file from the operating system in response to the polling;

determining that the cached file has been modified by the local application based on the information associated with the cached file; and

communicating the modified cached file to the database server.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the information associated with the cached file comprises time stamp indicating a last time the cached file was modified.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises selecting a polling frequency for polling the file system based on system resources of the client computer.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the cache manager comprises a user space application running in a background and the cache manager stores the modified cached file to the database server without user interaction in the cache manager.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises: determining if a newer version of the file is available at the database server; and

in response to a determination that a newer version of the file is available at the database server, notifying a user of the client computer that the newer version of the file is available.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein local cache comprises a hard disk drive.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the cache manager is configured to display files in a hierarchical directory structure.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

storing authentication information; and

reestablishing a connection with the database server using the authentication information without requiring that a user re-enter login information.

17. A method for file synchronization:

receiving a file from a database server over a network at a client computer, the client computer having an operating system with a file system;

storing, by a cache manager, the file as a cached file in a cache at the client computer;

interacting, by the cache manager, with the operating system of the client computer to open the cached file in a local application associated with a file type for the cached file;

polling, by the cache manager, a file system of the operating system of the client computer;

receiving, by the cache manager, information associated with the cached file from the operating system in response to the polling;

determining, by the cache manager, that the cached file has been modified by the local application based on the information associated with the cached file; and

communicating, by the cache manager, the modified cached file to the database server.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the information associated with the cached file comprises a time stamp indicating a last time the cached file was modified.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising selecting a polling frequency for polling the file system based on system resources of the client computer.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the cache manager comprises a user space application running in a background and the modified cached file is stored to the database server without user interaction in the cache manager.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising, by the cache manager:

determining if a newer version of the file is available at the database server; and

in response to a determination that a newer version of the file is available at the database server, notifying a user of the client computer that the newer version of the file is available.

22. The method of claim 17 , wherein local cache comprises a hard disk drive.

23. The method of claim 17 , further comprising displaying, by the cache manager, files in a hierarchical directory structure.

24. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises, by the cache manager:

storing authentication information; and

reestablishing a connection with the database server using the authentication information without requiring that a user re-enter login information.

Assignments (11)