JP2013004058A - Application cache method for cloud application and cloud provision side system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cloud provision side system for enabling a user to continue the use of a cloud application even when the cloud application is unavailable when the user uses the cloud application.SOLUTION: The cloud provision side system includes: a cloud data cache processing part 130 configured to, when a user uses a cloud application 110, cache the data of the cloud application 110; an alternative application 170 configured so as to be provided to the user as well as the data cached by the cloud cache processing part 130 when the cloud application 110 is unavailable; and a data synchronization processing part 150 configured to, when the cloud application 110 is restored, synchronize the data of the alternative application 170 with the data of the cloud application 110.

Description

  The present invention relates to an application cache method and a cloud provider side system for a web application (hereinafter referred to as a cloud application) provided in a popular cloud, and in particular, the data is synchronized and the cloud application becomes unusable. In this case, in order to continue the use of the user, an alternative Web application having a function equivalent to that of the cloud application is provided, and data operated by the alternative application is synchronized with the cloud application.

  For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-104732 (Patent Publication) discloses a technique for transmitting an e-mail from a mail client without delay using an alternative mail server even when the mail server cannot be used due to maintenance or failure. The technique described in the literature 1) is known.

  In this technology, when the mail server cannot be used due to maintenance or failure, the setting change information related to the alternative mail server is sent to the mail client using the mail server as a sending server or a receiving server. Is. This setting change information includes the domain name, IP address, mail address information, etc. of the alternative mail server.

  The mail client uses this information to change the mail server settings, and uses an alternative mail server when sending and receiving e-mail. Since the mail client transmits and receives electronic mail via an alternative mail server, it can perform transmission processing promptly.

  In addition, the setting change information includes time information for enabling the use of the alternative mail server, so that the mail server can be replaced in preparation for maintenance of the mail server. Then, after that time, the e-mail can be sent and received by the alternative mail server, and the situation where the e-mail cannot be sent and received is prevented.

  Also, check the operational status of the mail server used by the client with another mail server, and if there is a change in the operational status, use an alternative mail server, send the above setting change information to the client, Quickly change server settings.

  Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which transmission / reception of electronic mail becomes impossible due to a sudden failure or the like.

JP 2004-104732 A

  The cloud application does not require server construction / management and application development / management by the user. Furthermore, since the cloud application is an application published on the Internet, it can be used from anywhere as long as there is an Internet environment.

  Similarly, since the data is also stored in the cloud application, the data can be continuously used regardless of where and when it is accessed. Moreover, since the side which provides a cloud application can always provide the newest function, the user can continue using the newest cloud application.

  However, since the cloud application supports multi-tenancy, there are limitations for the user to use the cloud application with unique functions and settings. When the cloud application becomes unavailable due to a failure or the like, the cloud application holds both the application and the data, and the user cannot use them. Furthermore, even if it tries to increase the availability of cloud applications, it depends on the cloud application provider and cannot be controlled.

  For example, the device described in Patent Document 1 can be applied to a mail system having a client machine, and receives a notification from the mail server and changes the mail server to which the client machine is connected. Since the cloud application is a web application and does not require a unique client machine, and the user cannot select / change the connection destination, the technique of Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to the cloud environment.

  Also, in Patent Document 1, when mails that have already been transmitted / received exist only in the mail server, if the connection destination of the client is changed to an alternative mail server, those mails cannot be referred to. Even in the cloud application, when the cloud application cannot be used, the same problem that the existing data cannot be referred to occurs.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a cloud application application caching method and a cloud provider side system that allow a user to continue using the cloud application even when the cloud application is not available when the user uses the cloud application. The purpose is to do.

  The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

  Of the inventions disclosed in the present application, the outline of typical ones will be briefly described as follows.

  In other words, the outline of a typical one is that in the cloud application cache method, the cloud provider system caches the cloud application data when the user uses the cloud application, and when the cloud application is unavailable, the cloud application The alternative application is provided together with the cached data, and when the cloud application is restored, the data in the alternative application is synchronized with the data of the cloud application.

  Also, in the cloud provider system, when the user uses the cloud application, the cloud data cache processing unit that caches the data of the cloud application, and the data cached by the cloud data cache processing unit when the cloud application is unavailable An alternative application provided to the user and a data synchronization processing unit that synchronizes data in the alternative application with data of the cloud application when the cloud application is restored.

  The effects obtained by typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

  That is, the effect obtained by the representative one is that the user can continue to use the cloud application even when the cloud application is not available.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the cloud provision side system which implements the application cache method of the cloud application which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the user table used with the application cache method of the cloud application which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of the cloud data cache process part in the application cache method of the loud application which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of the data synchronous process part in the application cache method of the loud application which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the processing operation of the user management process part in the application cache method of the loud application which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows access operation | movement of a user's alternative application in the application cache method of the loud application which concerns on one embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

<Configuration of cloud provider system that implements application cache method for cloud applications>
With reference to FIG. 1, the configuration of a cloud provider side system that implements an application cache method for a cloud application according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a configuration of a cloud provider side system that implements a cloud application application caching method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cloud application application caching method according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the user table used by.

  In FIG. 1, the cloud provider side system includes an information processing apparatus such as a server that provides a cloud application 110, and an application cache apparatus 120 that includes a server for performing an application cache method for the cloud application. .

  An information processing apparatus such as a server that provides the cloud application 110 and the application cache apparatus 120 are connected to a network and provide services such as provision of the cloud application 110 to users via the network.

  The application cache device 120 includes a cloud data cache processing unit 130, a database 140 that stores the user table 600 shown in FIG. 2, a data synchronization processing unit 150, a user management processing unit 160, and an alternative application 170. .

  In FIG. 2, a user table 600 stored in the database 140 has items of a user ID 610, company information 620, and a password 630. The user ID 610 and company information 620 are used as user identifiers and used. Unique identification. By holding the company information 620, it is possible to cope with multi-tenancy as with the cloud application 110. The password 630 is a value used for user authentication.

<Outline of processing operation of cloud application cache method>
Next, an outline of the processing operation of the application cache method of the cloud application will be described.

  First, when the cloud application 110 is available, the cloud data cache processing unit 130 of the application cache device 120 synchronizes the data of the cloud application 110.

  When the cloud application 110 cannot be used, the user uses the alternative application 170 when authenticated by referring to the user table 600 of the database 140.

  After the cloud application 110 becomes unusable, at the time of recovery, data operated by the user with the alternative application 170 is synchronized with the cloud application 110 by the data synchronization processing unit 150.

  When the user information is newly registered / changed / deleted in the cloud application 110, the cloud application 110 and the user of the application cache device 120 are synchronized.

  Hereinafter, the processing operation of each unit in the application cache device 120 will be described.

<Processing of Cloud Data Cache Processing Unit>
With reference to FIG. 3, the processing operation of the cloud data cache processing unit in the application cache method for a loud application according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the cloud data cache processing unit in the application cache method of the loud application according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the cloud application 110 becomes unavailable, the data of the cloud application 110 is synchronized with the application cache device 120 so that the user can refer to the data with the alternative application 170.

  The data synchronization time and synchronization method are determined by the operation and schedule of the cloud application 110. The synchronization time is determined by determining whether the data has been operated by the cloud application 110 (step 210). This is carried out by determining whether or not to execute according to the schedule when no operation is performed (step 230).

  If the data of the cloud application 110 is operated according to the determination in step 210, the process is performed by the data operation of the cloud application 110 (step 220).

  If the data is not operated in the cloud application 110 in step 210, the process is executed according to the schedule in the case of execution according to the schedule according to the determination in step 230 (step 240).

  In addition, if it is determined at step 230 that the process is not executed according to the schedule but at an arbitrary timing, the process is performed manually (step 250).

  Further, as a synchronization method, a data acquisition method is determined (step 260), and in step 260, it is determined whether data is transmitted from the cloud application 110 or an acquisition process is performed on the cloud application 110.

  Then, based on the determination in step 260, a process when data is transmitted from the cloud application 110 (step 270) or a process when executing a data acquisition process for the cloud application 110 (step 280) is selected. The

  Then, the cloud data cache processing unit 130 acquires the data of the cloud application 110 by the processing of step 270 or step 280 (step 285).

  Then, the data acquired in step 285 is checked for duplication with already synchronized data (step 290). If there is no duplication in step 290, the acquired data is stored (step 296).

  If there is a duplication in step 290 and the update is stored with the acquired data, the acquired data is updated and registered (step 292).

  If there is an overlap in step 290 and update storage is not performed with the acquired data, the process ends.

  Through the above processing, when the user uses the cloud application 110, the data of the cloud application 110 is stored in the cloud data cache processing unit 130, and the data of the cloud application 110 can be synchronized.

<Processing operation of data synchronization processor>
Next, the processing operation of the data synchronization processing unit in the application cache method of the loud application according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the data synchronization processing unit in the application cache method of the loud application according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The data synchronization processing unit 150 performs processing for synchronizing data operated by the user using the alternative application 170 with the cloud application 110 while the service of the cloud application 110 is stopped.

  The synchronization timing of the data synchronization processing has a schedule function and is executed by setting a schedule or executed at an arbitrary timing.

  First, it is determined whether the execution is based on the schedule (step 305). If the execution is based on the schedule based on the determination in step 305, the process is executed according to the schedule (step 310).

  In addition, if it is determined not to execute according to the schedule but to execute at an arbitrary timing based on the determination in step 305, the process is manually executed (step 315).

  When the data synchronization processing is executed in step 310 or step 315, it is determined whether or not the synchronization destination cloud application 110 is available (step 320). .

  If it is determined in step 320 that the data is available, the presence or absence of synchronization target data operated by the alternative application 170 is confirmed (step 330). If the synchronization target data does not exist in step 330, the process ends.

  If there is data, the synchronization target data used by the user in the alternative application 170 is extracted (step 340), and the data extracted in step 340 is checked for duplication with the cloud application 110. Synchronize above (step 350).

  Through the above processing, the data of the service stop of the cloud application 110 can be synchronized from the alternative application 170 to the cloud application 110.

<Processing of user management processing unit>
Next, the processing operation of the user management processing unit in the application cache method of the loud application according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing operation of the user management processing unit in the application cache method of the loud application according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The synchronization time and synchronization method of the user information are determined by the operation and schedule of the cloud application 110. The synchronization time is determined by determining whether the user information is operated in the cloud application 110 (step 405). This is performed by determining whether to execute according to a schedule when user information is not operated in the application 110 (step 420).

  If the user information of the cloud application 110 is operated by the determination in step 405, the process is performed by operating the user information of the cloud application 110 (step 410).

  If the user information is not operated in the cloud application 110 in step 405, the process is executed according to the schedule in the case of execution according to the schedule according to the determination in step 420 (step 425).

  In addition, if the determination at step 420 is not performed according to the schedule but is performed at an arbitrary timing, the process is manually performed (step 430).

  Further, as a synchronization method, a data acquisition method is determined (step 435). In step 435, it is determined whether data is transmitted from the cloud application 110 or an acquisition process is performed on the cloud application 110.

  Then, based on the determination in step 435, processing when user information is transmitted from the cloud application 110 (step 440) or processing when user information acquisition processing is performed on the cloud application 110 (step 445). ) Is selected.

  Then, the user information of the cloud application 110 obtained by the processing in step 440 or step 445 is acquired by the user management processing unit 160 (step 450).

  Then, the acquired user information determines whether the user is new registration / change / deletion information (step 455).

  As a result of the determination in step 455, in the case of new registration, the user ID 610, company information 620, and password 630 of the user are added to the user table 600 and registered in the user table 600 (step 470). When the update is completed, the registered user can use the alternative application 170 and the synchronization of the data of the cloud application 110 with the application cache device 120 is started.

  If the user information is changed according to the determination in step 455, the password 630 of the user table 600 is changed and the user table 600 is updated (step 480). The user can access the alternative application 170 using the changed password.

  If the user information is to be deleted based on the determination at step 455, the user information to be deleted is deleted from the user table 600 (step 460). The deleted user cannot use the alternative application 170 and the data of the cloud application 110 is not synchronized with the application cache device 120.

  Through the above processing, user information when the user uses the cloud application 110 can be synchronized with the user table 600 stored in the database 140.

<Access operation of user's alternative application>
Next, referring to FIG. 6, a user's alternative application access operation in the loud application cache method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the access operation of the user's alternative application in the application cache method for the loud application according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  First, when the cloud application 110 is available, the user accesses the cloud application 110 (step 510).

  Then, it is determined whether or not the cloud application 110 can be used (step 520). If it is determined that the cloud application 110 is available according to the determination in step 520, the user uses the cloud application 110 (step 560).

  Further, if the cloud application 110 is not available according to the determination in step 520, the user accesses the alternative application 170 (step 530).

  Then, the alternative application 170 obtains the user ID, company information, and password as input values, inquires data that matches the user table 600, authenticates the user (step 540), and the authenticated user Uses the alternative application 170 (step 550).

  With the above processing, the user can use the alternative application 170 even when the cloud application 110 cannot be used.

  In the present embodiment, the data of the cloud application 110 is synchronized by the application cache device 120, and when the cloud application 110 is unavailable, the alternative application 170 is provided to the user, and after the cloud application 110 is restored, the alternative application 170 is operated. Data synchronization can be performed.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say.

  The present invention can be widely applied to other systems and apparatuses such as mail systems and accounting systems that use cloud applications.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 110 ... Cloud application, 120 ... Application cache apparatus, 130 ... Cloud data cache process part, 140 ... Database, 150 ... Data synchronization process part, 160 ... User management process part, 170 ... Alternative application, 600 ... User information table.

Claims (6)

An application caching method of the cloud application by a cloud provider side system that provides a cloud application to a user,
When the user uses the cloud application, the cloud providing system caches the data of the cloud application, and when the cloud application is unavailable, provides an alternative application of the cloud application together with the cached data. An application cache method for a cloud application, wherein data in the alternative application is synchronized with data in the cloud application when the cloud application is restored. In the application cache method of the cloud application according to claim 1,
The cloud provider side system stores the user information of the user in a database, and authenticates the user when the alternative application is provided based on the user information stored in the database. An application cache method for cloud applications. In the application cache method of the cloud application according to claim 2,
When the user uses the cloud application, the cloud provider side system updates the content of the user information stored in the database when the user information is registered, changed, or deleted. An application cache method for cloud applications characterized by: A cloud provider system that provides users with cloud applications,
A cloud data cache processing unit that caches data of the cloud application when the user uses the cloud application;
When the cloud application is unavailable, an alternative application provided to the user together with the data cached by the cloud data cache processing unit;
A cloud providing system comprising: a data synchronization processing unit configured to synchronize data in the alternative application with data of the cloud application when the cloud application is restored. In the cloud provider system according to claim 4,
A database for storing user information of the user;
When the alternative application is provided to the user, the cloud provider side system performs authentication of the user based on the user information stored in the database. In the cloud provider system according to claim 5,
When the user uses the cloud application, the user management processing unit updates the content of the user information stored in the database when the user information is registered, changed, or deleted. A cloud provider system characterized by this.

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