JP2003030023A - System, method and program for warning file update - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To give a file update warning even for copied or transferred data files and to easily perform update management of data files with a user's responsibility. SOLUTION: Program files and data files as software provided from a software provider are installed in the respective computer via a network, an update information file storing pieces of update information of the files is transferred via the network and a means corresponding to an operating system as an installed software functional means is provided to the respective computers. In addition, the operating system includes an open function and a file update warning function, the open function is called by performance of a program, the file update warning function is called and performed by the performance of the open function.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a file update warning system, and more particularly, to a file update warning system for updating file information transferred over a network to determine a file to be updated and give a warning.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of file update warning system has been used to manage update of software files provided by a software provider and installed in a computer at the user's responsibility. As a system having a similar purpose, for example, a part of Windows Update of MICROSOFT is available.
One of the update systems described in Japanese Patent No. 225724
There are departments.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of this conventional file update warning system. Referring to FIG. 5, the conventional file update information display system includes a computer and a display device used by a user.

In each computer, a program file and a data file, which are software provided by a software provider, are installed via a network, and an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred to the network. When installing software, create a registration information file that stores the registration information of the installed software. Here, the update information includes the software name, version, and file name of the file that needs to be updated, and the registration information includes the software name, version, storage location, and file name list of the installed software.

Further, each computer is provided with a file update warning means as one of the installed software function means. However, in the drawings, software function means other than this means are omitted.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing procedure of the file update warning means. In step 61, the update information file and the registration information file transferred from the software provider are read, and in steps 62 to 64, the software name between one record sequentially designated in the update information file and each record of the registration information file, The version and the file name are compared and collated, and it is determined that the file of each matched record is an update target, and a warning message is displayed in step 65. In step 66, it is judged whether or not all the records of the update information file have been designated. If not, the next record is designated and steps 62 to 65 are repeated.

Next, the operation of this conventional file update warning system will be briefly described.

First, a program file and a data file, which are software provided by a software provider, are installed in advance, a registration information file storing registration information of these files is created, and the software provider determines Among them, an update information file that stores update information of a file that needs to be updated is appropriately created.

In this state, according to a user's instruction,
Or, the file update warning means is activated periodically,
The update information file and the registration information file transferred over the network are read, the software name, version, and file name are compared and collated in order between the records of the update information file and the registration information file, and the file of the matching record is the update target. And a warning message including the file storage location is displayed.

Further, as the next step of the file update warning system, the user updates the file based on the warning message, and the user is responsible for managing the update of the file.

[0011]

Generally, when the installed software is a data file, the user often uses the data file by copying or moving it after the installation. However, the conventional file update warning system cannot display the warning message including the storage location of the data file that is copied or moved during installation,
As the next step of the file update warning system, there is a problem that the user cannot update the data file based on the warning message and the update management of the data file cannot be performed by the user.

The reason is that, in general, when a data file is used by copying or moving, the storage location of the copy destination or the movement destination is not saved in the registration information file,
This is because the storage location of the copied or moved data file cannot be traced.

Further, if the storage location of the copy destination or the transfer destination of the data file is stored in the registration information file, the problem that the capacity of the registration information file becomes enormous occurs separately.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to issue a file update warning even for a copied or moved data file, and to easily manage the update of the data file under the responsibility of the user.

[0015]

Therefore, the present invention comprises a computer in which a program file and a data file provided by a software provider are installed and an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred to a network. In a file update warning system that determines whether the program file or the data file is to be updated and displays a warning message, the data corresponding to the read content at the time when the computer executes the program and reads the data file It is determined whether the file is the update target.

Further, the computer, as a software function means, calculates an identifier based on the read content of the data file and compares it with the file identifier in the update target file to determine whether the data file is the update target. A file update warning means for displaying a warning message is provided.

Further, the present invention uses a computer in which a program file and a data file provided by a software provider are installed and an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred via a network, In a file update warning method for determining whether the data file is an update target and displaying a warning message, the data file is an update target corresponding to the read content when the computer executes the program and reads the data file. It is determined whether there is.

Further, the computer calculates an identifier based on the read contents of the data file, compares and collates with the file identifier in the update target file, determines whether the data file is the update target, and displays a warning message. You are running the file update warning function.

Further, the operating system includes an open function and the file update warning function, the open function is called by the execution of the program,
By executing the open function, the file update warning function is called and executed.

Further, the program includes the file update warning function, and the execution of the program calls and executes the open function and the file update warning function in the operating system.

[0021] The present invention also provides the program file or the data to a computer in which a program file and a data file provided by a software provider are installed and an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred to a network. In a file update warning program that executes a process of determining whether a file is an update target and displaying a warning message, an identifier is calculated based on the read content of the data file, and a comparison is performed with the file identifier in the update information file. It is determined whether the data file is to be updated.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a file update warning system of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the file update warning system of the present embodiment includes a computer and a display device used by a user, like the conventional file update warning system of FIG.

In each computer, a program file and a data file, which are software provided by a software provider, are installed via a network, and an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred to the network.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the structure of this update information file. In this embodiment, as the update information,
It includes a file name of a file to be updated, a file identifier calculated using a one-way hash function or the like based on the content of the file to be updated, and a comment that can be freely described. Here, the file identifier is, for example,
When calculated using the one-way hash function (MD5 RFC-1321), the key length is 128 bits, and the probability that two different files have the same file identifier is 2
This is 1 / 128th of the power, and it is considered that there is no practical problem in identifying the file. Further, another method may be used as long as it can obtain a unique file identifier.

Each computer is provided with means corresponding to the operating system as installed software function means. However, in the drawings, software function means other than this means are omitted, and in the present embodiment, the operating system includes an open function and a file update warning function, the open function is called by the execution of the program, and the open function is executed. Indicates that the file update warning function is called and executed.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the processing procedure of this file update warning function. In step 31, the file name of the data file that is the argument of the open function and the file name stored in the update information file transferred from the software provider are compared and collated. If they match, in step 32, the data file The identifier is calculated using a hash function or the like based on the read content, and in step 33,
The update information file is compared and collated with the file identifier stored in association with the file name, and if they match, step 34
, A warning message is displayed.

Next, the operation of the file update warning system of this embodiment will be briefly described.

First, a program file and a data file, which are software provided by a software provider, are installed in advance, and the software provider needs to update the provided software due to a failure or the like. The update information file that stores the update information of the data file is appropriately created. Further, this update information file is periodically transferred to the computer by the setting of the automatic execution function provided in the operation system.

In this state, the program function is activated by the user's instruction, the open function in the operating system is called by the execution of the program, the file update warning function is called by the execution of the open function, and the file is transferred to the network. Read the update information file, compare and collate the file name of the data file that is the argument of the open function with the file name stored in the update information file, and if they match, use a hash function based on the read contents of the data file. Then, the identifier is calculated and compared with the file identifier stored in the update information file in correspondence with the file name. If the file name and the file identifier match, the read file is determined to be the update target, a warning message is displayed, and if the file name or file identifier do not match, nothing is done and the process returns to the open function.

As described above, in the file update warning system of this embodiment, when the computer executes the program and reads the data file, the identifier is calculated based on the read contents, and the file identifier in the update information file is compared and collated. , It is possible to judge whether the data file is an update target, issue a file update warning even for the data file copied or moved at the time of installation, and as the next step of the file update warning system, the data file update management Can be easily done at the user's own risk.

In the file update warning system of this embodiment, the application program and data provided by the software provider have been described as targets to be updated.
The same effect can be obtained by applying it to BIOS.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the file update warning system of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 4, the file update warning system of the present embodiment is similar to FIG.
Similarly to the file update warning system of the first embodiment of the present invention, each computer is provided with a computer and a display device, and each computer has a program file and a data file which are software provided from a software provider via a network. The update information file that is installed and stores the update information of these files is transferred to the network.

Further, the computer of this embodiment is provided with means corresponding to the operating system and program functions as the installed software function means. However, in the drawings, software function means other than these means are omitted, and in the present embodiment, the program includes a file update warning function, and the execution of the program causes an open function and a file update warning function in the operating system. Is called and executed.

The file update warning function of this embodiment is the same as the file update warning function of the first embodiment, and the duplicated description will be omitted.

Regarding the operation of the file update warning system of the present embodiment, the file update of the first embodiment is executed except that the open function and the file update warning function in the operating system are called and executed by the execution of the program. Is the same as the warning system,
Overlapping description is omitted.

[0037]

As described above, in the file update warning system of the present invention, when the computer executes the program and reads the data file, the identifier is calculated based on the read contents and the file identifier in the update information file is used. By comparing and collating, it is possible to determine whether the data file is to be updated, and a file update warning can also be issued to the data file that was copied or moved during installation, and the next step of the file update warning system It has the effect that the update management of can be done easily at the user's responsibility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of a file update warning system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of an update information file in FIG.

3 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a file update warning function in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the file update warning system of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional file update warning system.

6 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure of a file update warning means in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

31-34, 61-66 steps

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Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A computer having a program file and a data file provided by a software provider installed, and an update information file storing update information of these files being network-transferred,
In a file update warning system that determines whether the program file or the data file is an update target and displays a warning message, the data file corresponding to the read contents at the time when the computer executes the program and reads the data file A file update warning system, which determines whether a file is an update target. 2. The computer, as a software function means, calculates an identifier based on the read contents of the data file and compares it with a file identifier in the update target file to determine whether the data file is an update target. The file update warning system according to claim 1, further comprising file update warning means for displaying a warning message. 3. A program file or data file provided by a software provider is installed, and an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred to a network using a computer. In a file update warning method for determining whether an update target and displaying a warning message, it is determined whether the data file is an update target corresponding to the read contents at the time when the computer executes the program and reads the data file. A file update warning method characterized in that 4. The computer calculates an identifier based on the read contents of the data file, compares and collates with the file identifier in the update target file, determines whether the data file is the update target, and displays a warning message. 4. The file update warning method according to claim 3, wherein the file update warning function is executed. 5. The operating system includes an open function and the file update warning function, the execution of the program calls the open function, and the execution of the open function calls and executes the file update warning function. The file update warning method according to claim 4. 6. The file update warning method according to claim 4, wherein the program includes the file update warning function, and the execution of the program calls and executes an open function and the file update warning function in an operating system. . 7. A program file or a data file provided by a software provider is installed, and the program file or the data file is to be updated to a computer to which an update information file storing update information of these files is transferred via a network. In the file update warning program that executes the process of determining whether or not a warning message is displayed, an identifier is calculated based on the read content of the data file, and the data file is compared and collated with the file identifier in the update information file. A file update warning program that determines whether or not it is an update target.