JP2003015925A - Information terminal management device and program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that data stored in more than one other information terminal connected to a given information terminal through a network are lost, or that, if data transmission/reception becomes impossible between another information terminal in which data are stored and the given information terminal, the number of pieces of the data that the given information terminal can acquire from the other information terminal is decreased. SOLUTION: The number of the pieces of data that the given information terminal can acquire, among from data stored in the more than one other information terminal, is managed, and, if the number of the pieces of the data becomes less than a fixed number, one or more replications of the data are produced, and the produced data are stored in the more than one other information terminal.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information terminal management device and management program for managing a plurality of information terminals.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The use of computers is diversified, and the amount of data stored in a storage device of a computer by users such as companies and individuals tends to increase more and more. On the other hand, with the development of network technology, it has become possible for one user to rent a storage device existing in a remote place without equipping a terminal with a storage device having a capacity for storing a huge amount of data. ing.

In this case, the number of storage devices at the remote place is not limited to one, but the use of a plurality of storage devices connected to each other by a network allows the service provider to increase the storage capacity. Instead, the same data can be compensated by storing a plurality of distributed data.

For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-187544, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of servers 110 connected to an information terminal 101 such as an information terminal owned by a company via a network 102 are owned by a company. , A system for compensating data owned by a predetermined company is described. That is, by storing data in the plurality of servers 110 in this way, for example, due to an erroneous operation of an operator who operates one server 110,
Even when the data stored in the server 110 is deleted, the employee of the company can use the information terminal 101 to obtain the data owned by the company from another server 103.

Further, even if the network line such as a telephone line connecting the predetermined server 110 and the information terminal 101 owned by the company is disconnected, the employee of the company uses the information terminal 101 to operate the other server 110. The data owned by the company can be obtained from.

On the other hand, RAID (Redundant Arrays) is used as a technique for compensating data in one system.
A technology called "Inexpensive Disks" has been developed. Data stored in a hard disk using the RAID technology has a reduced probability of data loss.

[0007]

However, in the system proposed in JP-A-10-187544 described above, once data is stored in the server 110, the storage status of the stored data is managed. There is no such device. Therefore, if the data stored in the server 110 is erased due to a malfunction of the server 110, a malfunction of an operator who operates the server 110, or the like, the number of data stored in the plurality of servers 110 is reduced. Will decrease. Therefore, it is not possible to achieve the purpose of the system of compensating for data by storing the same data in a plurality of servers.

[0008] In addition, while the network cable connecting the information terminal 101 and the predetermined server 110 is disconnected, the server 110 is powered off, etc., the information terminal 101
Data transmission between the server and the server 110 becomes impossible, and an employee of the company cannot use the information terminal 101 to acquire the data owned by the company. Therefore,
Even if the data is not deleted, the information terminal 101 and the server 1
When the transmission and reception between the 10 becomes impossible, the purpose of the system cannot be achieved.

The RAID technique described above is a technique for preventing loss (data compensation) of data stored in a hard disk provided in a predetermined information terminal. Therefore, for example, when a failure occurs in the information terminal and the information terminal does not operate, the user cannot use the data stored in the information terminal.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an information terminal management device for storing duplicated data, which is a duplicate of data, in a plurality of storage devices so that a certain number or more of duplicated data can be obtained by another information terminal. There is.

[0011]

The present invention employs the following means in order to achieve the above object.

The information terminal management device of the present invention is connected to a plurality of information terminals via a network. A plurality of duplicated data, which is a duplicate of predetermined data, is stored in the plurality of information terminals to compensate for predetermined data.

However, the duplicated data once stored may be erased due to an erroneous operation of the information terminal or the like, and the number of stored duplicated data may be reduced, so that data compensation may not be achieved. In order to prevent such a situation, the information terminal management device includes a copy number confirmation means and a copy number creation means, keeps the number of copy data stored in the plurality of information terminals above a certain number, and We are trying to compensate the data that is the source of the data.

The copy number confirmation means confirms the number of predetermined duplicated data stored in the plurality of information terminals, and if the number of confirmed duplicated data is less than a certain number, the duplicated number producing means makes a certain number. Replication supplementary data, which is a duplicate of the duplicated data of which the number is less than 1. The duplicate supplementary data created by the duplicate creating means is transmitted as duplicate data to a predetermined information terminal through the data transmitting / receiving means provided in the information terminal management device.

Therefore, the number of duplicated data stored in the information terminal is maintained at a certain number or more, and the data compensation of the duplicated data can be achieved.

Further, when there is a request for acquisition of predetermined duplicated data from the predetermined information terminal, the information terminal management device obtains the duplicated data from the information terminal in which the predetermined duplicated data is stored, and the predetermined information is obtained. It is designed to be sent to the terminal.

However, when it is impossible to send and receive data between the information terminal and the information terminal management device when the above acquisition request is made, the information terminal management is performed. The device cannot obtain duplicated data from the information terminal.

In order to solve this, by storing the duplicated data in the information terminal having a long time in which data can be transmitted / received to / from the information terminal managing apparatus, the information terminal managing apparatus can obtain the duplicated data. In this case, the information terminal management device can transmit the duplicated data to the information terminal that has made the acquisition request in response to the acquisition request.

Therefore, the information terminal management device is provided with an information terminal selecting means for selecting an information terminal as a storage destination of the duplicated data, and the information terminal selecting means considers the operating environment of each information terminal. Then, the information terminal for storing the duplicated data is selected.

The conditions referred to by the information terminal selecting means when selecting the information terminal are not limited to the length of time during which data can be transmitted and received to and from the information terminal management device. It may be the operating status of the CPU, the (vacant) capacity of the storage device provided in the information terminal, the network load status, and the like.

[0021]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION As shown in FIG. 1, an information terminal management apparatus 10 of the present invention is connected to a plurality of information terminals 20 via a network, and can transmit and receive data to and from these information terminals 20. ing.

The plurality of information terminals 20 are configured to store a plurality of identical data in a distributed manner as described below, and the copy number confirmation means 11 provided in the information terminal management device 10 is provided. Is designed to count the number of the same data. As a result of the aggregation, if the number of duplicated data is less than a certain number, the duplicated number confirming means 11 causes the duplicated producing means 12 provided in the information terminal management device 10 to produce a predetermined number of duplicated data. Instruct. still,
The duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20 may include original data that is the original data of the duplicated data.

Upon receipt of an instruction from the copy number confirming means 11, the copy creating means 12 creates a predetermined number of copy supplement data, and the copy supplement data created via the data transmitting / receiving means 15 is used as the copy data as an information terminal. Send to 20.

As a result, the number of duplicated data stored in the plurality of information terminals 20 is maintained at a certain number or more, and by storing the plurality of duplicated data in the plurality of information terminals 20, the predetermined data can be stored. Will be compensated.

In the following, examples of the information terminal 20 are, for example, a personal computer, a mobile phone, a PDA (Personal Dig.
There is a terminal with a network connection function such as ital Assistant).

(Embodiment 1) A user of a predetermined information terminal 20A shown in FIG. 1 uses personal data for information terminal 2A in order to compensate for personal data owned by the user.
0A to the information terminal management device 10 (FIG. 2,
S201). The personal data transmitted from the information terminal 20A is received by the copy creating means 12 via the data transmitting / receiving means 15 (FIG. 2, S202).

Next, when the duplication creating means 12 receives the personal data, duplication of the number of personal data (for example, 3) preset in the duplication creating means 12 by the operator of the information terminal management apparatus 10 or the like is performed. Data is created (FIG. 2, S203).

Next, the copy creating means 12 transfers the three pieces of copy data to the information terminal selecting means 16 (FIG. 2, S204). When the information terminal selecting means 16 receives the three pieces of duplicated data, the information terminal selecting means 16 refers to the information terminal managing means 14 provided in the information terminal selecting means 10, and determines the information terminal 20 as the storage destination of the three duplicated data. Select (Figure 2, S
205).

Here, the information terminal managing means 14 operates as shown in FIG.
The IP address of the information terminal 20 (Internet P
ID31 including rotocol address), each information terminal 2
0 CPU operating status 32, access status 33 from each information terminal 20 to the information terminal management device 10, each information terminal 2
0, the available capacity 34 of a storage device such as a hard disk, the information terminal management device 10 and each information terminal 20.
Network load status 35 for connecting to and each information terminal 2
The file name 36 of the data stored in 0 is stored. The information stored in this way serves as a reference for the information terminal selecting means 16 to select the information terminal 20 as the storage destination of the duplicated data. For example, the CPU operating status 32 is the past with respect to the data processing capacity of each CPU.
It refers to the number of processing of a predetermined instruction executed by the CPU for one month, and the CPU operating status 32 is information for determining the time required to acquire data from each information terminal 20.

The access status 33 from each information terminal 20 to the information terminal management device 10 is, for example, the connection time between each information terminal 20 and the information terminal management device 10 in the past month, and each information. This is information for determining the length of time that the data stored in the terminal 20 can be acquired. The usable capacity 34 of the storage device is, for example, a free space in which data in the storage device is not stored,
This indicates the difference between the capacity for storing the duplicated data set by the user of each information terminal 20 and the capacity of the duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20.
In order to recognize this difference, the information terminal selecting means 16 inquires of this difference to the managing means for managing the content and capacity of the data stored in the storage device of the information terminal 20. When there is an inquiry, the management means calculates the difference between the capacity of the duplicated data stored in the storage device and the capacity for storing the duplicated data set by the user, and notifies the information terminal selecting means 16 of the calculated result. It is supposed to do. Furthermore,
The network load status 35 indicates, for example, an average unused amount per unit time of the data transfer amount of the network connected to each information terminal 20, and the average unused amount is stored in each information terminal 20. This is information to determine the time required to acquire the data.

Various selection criteria for the information terminal 20 by the information terminal selecting means 16 are conceivable, but here, the information terminal selecting means 16 has an information terminal 20 in which the free storage capacity of the storage device is larger than the capacity of the duplicated data. Out of the past 1
It is assumed that the top three information terminals 20 having the longest connection time 33 with the information terminal management device 10 for a month are selected as the information terminals 20 to store the duplicated data. Of course, the information terminal selecting means 16 may take into consideration the above-mentioned CPU operating status and network load status when selecting the information terminal 20 as the storage destination.

When the information terminal selecting means 16 selects the three information terminals 20 as the storage destination of the duplicated data, the file name of the duplicated data (for example, the same file name as the personal data) and the selected information. The ID of the terminal 20 is associated and registered in the storage device 14 (FIG. 2, S20).
6).

Further, the information terminal selecting means 16 is connected to the data transmitting / receiving means 15 through the data transmitting / receiving means 15 in addition to the processing of registering the file name of the duplicated data in the information terminal managing means 14.
The individual duplicated data is transmitted to the three information terminals 20 serving as storage destinations (FIG. 2, S207). When the three information terminals 20 receive the duplicated data, the management means for managing the storage device provided in each information terminal 20 refers to the management table 41 of the storage device shown in FIG. Recognizing the vacant area and storing the received duplicated data in the vacant area. Then, the management means associates the area storing the duplicated data with the file name of the duplicated data and registers them in the management table 41 (S208 in FIG. 2).

As a result, the duplicated data of the personal data is connected to the information terminal 20A via the network 3
It will be stored in the information terminal 20 of the table.

When the user of the information terminal 20A desires to obtain the duplicated data of the personal data in the state where the duplicated data is stored in the three information terminals 20 as described above, the user of the information terminal 20A is the above-mentioned person. A request for acquisition of personal data is transmitted to the information terminal management device 10 (FIG. 5, S50).
1).

Upon receiving the acquisition request, the data transmission / reception means 15 transfers the acquisition request to the duplicated data acquisition means 17 (FIG. 5, S502). Next, when the copy data acquisition means 17 receives the acquisition request, it searches the information terminal management means 14 based on the file name of the copy data that is the target of the acquisition request, and becomes the target of the acquisition request. The IDs of the three information terminals 20 that are the storage destinations of the duplicated data are detected (FIG. 5, S503).

When the duplicated data acquisition means 17 detects the IDs of the three information terminals 20 in which the duplicated data that is the target of the acquisition request is stored, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 uses the IDs to target the three information terminals 20 at the same time. And a file name of the duplicated data is transmitted together with the duplicated data acquisition request (FIG. 5, S50).
4).

When the three information terminals 20 receive the acquisition request and the file name, the management means provided in each information terminal 20 searches the management table 41 by using the received file name, and the copy data concerned. Recognizes an area of the storage device in which is stored. Subsequently, the management means acquires the duplicated data from the storage device, and transmits the obtained duplicated data to the duplicated data obtaining means 17 (FIG. 5, S50).
5).

When the duplicated data acquisition means 17 receives duplicated data from one of the three information terminals 20, it transmits the duplicated data to the information terminal 20A and then from the other two information terminals 20. The reception of the duplicated data is prohibited (S506 in FIG. 5).

As a result, the user of the information terminal 20A can obtain the duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20 at the information terminal 20A.

If the information terminal selecting means 16 transmits the copy data to the information terminal 20A as the information terminal 20 of the storage destination of the copy data and the copy data is stored in the information terminal 20A, the information terminal is selected. The user of 20A does not need to transmit the above-described request for acquisition of duplicated data to the information terminal management device 10 in order to obtain duplicated data.

In the above, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 simultaneously sends a duplicated data acquisition request and the file name of the duplicated data to the three information terminals 20 to obtain the duplicated data. Alternatively, the information may be transmitted to each information terminal 20. For example, the ID of the information terminal 20 is I
If it is composed of the P address, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 first requests the duplicated data acquisition request and the file name of the duplicated data from the information terminal 20 having the smallest IP address among the three information terminals 20. And send. Here, when the power of the information terminal 20 is turned off, or when the network connecting the information terminal 20 and the information terminal management device 10 is disconnected, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 causes the information terminal 20 to operate. No duplicate data can be obtained from 20.

Therefore, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 transmits a duplicated data acquisition request and the file name of the duplicated data to the information terminal 20, and thereafter obtains the duplicated data from the informational terminal 20 within a fixed time. If it is not possible, the request for the duplicated data and the file name of the duplicated data are transmitted to the information terminal 20 having the second smallest IP address. Here, the duplicated data acquisition means 17
When the duplicate data is acquired from the information terminal 20,
The acquired duplicated data is transmitted to the information terminal 20A without transmitting the duplicated data acquisition request and the file name of the duplicated data to one information terminal 20.

By the way, here, since the duplicated data is stored in the three information terminals, the duplicated data obtaining means 17 can obtain the duplicated data from the three information terminals 20. However, the duplicated data stored in the three information terminals 20 in the above-described manner will not be changed thereafter.
It may be erased by an erroneous operation by the user of 0, an erroneous operation of the information terminal 20, or the like. Therefore, the number of stored duplicated data is reduced and the data cannot be compensated.

Further, the information terminal management device 10 and the information terminals 20 are connected to each other due to the disconnection of the network cable connecting the information terminal management device 10 and the information terminals 20 or the system change of the information terminals. It may not be possible to send and receive data. When such a situation occurs in the information terminal 20 storing the duplicated data, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 cannot obtain the duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20. Therefore, the purpose of compensating the data cannot be achieved by acquiring the duplicated data stored in the plurality of information terminals 20.

Therefore, the information terminal management device 10 is provided with the copy number confirmation means 11. The copy number confirmation means 11 periodically connects each information terminal 20 and the information terminal management device 10 in order to acquire the information on the operating environment of the plurality of information terminals 20 stored in the information terminal management means 14. Each information terminal 20 is checked with reference to the operating status of the CPU of each information terminal 20 and the management table 41 of each information terminal 20 by checking the load status of the network to be connected and accessing each information terminal 20 via the network. The information managed by the information terminal management means 14 such as the type of duplicated data stored in is confirmed.

The copy number confirmation means 11 is provided for each information terminal 20.
Load status of the network connected to each and each information terminal 2
When the operating status of the 0 CPU and the type of duplicated data stored in each information terminal 20 are confirmed, the confirmation content is registered in the information terminal management means 14.

Further, the copy number confirmation means 11 is separate from the processing for registering the confirmation content in the information terminal management means 14.
Of the data stored in each information terminal 20, the data having the same file name as the file name registered in the information terminal managing means 14 is totaled for each data type (each duplicate data type) (FIG. 6). , S601). As a result of the tabulation,
When the copy number confirmation means 11 detects copy data in which the number of copy data is less than a fixed number, for example, less than 3, the difference between the number of detected copy data stored and 3 is detected as insufficient number information. The copy data is transferred to the copy creating means 12 together with the contents of the copy data (S602 in FIG. 6). In the above, the copy number confirmation means 11 counts the number stored in the information terminal 20 for each type of copy data. For example, the information terminal storing the copy data for each type of copy data. You may add up the number of 20.

Upon receiving the contents of the duplicated data and the insufficient number information from the duplicated number confirming means 11, the duplicated producing means 12 produces duplicates of the duplicated data as duplicated supplementary data for the insufficient number (FIG. 6, S603). Next, the copy creating means 12 transfers the file name of the copy supplement data created in this way (the same as the file name of the copy data) to the information terminal selecting means 16 (FIG. 6, S604).

When the information terminal selecting means 16 receives the file name of the copy supplement data, it refers to the information terminal managing means 14 in the same manner as the method of selecting the information terminal 20 as the storage destination of the copy data. , The information terminal 20 as the storage destination of the copy supplement data is selected (FIG. 6, S605).
Next, the information terminal selecting means 16 causes the information terminal 20 to be the file name of the copy supplement data and the storage destination of the copy supplement data.
The ID is registered in the information terminal management means 14 in association with the ID. In addition to the process of registering the file name of the copy supplement data in the information terminal management unit 14, the information terminal selection unit 16 becomes the storage destination of the copy supplement data as the copy data via the data transmission / reception unit 15. It transmits to the information terminal 20 (FIG. 6, S606).

Upon receipt of the above-mentioned duplicated data, the management means of each information terminal 20 refers to the management table 41, recognizes the empty area of the storage device, and stores the received duplicated data in the empty area. Then, the management means registers the area storing the duplicated data and the file name of the duplicated data in the management table 41 in association with each other (FIG. 6, S60).
7).

When updating the personal data stored as duplicated data in the plurality of information terminals 20 as described above,
The user of the information terminal 20A transmits a copy data acquisition request to the information terminal management device 10 as described above, and acquires the copy data. Here, the user of the information terminal 20A adds or partially erases the contents of the duplicated data (personal data) to update the contents of the duplicated data, and issues an update request together with the updated duplicated data to the information terminal management device 10 described above. Send to.

When the information terminal managing device 10 receives the update request, the information terminal selecting means 16 refers to the information terminal managing means 14 and refers to the data having the same file name as the file name of the updated duplicated data, that is, The ID of the information terminal 20 in which the copy data before update is stored is detected. Next, the information terminal selecting means 16 uses the ID of the information terminal 20 in which the copy data before the update is stored, by using the information terminal 20.
Send the updated duplicate data to.

When the information terminal 20 in which the copy data before update is stored receives the updated copy data, the management means of the information terminal 20 refers to the management table and refers to the same file name as the updated copy data. The area in the storage device in which the data, that is, the copy data before updating is stored is recognized. Subsequently, the management unit rewrites the copy data before the update to the copy data after the update.

From the viewpoint of improving data compensation by storing specific data in a plurality of storage devices,
The information terminal 20 serving as the storage destination of the copy supplement data is preferably the information terminal 20 in which the specific data is not stored. In this case, the information terminal selecting means 16
When determining the information terminal 20 as the storage destination of the copy supplement data, the information terminal management means 14 is referred to detect the information terminal 20 in which the copy data is stored and the storage destination of the copy supplement data is determined. The information terminal 20 in which the duplicated data is stored is excluded from the selection target of the information terminal 20.

As described above, when the number of predetermined duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20 capable of transmitting / receiving data to / from the information terminal management device 10 becomes less than a predetermined number, duplicate supplementary data is created, The copy supplement data is stored in the predetermined information terminal 20 as copy data. Therefore, a certain number or more of duplicated data are stored in the plurality of information terminals 20 capable of transmitting / receiving data to / from the information terminal management device 10.

In the above description, the number set in the duplication creating means 12 is set to 10. However, if the improvement of data compensation is important, the numerical value set in the duplication creating means 12 is increased.

As a result of the above-mentioned copy number confirmation means 11 totaling the number of copy data as described above, when an unnecessary number (more than a certain number) of copy data is stored in the information terminal 20, for example, The copy number confirmation means 11 is one of the management means of the predetermined information terminal 20 that stores the copy data.
Alternatively, an unnecessary number of management means may be instructed to delete the duplicated data, and the management means may delete the duplicated data upon receiving the instruction.

(Second Embodiment) As described above, when the information terminal 20 in which the duplicated data is stored is not powered on, the information terminal management apparatus 10 causes the information terminal 20 to operate.
When the data cannot be transmitted and received, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 cannot obtain duplicated data from the information terminal 20.

Therefore, in such a state, when the duplicated data obtaining means 17 receives a request for obtaining personal data from the user of the information terminal 20A, the duplicated data obtaining means 17 duplicates the information stored in the information terminal 20. The data cannot be acquired, and the duplicated data cannot be transmitted to the information terminal 20A.

Therefore, in order to increase the time period in which the duplicated data obtaining means 17 can obtain the duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20, for example, an information terminal in which data can be transmitted and received to and from the information terminal management device 10 is long. The duplicated data is stored in 20.

Therefore, the information terminal selecting means 16 is provided.
Selects the information terminal 20 having a long data transmission / reception state with the information terminal management device 10 as the information terminal 20 as the storage destination of the duplicated data as described below.

First, when the information terminal selecting means 16 receives the copy data from the copy creating means 12 as described above, it refers to the information terminal managing means 14 and refers to the information terminal managing means 10 for the past month, for example. The three information terminals 20 having a long time in which data can be transmitted and received are selected as the information terminals 20 to store the duplicated data. After the information terminal 20 as the storage destination is thus selected, the processing until the duplicated data is stored in the three information terminals 20 as the storage destination is performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

However, as described above, assuming that three information terminals 20 having a long time in which data can be transmitted / received to / from the information terminal management device 10 in the past one month are storage destinations of duplicated data, three pieces of information are stored. There may be an information terminal 20 among the terminals 20 in which the free capacity of the storage device is smaller than the capacity of the duplicated data.

Therefore, the information terminal selecting means 16 refers to the information terminal managing means 14, and the three information terminals 20 having a long time during which data can be transmitted / received to / from the information terminal managing device 10 in the past month. And select 3
The free capacity of the storage device of each information terminal 20 is checked. If there is an information terminal 20 of the three information terminals selected here whose free space in the storage device is smaller than the capacity of the duplicated data, the information terminal 20 is paired with it to store duplicated data that cannot be stored in the information terminal 20. Other information terminal 2
Select one or more 0's. Regarding the selection of the information terminal 20 to be selected later, the information terminal 2 which has a long time in which data can be transmitted and received to and from the information terminal management device 10
It is preferable to select 0.

As described above, a plurality of information terminals 20, for example, 2
When storing the first half and the second half of the duplicated data in one information terminal 20, the information terminal selecting means 16 first divides the duplicated data into the first half and the second half. continue,
The information terminal selecting means 16 attaches an identifier indicating the first half or the second half to the file names of the first half data and the second half data of the duplicated data, respectively, to give the first half and the second half of the duplicated data, respectively. Is transmitted to the information terminal 20 that is the storage destination.

When the information terminal 20 which is the storage destination of the first half of the duplicated data receives the first half of the duplicated data, the management means of the information terminal 20 refers to the management table 41 to recognize the empty area, The first half of is stored in the empty area. Next, the management means associates the area storing the duplicated data with the identifier of the first half of the duplicated data and registers them in the management table 41. The latter half of the duplicated data is stored in the information terminal 20 in the same manner.

By thus registering the identifier indicating the first half or the second half in the management table 41,
When the duplication number confirmation means 11 detects one set of an identifier indicating the first half of the duplicated data and an identifier indicating the latter half of the duplicated data registered in the management table 41, the predetermined duplicated data becomes 1
To be remembered.

The information terminal selecting means 16 is an information terminal 2 which is a storage destination of the first half and the second half of the duplicated data.
When 0 is selected as described above, the identifier indicating the first half of the duplicated data and the ID of the information terminal 20 which is the storage destination of the first half of the duplicated data are associated and registered in the storage device 14. Similarly, the identifier indicating the latter half of the duplicated data and the ID of the information terminal 20 that is the storage destination of the latter half of the duplicated data.
And are associated with each other and stored in the information terminal management means 14. By thus registering the identifier indicating the first half or the second half in the information terminal management means 14, the duplicated data acquisition means 17 refers to the information terminal management means 14 to refer to the first half of the duplicated data. Alternatively, a duplicate data acquisition request is simultaneously transmitted to the two information terminals 20 in which the latter half portion is stored.

Therefore, the copy data acquisition means 17 is
By obtaining the first half and the second half of the duplicated data and connecting these two data, one duplicated data can be obtained.

As described above, the duplicated data is distributed and stored in the plurality of information terminals 20, so that a small free space can be effectively used.

In addition, a usage fee of another information terminal 20 is collected from a user who stores his / her own data in another information terminal 20 like the user of the information terminal 20A, and the free space of the storage device is provided to another person. The information terminal management device 1 has a billing system for paying a provision fee to the user of the information terminal 20.
You may apply to the user of the information terminal 20 using 0.

The usage fee in this billing system may be determined in consideration of, for example, the amount of data to be stored and the storage time. Further, the provision fee may be determined in consideration of, for example, the capacity of the stored data, the storage time, the length of time during which the data can be transmitted / received to / from the information terminal management device 10.

Further, the user of each information terminal 20 can freely set the number of data to be set in the copy creating means 12, and the usage fee of each user is determined in consideration of the number set by the user. Good.

Further, in the above, the copy creating means 1 is used.
The number of pieces of duplicate data created by 2 is determined in advance by the duplicate creating means 12
However, when the above-described charging system is applied to the user of the information device 20, the number of data sets by the user of the information device 20 is as follows.

That is, when the copy creating means 12 receives the personal data transmitted from the user of the information terminal 20A, it inquires of the information terminal 20A about the number of copy data. When the information terminal 20A receives an inquiry from the copy creating means 12, it displays a message for setting the number of copy data on the display screen.

In this display, for example, "3" is displayed as the default value of the number of duplicated data, and if the user desires "3" as the number of duplicated data, the information terminal 2
Press the OK key using the 0A keyboard or the like. Then, "3" is transmitted to the duplication creating means 12, and when the duplication creating means 12 receives "3" from the information terminal 20A, three duplication data is created.

When the user of the information terminal 20A desires, for example, the number of duplicated data to be 5, the user of the information terminal 20A uses the keyboard while the display for setting the number of duplicates is displayed. By inputting “5” and pressing the decision key, “5” is transmitted to the copy creating means 12. The copy creating means 12 is the information terminal 2
When "0" is received from 0, 5 pieces of duplicated data are created.

As described above, the duplicated data stored in the information terminal 20 may be read by the user of the information terminal 20. Therefore, in order to prevent the user of the information terminal 20 from reading the content of the duplicated data, the duplication creating means 12 makes the duplication so that only the duplication data obtaining means 17 can decipher the duplication data or the duplication supplement data. The data may be encrypted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information terminal management apparatus 10 includes a copy number confirmation means 11, a copy creation means 12, an information terminal management means 14, a data transmission / reception means 15, an information terminal selection means 16, and a copy data acquisition means. 17 and the like are provided.

The information terminal management device 10 can be embodied by using a computer. In that case, the information terminal management means 14 can be a storage means of a computer. Also, the copy number confirmation means 11, the copy creation means 12, the data transmission / reception means 15, the information terminal selection means 1
6. The duplicated data acquisition means 17 is embodied by operating a program on a computer.

[0082]

According to the present invention, the copy number confirmation means collects the data stored in the information terminals capable of transmitting / receiving with the information terminal management means for each type of data, and the copy creating means makes the addition based on the result of the collection. Then, a duplicate of the predetermined data is created, and the created duplicated data is stored in a predetermined information terminal. As a result, the number of duplicated data stored in the information terminal is maintained above a certain number, and data compensation can be achieved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an information terminal management device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a procedure for storing duplicated data.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of an information terminal management device.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a management table.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for acquiring duplicated data.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure for storing copy supplement data.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a conventionally proposed system for data compensation.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Information terminal management device 11 Copy number confirmation means 12 Copy creation means 14 Information terminal management means 16 Information terminal selection means 17 Duplicate data acquisition means

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An information terminal management device for managing a plurality of information terminals connected via a network, which is a duplication of predetermined data stored in the information terminal with reference to the plurality of information terminals. A copy number confirming means for confirming the number of copy data, and a copy creating means for creating copy supplementary data which is a copy of the copy data based on the number of the copy data confirmed by the copy number confirming means, An information terminal management device, comprising: a data transmitting / receiving means for transmitting the copy supplement data created by the copy creating means to one or more information terminals. 2. The information terminal management device according to claim 1, wherein the copy number confirmation means periodically confirms the number of the duplicated data. 3. An information terminal selecting means for selecting the information terminal as a destination of the copy supplement data, and the data transmitting / receiving means for transmitting the copy supplement data to the information terminal selected by the information terminal selecting means. The information terminal management device according to claim 1, further comprising: 4. The information according to claim 1, wherein the information terminal is a personal computer, and the personal computer is connected or is connectable to the information terminal management device via a network. Terminal management device. 5. The information terminal selecting means includes a CPU operating condition of the personal computer, an access condition of the personal computer to the information terminal managing device, an available capacity of a storage device provided in the personal computer, the information terminal managing device. The information terminal management device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of load conditions of a network connecting the personal computer and the personal computer is acquired, and the information terminal is selected based on the acquired information. 6. A copy number confirming step for confirming the number of duplicated data, which is a duplicate of predetermined data stored in a plurality of information terminals connected via a network, and a duplicate number confirming step. A duplication creating step for creating duplication supplementary data that is a duplication of the duplication data based on the number of the duplication data, and transmitting the duplication supplementing data created in the duplication creating step to one or more information terminals. A program for causing a computer to execute a data transmitting / receiving step.