JPH10161913A - Network archiver system, and computer-readable recording medium recording program constructing the system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a framing on a network for more efficiently executing data sharing while using data compression. SOLUTION: To a preparation request, an archiver preparing part 19 compresses a data file on a network 10 and stores it in archivers 34 (from 34-1 to 34-3). Corresponding to a reference request, an archiver referring part 20 reads the compressed data file out of the archivers 34, restores that data file on the network 10 and stores it in the archivers 34. An archiver managing part 18 performs the centralized management of archivers 34 on the network 10. An archiver centralized processor in a shared group 25 is defined as a host 24, remaining archiver distributed processors are defined as clients 26, the archivers 34, archiver preparing part 19 and archiver referring part 20 are arranged at the respective host 24 and clients 26 and centralized processing can be mixed with distributed processing on the network 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a network archiver system for storing and referencing a data file in an archiver (bunko) arranged on a network connecting a plurality of computers, and in particular, compressing the data file in the archiver. The present invention relates to a network archiver system for storing, storing, and restoring and referencing a compressed data file, and a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for constructing the network archiver system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, network functions such as database processing, transaction processing, and electronic mail have been provided as a computer network in a company. As the computer network has matured and penetrated in this way, the number of companies and users who are willing to actively use information sharing using the network is increasing.

For example, a work group is arbitrarily formed on a network, and useful information such as a business report data file such as a weekly report or a monthly report is exchanged via the network, thereby improving work efficiency and improving productivity. We are trying to improve. On the other hand, computerized information is increasing at an accelerating rate, and the amount of data stored on a network is enormous. For this reason, it is clear that it will be important to efficiently accumulate, search, and manage various information on a network in a data file, which is the substance of the information, in the future.

Efficient use of shared information is also effective in groupware in which corporate users share daily unconventional tasks, and in the recent rise of the Internet to share databases with unspecified large numbers of people connected to the network. It is an attempt.

[0005]

As described above, the networking of computer systems in a company is remarkable, but in reality, it has not yet been possible to freely construct data sharing on a network, and individual computers are still possessed. At present, information is stored in individual computers at random. For this reason,
If you want to refer to someone else's data, you can copy and refer to the data on your own machine over the network,
We make changes and reuse them.

[0006] Also, a file server is often set up to share information. However, since a mere file server is not systematically constructed, management such as addition, update, and deletion of a file on the server is liable to be performed by humans, which is complicated. On the other hand, for enterprise users who want to share data, groupware is one solution. By using groupware in a work group, shared data can be centrally managed by one server. Each can share information by accessing data on the server. For example, Lotus (now IBM), a pioneer in groupware, has already sold more than 2 million groupware products worldwide.

However, the current groupware also has a problem. Originally, the groupware centrally manages shared information in one server. Normally, the number of clients hanging on one server is limited to about 100 to 200 from the relation of server load. When operation response is important, the number of clients is much smaller. For this reason, the server is divided into a plurality, and data to be shared is distributed and placed.

[0008] The problems of such shared information on a network are summarized as follows. (1) Information data is not used while being dispersed. (2) It tends to be complicated when trying to use it. (3) Even if groupware is used, there is a limit to centralization, and decentralization is inevitably created.

Although the approach to data sharing is steadily progressing, considering the current network configuration in which information is centralized and distributed, the network load and the server load are small, and the use of shared data is difficult. It is necessary to make a high degree of mechanism. The present invention, recognizing the current situation in which such contradiction between decentralization and centralization of information is generated, provides a network archiver system and a network archiver system as a new framework for more efficiently performing data sharing using data compression. It is an object of the present invention to provide a computer-readable recording medium recording a program to be constructed.

[0010]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention. The basic concept of the present invention is to arrange an archiver (library) for storing shared data on a network, and to make the archiver capable of compressing and storing a shared data file in the archiver for network compatibility. Function arrangement is a mixed type of centralized type and distributed type.

Also, archiver management information (database bookmark) is created and used to make the structure of the archiver which is of the mixed type of centralized and distributed type organically related on the network and easy to reuse. That is, according to the present invention, a sharing group 25 for sharing data by a plurality of computer devices connected via the network 10 is formed, and a data file created by each device is stored in the archiver 34 existing on the network 10 as a shared data file. Network archiver system to be used.

With respect to such a network archiver system, the present invention provides an archiver creation unit 19 which compresses data of a data file on the computer network 10 and stores the data in the archiver 34 when an archiver 34 creation request is received. When a reference request is received from the archiver 34, the compressed data file is read from the archiver 34 and restored on the network 10 to
Archiver reference unit 20 and network 1
An archiver management unit 18 for centrally managing the archiver 34 on the server 0 is provided.

A specific computer device in the shared group 25 is a host 24 which is a centralized processing device that performs centralized processing with respect to the archiver 34, and the remaining devices are distributed processing devices that perform distributed processing with respect to the archiver 34. Client 26. Further, an archiver 34, an archiver creation unit 19, and an archiver reference unit 20 are arranged in the host 24 and the client 26, and the network 10
Mix on top.

There are the following three system forms in which the centralized type and the distributed type are mixed. Note that the archiver management unit 18 is always of a centralized type by the host. System form: Archiver is decentralized and decompression is also decentralized System form: Archiver is centralized and decompression is decentralized System form: Archiver is distributed and decompression is centralized [System form] The system form is Archiver 3
4 are distributed to the clients 26, and the compression / decompression is also distributed to the clients 26.

For this reason, in the system mode, the host 2
4, the archiver management unit 18 is centrally arranged, and instructs the client 26 to compress or decompress the data file to the archiver 34. Also, for each of the clients 26,
The archiver creation unit 19, the archiver reference unit 20, and the archiver 34 are distributed, and the data file is compressed or restored by an instruction from the host 24 and stored.

More specifically, when the host 24 receives an archiver creation request from the host itself or the client 26, the host 24 searches the client 26 having the archiver 34 storing the corresponding data file by searching the archiver management information. Issue a compression instruction. Upon receiving the compression command from the host 24, the client 26 reads the corresponding data file from its own archiver 34, compresses it, stores it, notifies the host 24 of the end of the compression, and sets the archiver management information to the compressed state. Let me update.

When the host 24 receives an archiver reference request from the host itself or the client 26, the host 24 searches the archiver management information for the client 26 having the archiver 34 storing the corresponding compressed data file. Issue a restoration instruction. Upon receiving a decompression command from the host 24, the client 26 reads out the corresponding compressed data file from its own archiver 34, decompresses the data file, and stores it. Is updated to the restored state. [System form] The system form is the archiver 34
Are centralized on the host 24, and the compression
6 and distributed.

For this reason, in the system mode, the host 2
4, the archiver management unit 18 and the archiver 34 are centrally arranged to instruct the client 26 to compress and decompress the data file. Further, an archiver creating unit 19 and an archiver reference unit 20 are distributed and arranged in each of the clients 26, and after compressing or restoring a data file according to an instruction from the host 24, the data file is transferred to the host 24, and the archiver 3
4 is stored.

More specifically, when the host 24 receives the archiver creation request, the host 24 searches the client 26 for compressing the corresponding data file from the archiver management information, issues a compression instruction, and issues the compression command from the archiver 34. The data file is read and transferred to the client 26. Upon receiving a compression command from the host 24, the client 26 compresses the data file transferred from the host 24, transfers the compressed data file to the host 24, and sends the data file to the archiver 34.
, And notifies the host 24 of the end of compression to update the archiver management information to the compressed state.

In this case, the client 26 may transfer the compressed data file to the host 24 for storage and, at the same time, store it as a backup file by itself. Upon receiving the archiver reference request, the host 24 searches the client 26 for restoring the corresponding data file from the archiver management information and issues a restoration command, and also issues the corresponding compressed data file from its own archiver 34. Is read out and transferred to the client 26.

Upon receiving a decompression command from the host 24, the client 26 decompresses the compressed data file transferred from the host 24 and then transfers the decompressed data file to the host 24 for storage in the archiver 34. The host 24 is notified of the end of restoration and updates the archiver management information to the restored state. Also in this distributed restoration, it is desirable that the client 26 transfers the restored data file to the host 24 and saves it, and at the same time saves it as backup information by itself. [System form] The system form is the archiver 34
Are centralized on the host 24, and the compression
6 and distributed.

For this reason, in the system mode, the host 2
4, an archiver management unit 18, an archiver creation unit 19,
And the archiver reference unit 20 is arranged in a centralized manner, and the compression and restoration of the data file for the archiver 34 are intensively processed. In contrast, each of the clients 26
The archiver 34 is distributed, and the data file transferred from the host 24 is compressed, stored, restored, and transferred.

More specifically, when receiving the archiver creation request, the host 24 searches the client 26 having the archiver 34 storing the corresponding data file from the archiver management information and issues a transfer command. On the other hand, when receiving the transfer command from the host 24, the client 26 reads the corresponding data file from its own archiver 34, transfers it to the host 24, and compresses it.
Further, the host 24 causes the client 26 to transfer and store the compressed data file, and updates the archiver management information to a compressed state.

When receiving the archiver reference request, the host 24 searches the client 26 having the archiver 34 storing the corresponding compressed data file from the archiver management information and issues a transfer command. When the client 26 receives the transfer command from the host 24,
The corresponding compressed data file is read from its own archiver 34 and transferred to the host 24 for restoration.

Further, the host 24 transfers the restored data file to the client 26, stores the restored data file in the archiver 34, and updates the archiver management information to a restored state. Further, as an extension of the system form and the like, in the archiver system of the network 10, a plurality of groups 25 each including a host 24 and a plurality of clients 26 are provided, and each host 24 of each group is provided The creation and reference of the archiver 34 may be requested.

Further, as an extension of the system configuration,
A plurality of groups each including a host 24 and a plurality of clients 26 are provided, and a general host 240 is further arranged above the hosts 24 of each group to request creation and reference of the archiver 34 among the plurality of groups. Here, the host 24 and the client 26 can set any computer device on the network 10. Archiver Management Department 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes a storage location of the archiver 34, whether or not compression is performed,
Manage creation date, size, file name, directory name, computer name, compression ratio.

The archiver management information by the archiver management unit 18 can be transparently referred to as the same content from any computer device on the network 10. The archiver management unit 18 creates and manages hierarchical archiver management information indicating the addition of personal information to the archiver file.
This hierarchical archiver management information adds link information indicating the addition of personal information to the archiver file.

Further, when managing the archivers of a plurality of groups, the archiver management section 18 can also manage the archiver management information of each group by nesting the archiver management information of another group. According to the distributed archiver in this system configuration, one of the data files
Each one is compressed so that physically large ones
The archiver 34, which is one file, is collected on a network, which is convenient for grouping and backing up information.

According to the distributed form of compression and decompression, when creating and referring to the archiver, the load is not concentrated on a specific computer device, and the responsiveness of the operation can be improved. Also, since the data file stored in the archiver is compressed, the ratio of the data file to the file on the network is suppressed, and more shared assets can be used.

On the other hand, regarding the concentrated form of compression and dispersion,
For example, when a server having a high processing capacity dedicated to a database is used as a host, compression and decompression can be performed more efficiently than when distributed processing is performed by a client, and the burden on the client can be reduced accordingly. In addition, the expansion, addition, and deletion of each data file stored in the archiver is performed by looking at the archiver management information provided as a database bookmark, even if the archiver is distributed on the network. It can be used transparently without.

As a result, information that could not be reused by being scattered throughout the network can be easily shared while being scattered. In the case of centralized management of groupware and the like, there was a limit to sharing due to the load of the network and the server. However, if data compression is used and the archiver is distributed, the amount of data flowing on the network 10 due to data sharing And the load on the network and server can be reduced, and the degree of data sharing on the network can be increased.

Further, a shared group is formed in which data is shared by a plurality of computer devices connected via a network, and a data file created by each device is stored as a shared data file in an archiver existing on the network and used. An archiver creator, which is a storage medium storing a program for constructing an archiver system, and which receives an archiver creation request, compresses data of a data file on a computer network and stores the data in the archiver; Upon receiving a request, read out a compressed data file from the archiver, restore on the network and store the archiver in the archiver, and an archiver management unit that centrally manages the archiver on the network, Sharing group Is a centralized processing device that performs centralized processing for the archiver, and the remaining devices are set as distributed processing devices that perform distributed processing for the archiver, and the archiver, the archiver creation unit, and the archiver reference unit are Provided is a storage medium storing a program for constructing a network archiver system, which is arranged in a centralized processing device and a distributed processing device and mixed on a network.

[0033]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

<Table of Contents> 1. Formation of sharing group and system form 2. System configuration of distributed compression / decompression and distributed archiver 3. System configuration of distributed compression restoration and centralized archiver 4. System configuration of centralized pressure house restoration and distributed archiver Other system forms Formation of Sharing Group and System Form FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a computer network to which the network archiver system of the present invention is applied.

In FIG. 2, a network 10 according to this embodiment is an example of a local area network (LAN) provided in a company. For example, computers 12-1, 12-2,.
12-5 is connected. Computers 12-1 to 1
Each of 2-5 is a file unit 1 using a magnetic disk drive or the like for recording data in file units.
4-1, 14-2, 14-3, 14-4, and 14-5.

In such an in-house computer network, for example, when configuring groupware, a server function is constructed in which a specific computer device has a server function and the rest are clients. Further, a host computer system in which a specific computer device is used as a host and a plurality of computer devices are connected to the host computer as terminal devices can also be constructed.

In the network archiver system of the present invention, an archiver module, which is software for realizing the network archiver system, is installed in each of the computer devices 12-1 to 12-5 connected to the network 10, and a predetermined number is installed. By setting up the system form, a network archiver system can be constructed.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a work procedure for constructing the network archiver system of the present invention for the computer network of FIG. FIG.
First, in step S1, the FD, the optical disk, and the archive module prepared by the online program file are installed in each of the computer devices 12-1 to 12-5 connected to the network 10. The archiver module has the function shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, the archiver module 16
Is composed of a setup module 17, a management process module 18 functioning as an archiver management unit, a creation process module 19 functioning as an archiver creation unit, and a reference process module 20 functioning as an archiver reference unit. Further, in the present invention, since the archiver module 16 compresses the file data in the archiver file 34 and restores it when reading and referencing, it is necessary to install the compression module 21 and the restoration module 22 together. There is. The compression module 21 and the decompression module 22 can be used if they are already prepared as OSs in the computer devices 12-1 to 12-5.

Compression module 21 and decompression module 2
As the second algorithm, since various types of data such as character codes, vector information, and images are compressed, an arithmetic coding algorithm, which is a typical example of universal coding, can be used. Also, for example, LWZ (Lempel Ziv) in LZ (Lempel Ziv) known as a slide dictionary method
el-Ziv-Welch) algorithm or the like may be used.

Of course, it may be installed as an application. Referring to FIG. 3 again, when the installation of the archiver module is completed, the process proceeds to step S2, where the setup for constructing the archiver system is performed. This setup includes group machine settings (shared group settings) system configuration settings (centralized and distributed settings) host settings (centralized processing device settings) client settings (distributed processing device settings) Are required.

FIG. 5 shows each of the computer devices 12-1 to 12-5 of the computer network of FIG.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which a shared group that is a machine group of the archiver system is set with the archiver module 16, the compression module 21, and the decompression module 22 installed. Here, in the computer devices 12-1 to 12-5 of the network 10 in FIG. 2, the respective computer users are Y, A, B, C,
Suppose that there are five members of D. In the shared group 25 of FIG. 5, four users Y, A, B, and C make up one work group, of which Y is the leader and the remaining three people A, B, and C Are members of the group. Further, D does not belong to the working group.

The users Y,
A, B, and C are as shown in FIG.
12-4, and D outside the group uses the computer device 12-5. This sharing group 2
The formation of 5 is performed simultaneously with the setting of the host and the setting of the client. First, the setup module of the archiver module 16 installed in each device is started, and the machine names of the computer devices 12-1 to 12-4 of FIG. At the same time, a host is set to a specific computer device in the group, and a client is set to the remaining computer devices.

In the sharing group 25 shown in FIG. 5, since the user Y is the leader, the computer 1
2-1 is set as the host, and the remaining computer devices 12
-2 to 12-4 are set in the client. As a result, in the sharing group 25 of FIG. 5, the user Y uses the host 24, and the remaining users A and B use the clients 26-1, 26-2, and 26-3.

The computer device 12-5 of the user D existing outside the shared group 25 is not aware of the existence of the computer device 12 in the shared group 25, but the archiver which is the shared data of the shared group 25 is open to reference. , Client 26-4. After the formation of the sharing group 25 for the computer network, the system configuration is set in step S2 in FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a system form in the archiver system of the present invention, and any one of the three system forms can be selected.

The network archiver system of the present invention is based on three systems: compression and decompression of data stored in the archiver, the position of the archiver for storing shared data, and the list management for managing the archiver. In the system form (1) to (6) shown in FIG. 6, the centralized processing in which all the hosts have functions is performed in the archiver list management. On the other hand, as for the compression / decompression processing on the network and the data storage indicating the file position where the archiver is provided, either the distributed type or the centralized type is selected. In the system form, the compression / decompression process is of a distributed type, and the arrangement of archivers for storing data is also of a distributed type. The distributed type means that processing is distributed to clients in a shared group.

In the system mode, the compression / decompression processing is of a distributed type, and the arrangement of an archiver for storing data is of a centralized type provided in a host. Further, in the system form, the compression and decompression processing is of a centralized type provided in the host, whereas the arrangement of the archiver for storing data is of the distributed type in which each client is provided.
FIG. 7 shows the system functions of the host 24 and the clients 26-1 to 26-3 when the system form of FIG. 6 is applied to the sharing group 25 of FIG.
That is, in the system mode, the host 24 manages the list of the archiver management list, and the archive file management list is stored in the host file.

At this time, the clients 26-1 to 26-3
Is provided with a compression decompression function, and the clients 26-1 to 26-1
A distributed archiver is arranged in a local file composed of a file unit connected to 26-3. Further, each of the clients 26-1 to 26-3 is provided with a search and save function for reading and storing a data file with respect to the distributed archiver.

In the system form, the list management of the host 24 is the same as that of the system form. Since the archiver is of a centralized type, a centralized archiver is arranged in the host file in addition to the management list. A search and save function is provided. on the other hand,
The functions of compression and decompression are distributed to the clients 26-1 to 26-3. In addition, local files can be used as backups.

In the system form, the host 24 has a data file compression / decompression function as a centralized type in addition to the list management. The host file only stores the management list. On the other hand, the client 26-1
On the side of 〜26-3, a distributed archiver is arranged in a local file, so that a function of searching and saving a data file for the distributed archiver is arranged.

The setting of the system type in the sharing group 25 shown in FIG.
-1 to 26-3 can be realized by selectively enabling the functions of the archiver module 16, the compression module 21, and the decompression module 22 which are installed. For example, in the system form, the function of the management process module 18 of FIG.
1 to 26-3, the functions of the creation process module 19 and the reference process module 20, the compression module 21, and the decompression module 22 of the archiver module 16 in FIG.

As a result, the arrangement of archivers on the network in the shared group 25 is
Dispersed archivers 34-1 to 34-31
-3. The distributed archivers 34-1 to 34-34
The arrangement of -3 is the same for the system form.
On the other hand, in the system form, since a centralized archiver is used, only the file unit of the host 24 is arranged as the archiver 34 for the network 10.

The selection of the system form 1 can be appropriately made according to the work contents in the shared group. For example, when the computer devices of the sharing group 25 have the same capacity, it is desirable to adopt a system configuration in order to distribute the load. On the other hand, if the computer device in which the host 24 is set is a powerful machine, a system form or a centralized archiver type of the system form or centralized decompression can be adopted. Further, when there is a restriction on the file capacity on the host side, a distributed archiver in a system form is desirable. Hereinafter, each of the system forms will be described in detail. 2. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the archiver system of the present invention having the system configuration of FIGS. 6 and 7. As shown in FIG.
The case where a group is formed in 26-2 is taken as an example.

In the system form, the archiver is distributed to the clients 26-1 and 26-2, and the decompression is also distributed to the clients 26-1 and 26-2.
The host 24 manages only the archiver list. Therefore, the host 24 is provided with a list management process 30 and an archiver management list 28. Each of the clients 26-1 and 26-2 has a compression / decompression process 38-1 and 38-2, and an archiver file 34-1 and 34-2 and a local file 36-1 and 36-2 on the file unit side. Is provided. The interface between the host 24 and the clients 26-1 and 26-2 with respect to the network 10 is TCP / I
A P-layer protocol interface 32 is provided, for example, a socket interface can be used.

FIG. 9 shows the host 24 and client 2 of FIG.
It is explanatory drawing of the menu screen 42 at the time of operating the archiver network system of this invention in 6-1 and 26-2. On the menu screen 42, a network connection state 40 constituting a shared group, a title 44 of "archiver database bookmark" which is the name of archiver management information, and a menu window 46 are displayed.

The menu window 46 displays a management list icon 48, a creation icon 50, and a reference icon 52. On the menu screen 42, the user can click the management list icon 48 with the mouse to see the contents of the archiver management list.
If a data file, such as a document data file, which is a work content created in the shared group is to be stored in an archiver on the network, the creation icon 5
Just click the mouse on 0.

Further, when the user wants to read the data file of himself or another group member from the archiver existing on the network, he or she can click the reference icon 52 with the mouse. Furthermore, it can be seen from the graphic of the network connection status 40 that the sharing group is composed of the host machines A and B. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of a catalog list 58 based on the archiver management file when the creation icon 50 is clicked with the mouse on the menu screen 42 of FIG.

In the catalog list 58, the network connection status 40 is displayed at the same time. The title 44 portion of the catalog list 58 indicates that the document holder is the document holder of the reader Y of the sharing group 25 shown in FIG. 5, and then the file name 60, the machine name 62, and the file storage destination as catalog contents. Archiver directory 64, data file size 6 in bytes
6, a creation date 68, and a compression ratio 70 are provided. In this example, a case where a weekly report is created in a shared group is taken as an example.

The catalog list 58 can take another form. For example, when performing a specific job within a group or department that constitutes a shared group, when you want to add your own comments to data files of someone other than yourself and treat them as a series of file aggregates, that is, an archiver There is. FIG. 11 shows an example of a specification list 72 when an archiver system is constructed in such a work group. For example, when the group leader Y creates a group monthly report by viewing the monthly reports of the group members A, B, and C, a file such as the specification list 72 in FIG. 11 is required.

To handle the data file such as the specification list 72 by the archiver system of the present invention, the catalog list 58 shown in FIG.
What is necessary is just to create a hierarchical catalog list as shown in FIGS. FIG. 12 shows a first hierarchical catalog list 76, which is basically the same as the catalog list 58 of FIG. 10, except that a link 74 indicating the presence or absence of attribute information for the file is provided at the end of the catalog list 76 as a flag. I have. For example, in the “A monthly report” on the first line in FIG. 12, a flag indicating that attribute information is present on the link 74 is set.

By clicking the link 74 with the mouse, the reader Y can see, for example, the second hierarchical catalog list 78 as shown in FIG. The second hierarchical catalog list 78 indicates that the file name “Memo for A” is stored as attribute information of the file name “A monthly report” of the first hierarchical catalog list 76 in FIG. Such a catalog list as an archiver management list is easier to use if it is represented in a holder format using icons as shown in FIG. Icon catalog list 8 in FIG.
12, the contents of the first layer catalog list 76 of FIG. 12 are represented by the first layer icon window 84, and the contents of the first layer catalog window 76 of FIG.
Of the second hierarchical catalog list 78 of FIG.

Further, a plurality of catalogs can be nested and managed as a catalog list. FIG. 15 shows a document catalog 8 of the readers X, Y and Z constituting the work group.
For example, the catalog list 94 includes an X document catalog 88 and a Y document catalog 90, and the catalog list 96 includes a Y document catalog 90 and a Z document catalog. 92
including.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory view of the catalog list 94 when the document catalog 90 of Y is selected for the catalog list 94 of FIG. In this case, the catalog list 94 includes “Y repo” in the title 44.
Catalog name indicating "rt catalog""Document catalog of Y"
At the same time, "X's document catalog" is nested.

The catalog list as the management list in the archiver system of the present invention is stored in the archiver management list 28 of the host 24 in FIG. In contrast, link 7 in FIG.
4 and the like, catalogs such as personal catalogs and memos used by database bookmarks may be managed by each computer device. That is, the host 24 in FIG. 8 executes the archiver management process 30 as a server for the archiver management list 28.

In the archiver system of the present invention,
Host 24 and client 2 that constitute a sharing group
Each of the users 6-1 and 26-2 constructs its own virtual database only with the insubstantial alias of a database bookmark realized by the archiver management list 28 managed as a server on the host 24 side. can do.

That is, when handling shared data, an alias (shadow) is used instead of duplicating the substance of the data. The alias links the data with the entity of the data. In the present invention, the alias is an archiver management list serving as a catalog list provided as a database bookmark. Normally, if you want to give a set of data files to someone, you may copy and send the data itself. On the other hand, in the archiver system of the present invention, a database bookmark which is a catalog list aggregate as archiver management information is used, and only the database bookmark which is an aggregate of aliases is used instead of copying and transferring data. By moving, each can access the data entity, thereby minimizing the amount of data movement between devices in the sharing group.

Further, a set of aliases as database management information or a database bookmark in which an alias and a data entity are mixed is transparent from any computer device, and duplication of a data file is achieved by minimizing duplication of the data entity. To prevent unnecessary increase of the data storage amount on the network, thereby increasing the storage amount of the shared data and improving the usage.

Further, according to the present invention, when a data file serving as a data entity must be moved on a network, the amount of transfer data is reduced by using data compression as much as possible. As the TCP / IP layer protocol interface 32 for the network 10 provided in the host 24 and the clients 26-1 and 26-2 in FIG. 8, for example, a socket interface can be used. FIG. 17 shows an archiver management process 30 of the host 24.
For example, the compression decompression process 38 of the client 26-1
1 shows a socket interface processing procedure for transmitting a data file compression processing message.

First, on the host 24 side, the client 26-
1 IP address, for example, “122.1222.32.1”
7 "and the compression / decompression process 38- of the client 26-1.
For example, a port number owned by 1 is designated, for example, "TCP-51", and in step S1, a socket is created by calling "socket ()". Next, in step S2, "bi
nd () "links the address of the host 24 to the socket. This address becomes the IP address of its own host. Subsequently, in steps S3 and S4, "sendt
o () ”and“ recvfrom () ”to send a message to and from the client 26-1.

The client 26-1 also creates a socket in step S1, associates the client's own address with the socket in step S2, receives a message from the host 24 in step S103, and sends the message to the host 24 in step S104. To return. When the transmission and reception of the message are normally completed by the host 24 and the client 26-1, “clos” in step S5 is executed.
e () "to release the socket. Of course, an appropriate TCP / IP layer protocol interface other than the socket interface can be used.

FIG. 18 is a time chart of the archiver creation process in the system form. In each of the clients 26-1 and 26-2 constituting the shared group, for example, a person in charge creates and creates a data file such as a monthly report. This is a process for storing a data file in the archiver. This client 26-1, 26-2
In response to the file storage operation of the data file on the side, the archiver management process 30 of the host 24 issues a compression instruction as an archiver creation request to each of the clients 26-1 and 26-2 in step S1.

In steps S101 and S201, the clients 26-1 and 26-2 receive the compression command from the host 24 and compress the data file.
In steps S102 and S202, the compressed data file is stored in each of the distributed archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 provided in its own file unit.

After storing the compressed data files for the archiver files 34-1 and 34-2, the host 24 is notified of the end of compression in step S103. Upon receiving the compression end notification from the clients 26-1 and 26-2, the host 24 updates the archiver management list 28 to the compressed state in step S2. FIG. 19 shows the catalog list 58 in which the management list has been updated with the end of compression on the client side in response to the archiver creation request in step S2 in FIG.
According to 26-2, the archiver files 34-1 and 34 in which the data files with the file names "a" and "b" are distributed as compressed data with the compression ratio of 46% and 41%, respectively.
-2 is stored.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the system configuration of FIG.
It is a time chart at the time of referring to the data file of the archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 which are distributed and arranged of the clients 26-1 and 26-2. First, when the host 24 recognizes the operation of referring to the archiver file in each of the clients 26-1 and 26-2, a restoration command is issued to the clients 26-1 and 26-2 as an archiver reference request in step S1.

In response to the restoration command, step S101,
In S201, each archiver file 34-1,
The corresponding compressed data file is read out by the search in 34-2, and the compressed data is restored. When the restoration is completed, the restored data file is stored in each of the archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 in step S102, and a restoration completion notification is sent to the host 24 in steps S103 and S203.

Upon receiving the restoration end notification, the host 24
In step S2, the archiver management list 28 is updated, and in the catalog list after the update, as in the catalog list 58 in FIG. FIG. 22 shows FIGS.
6 is a flowchart of a host process in the process of the archiver creation request and the archiver reference request shown in FIG. First, an archiver creation request is checked in step S1, and if it is a creation request, the process proceeds to step S2, where a client for storing the requested file is searched from the archiver management list 28. Then, in step S3, a request is made to the client at the storage location of the requested file searched for archiver creation.
Specifically, a data file compression instruction is issued.

In response to this, on the client side,
The data file is compressed and the archiver file is stored. When the compression is completed, an end notification is determined in step S4, and the archiver management list 28 is updated in step S5. On the other hand, if an archiver reference request is determined in step S6, a client that stores the requested file is searched by referring to the archiver management list 28 in step S7, and a request is made to the client that searched for the archiver reference in step S8. Specifically, a restoration command is issued to the client.

On the client side receiving this decompression command, the corresponding compressed data file is read out from the archiver file and decompressed, and an end notification is issued.
If the restoration end notification is determined in step S9, the process proceeds to step S9.
Proceeding to 10, the compressed state of the corresponding data file in the archiver management list 28 is updated to the restored state.
For processing requests other than the archiver creation request and the archiver reference request, in step S11, other process processing accompanying the request is executed.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart of the client process in the archiver creation request and the archiver reference request in FIGS. In the client process, in step S1, an archiver creation request from the host,
Specifically, when a file compression instruction is determined, step S
In step 2, the requested file is extracted from its own archiver file, and in step S3, the extracted data file is compressed. When the compression is completed, the compressed data file is stored in its own archiver in step S4, and is stored in step S5.
Notifies the end of creation.

On the other hand, if an archiver reference request from the host, specifically, a data file restoration command is determined in step S6, the flow advances to step S7 to extract the requested file from its own archiver. In step S8, the requested file is extracted. The compressed data of the file is restored, the restored data file is stored again in its own archiver in step S9, and reference termination is notified to the host in step S10. For processing requests other than the archiver creation request and the archiver reference request, in step S11, other process processing accompanying the request is executed.

In such a system form, the load on the host can be reduced by the distributed arrangement of the archiver on the client side and the distributed arrangement of the compression / decompression processing on the client side. In addition, since an archiver is not provided on the host side and distributed only on the client side, data file duplication can be reliably avoided. 3. FIG. 24 is a functional block diagram of the network archiver system of the present invention according to the system configuration of FIGS. 6 and 7.

In this system configuration, the host 2
4, database bookmarks composed of a catalog aggregate as archiver management information are centrally managed, and archivers are centrally located as archiver files 34 on the host 24. As for the compression / decompression, similarly to the system mode, the clients 26-1 and 26-2
The distributed arrangement is on the 6-2 side.

More specifically, an archiver file 34 is centrally arranged in addition to the archiver management list 28 on the host 24, and a file storage process 100 is provided in addition to the archiver management process 30. Client 2
On the 6-1 and 26-2 sides, as in the case of the system mode, the compression / decompression processes 38-1 and 38-2 are distributed.

In the file unit side, in addition to the local files 36-1 and 36-2, in this embodiment, the archive file 34 of the host 24 is compressed or decompressed by the compression / decompression processes 38-1 and 38-2. And backup files 102-1 and 102-2 for storing data transferred and stored as backup data. The backup files 102-1 and 102-2 are arranged as needed.

FIG. 25 is a time chart of the archiver creation processing in the system form of FIG. Host 2
In step S1 of No. 4, the clients 26-1, 26-2
When the storage operation of the archiver based on the result of creating the data file such as the monthly report on the side is recognized, the client 26-1 sends a compression instruction as an archiver creation request.
26-2.

In response to the compression command from the host 24, the clients 26-1 and 26-2 respectively execute
The data file is compressed in 101 and S201, and the compressed data file is transferred to the host 24 in steps S102 and S202. This client 26-1,
In response to the transfer of the compressed data file from the side 26-2, the host 24 stores the compressed file data by executing the file storage process 100 in its own archiver file 34 in step S 2, and stores the archiver file by the archiver management process 30. The management list 28 is updated.

The catalog list 58 as the archiver management list updated in the process of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, an updated state is obtained in which the value of the actual compression ratio is stored in the compression ratio portion of the last item of each file name. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a time chart of the archiver reference process in the system form of FIG. Client 26-1,
On the 26-2 side, for example, a catalog list 58 as shown in FIG.
, The host 24 recognizes the reference operation on the client 26-1 or 26-2 side.

The host 24 issues a data file restoration command to the clients 26-1 and 26-2 as an archiver reference request in step S 1, and furthermore, the file storage process 100 retrieves the corresponding compressed data file from the archiver file 34. The data is read and transferred to the clients 26-1 and 26-2. Client 26-
Receiving the decompression command from the host 24 and the transfer of the compressed data file to be decompressed, the computers 26 and 26-2 decompress the compressed data file in steps S101 and S201, respectively. In each case, the restored raw data is transferred to the host 24.

The host 24 that has received the transfer of the restored data file executes the file storage process 10 in step S2.
0, the restored data file is stored in the archiver file 34, and the archiver management process 30 updates the state of the data file in the corresponding catalog list of the archiver file 34 to the restored state. FIG. 28 shows the catalog file 58 updated by the end of the archiver reference processing of FIG. 27, and "compressed" indicating the end of the update is displayed in the column of the compression ratio of the file names a and b to be referred. .

Of course, in FIGS. 25 and 27,
When the data file is compressed or the compressed data file is decompressed on the client 26-1 and 26-2 sides, the data file is transferred to the host 24 side and, at the same time, saved in the backup files 102-1 and 102-2 as backup data. It can also be used as a backup for the archiver file 34 on the host 24 side.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart of the host process in the archiver creation process and the archiver reference process in the system form of FIG. In the host 24, when the archiver creation request is determined in step S1, the process proceeds to step S2, and a search for a client to be a destination of a request file is obtained by searching the archiver management list 28 by the archiver management process 30.

Subsequently, in step S3, the client is requested to create an archiver. Specifically, a compression command is issued to the searched client. Next, step S4
Then, the request data file is read from its own archiver file 34 and transferred to the client as the compression destination. In step S5, when the compressed data file is received from the client side, the archiver file 34
In step S6, and updates the archiver management list to the compressed state.

On the other hand, if the archiver reference request is determined in step S7, the archiver management process 30 refers to the archiver management list 28 in step S8 to restore the client to be referred to, that is, the compressed file data. Search for a client. Next, in step S9, the client requests the client to refer to the archiver. That is, a restoration instruction is issued to the client. Subsequently, in step S10, the corresponding compressed data file is extracted from the archiver file 34 of the host 24 and transferred to the client.

When the compressed data file is restored on the client side and the raw data file is transferred, the raw data file is received in step S11 and the archiver file 34 is received.
In step S12, and updates the archiver management list 28 to a restored state. If the request is a processing request other than the archiver creation request or the archiver reference request, the process proceeds to step S13, and another process is executed.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart of the client process in the system form of FIG. First, in step S1, when a compression command from the host 24 is determined as an archiver creation request, the process proceeds to step S2, where a request data file to be created is received from the host 24, and in step S3, the data of the received data file is compressed. Next, in step S4, the compressed data file is
4, and if necessary, the compressed data file is stored as backup data in a backup file in step S5.

On the other hand, if a decompression command as an archiver reference request from the host is determined in step S6, the flow advances to step S7 to receive a compressed data file, which is a requested file, from the host 24. Decompress the compressed data of the file. Subsequently, in step S9, the restored data file is transferred to the host 24, and if necessary, in step S10, backup processing for storing the data files in the backup files 102-1 and 102-2 is performed. Of course, if the request is other than the archiver creation request or the reference request, another process is executed in step S11. 4. System Configuration of Centralized Compression Restoration and Distributed Archiver FIG. 31 is a functional block diagram of the system configuration of FIGS. 6 and 7. In the system form, a centralized compression / restoration type in which the compression / restoration process 104 is concentrated on the host 24, and archivers are archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 distributed to the clients 26-1 and 26-2. It is characterized by.

By centralizing the compression / decompression process 104 in the host 24, the system management relating to the compression and decompression of the file data can be simplified, and the compression / decompression process 104 is provided to the clients 26-1 and 26-2. The load on the client side can be reduced by the amount not provided. FIG.
2 is a time chart of the archiver creation process in the system form of FIG. When the host 24 recognizes the archiver creation operation for storing the archiver at the end of the data file creation in the clients 26-1 and 26-2 in step S1, the client 24 issues a data file search command as an archiver creation request. 26-
Issued to 1, 26-2.

When the clients 26-1 and 26-2 receive the search command from the host 24, step S10
1, file search processes 106-1 and 10 in S201
6-2 is its own archiver file 34-1, 34-2
, The requested data file is searched, and file data as raw data is transferred to the host 24 in steps S102 and S202.

In response to the transfer of the request data file from the clients 26-1 and 26-2, the host 24
In step S2, the data file transferred from the client 26-1 in step S102 is compressed by the compression / decompression process 104, and in step S3, the data file transferred from the client 26-2 is compressed.

When the compression is completed, the compressed data file is sent to the client 26-1 in step S4, and the client 26-1 stores the compressed data file in its own archiver file 34-1 in step S103.
In step S5, the compressed data file is transferred to the client 26-2. In step S203, the file storage process 108-2 of the client 26-2 stores the compressed data file in its own archiver file 3.
4-2.

When the compression process associated with a series of archiver creation requests is completed, the host 24 updates the archiver management list in step S6. The catalog list 58 of the updated management list in this case is as shown in FIG. 33, for example. FIG. 34 is a time chart of the archiver reference process in the system configuration of FIG. Now, when the clients 26-1 and 26-2 perform an operation for referring to catalog data as an archiver reference list and referring to appropriate file data, this is recognized by the host 24, and as an archiver reference request in step S1. A search command is issued to the clients 26-1 and 26-2.

Upon receiving the search command from the host 24,
The clients 26-1 and 26-2 execute step S10.
1, file search processes 106-1 and 10 in S201
6-2 searches for the requested data file by referring to its own archiver files 34-1 and 34-2.
The client 26-1 transfers the searched data file to the host 24 in step S102, and the host 24 restores the compressed data file in step S2.
In the client 26-2, step S20
The compressed data file searched in step 2 is transferred to the host 24, and restoration is performed in step S3.

The data file restored in step S2 is transferred to the client 26-1 in step S4.
In step S103, the file storage process 108- is stored in the archiver file 34-1 of the client 26-1 itself.
1 is stored. Similarly, the data file restored in step S3 is stored in the client 2 in step S5.
6-2, and the client 2 in step S203.
6-2 stores the restored data file in its own archiver file 34-2. And host 24
When a series of request processing is completed, the archiver management list 28 is added to the catalog list 5 in FIG.
As shown in the column of the compression ratio of No. 8, the status is updated to the decompressed state of “decompressed”.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart of the host process in the system form of FIG. When a data file such as a daily report is created on the side of the clients 26-1 and 26-2 in FIG. 31, the host 24 determines an archiver creation request in step S1 by an end operation thereof.
In step 2, the archiver management process 30 searches the archiver management list 28 for the client that has created the requested data file, and requests the client searched in step S3 for file transfer. That is,
Issue a file transfer instruction.

In response to this file transfer request, step S
When the request data file is received from the client in step S4, the data of the received data file is compressed in step S5 by the compression / decompression process 104, the compressed data file is transferred to the client in step S6, and the archiver management list is further stored in step S7. Update to compressed state.

In step S8, the client 26-
If the archiver reference request is determined from the side of the archiver management process 30, the process proceeds to step S 9.
In step S10, a file transfer request is made to the searched client by referring to the archiver management list 28. In response to the file transfer, when a compressed request data file is received from the client in step S11, the process proceeds to step S12.
Then, the compression / decompression process 104 is started to decompress the compressed data of the received data file. And step S13
Transfer the restored data file to the client,
Finally, in step S14, the archiver management list is updated to the restored state.

Of course, for a request other than the archiver creation request or the reference request, another process is executed in step S15. FIG. 37 is a flowchart of the client process in the system form of FIG. In step S1, when a file transfer command as an archiver creation request from the host 24 is determined, the process proceeds to step S2, and the file search process 106-1, 1 is executed.
06-2 is its own archiver file 34-1,3
The requested data file is extracted from 4-2 and transferred to the host 24 in step S3.

The transferred data file is stored in the host 24
Since it is returned after compression on the side, step S
4 receives the compressed data file from the host 24, and in step S5, the own archiver file 34
-1 and 34-2 store the compressed data files transferred from the host. On the other hand, when the same data transfer instruction from the host 24 as the archiver reference request is determined in step S6, the process proceeds to step S7, where the request from the archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 is made by the file search processes 106-1 and 106-2. The file data is taken out and transferred to the host 24 in step S8.

Since the compressed data file transferred to the host is re-sent after being decompressed, the decompressed data file is received from the host in step S9, and the own archiver file 34 is determined in step S10. −1, 34-2 file storage process 108−
1, 108-2. For requests other than the archiver creation request or the reference request, step S
At 11, another process is executed. 5. Other System Forms FIG. 38 shows a system form obtained by further expanding the network archiver system of the present invention shown in FIG. That is, a plurality of shared groups are formed, and archivers can be created and referred to each other.

In the extended system shown in FIG. 38, the host 24-1 and the clients 26-1 to 26-3, the host 2
4-2 and the clients 26-11 to 26-13, and the host 24-3 and the clients 26-21 to 26-23 form a shared group. The host 24-1 functioning as a central processing unit in this shared group,
Network path 2 for 24-2 and 24-3
00-12, 200-23, and 200-13 are provided so that one host can access another shared group via another host.

FIG. 39 is a functional block diagram on the host and client sides in the extended system of FIG. 38.
8 host 24-1 and clients 26-1, 26-2
Group, host 24-2 and client 26
The sharing group of -11, 26-12 is taken as an example.
These hosts 24-1 and 24-2 and client 26
Although -1, 26-2, 26-11, 26-12 physically exist on the same network 10, the setup module 1 provided in the archiver module of FIG.
Another group is constituted by the group setting of 7.

Further, as a system form, the host 24-
1, As shown on the client 26-1, 26-2 side,
The same system configuration as that of FIG. 8 is taken as an example, and the same applies to another shared group on the host 24-2 and client 26-11 and 26-12 side. FIG. 40 is a time chart of an archiver creation request in the extended system of FIG. Now, creation of a data file such as a monthly report is completed in each of the clients 26-11 and 26-12 in the shared group on the host 24-2 side in FIG. When an archiver creation request for storing data in the arranged archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 occurs, the host 24-2 recognizes the request and creates an archiver with respect to the host 24-1 of another group in step S301. Issue a data compression instruction as a request.

The host 24 receiving this data compression instruction
1 issues a compression command as an archiver creation request to the clients 26-1 and 26-2 belonging to the same group in step S1. On the other hand, the data file created on the client 26-11 or 26-12 to be compressed is transmitted to the host 24 without passing through the host 24-1.
-2, it is transferred directly from the client 26-11 to the client 26-1, and from the client 26-12 to the client 26-2.

For this reason, the clients 26-1 and 26-26
In step S101, S20 receives the compression command from the host 24-1 and the transfer of the data files from the clients 26-11 and 26-12 in another group.
1, the data file is compressed, and steps S102, S2
02, its own archiver data file 34-1,
The compressed data file is stored in 34-2.

In steps S103 and S203, the host 24-1 is notified of the end of compression. Host 24-
Upon receiving the compression end notification from the clients 26-1 and 26-2, the server 1 updates the archiver management list to the compressed state in step S2, and notifies the compression end notification to the host 24-2 of another group. Another group of hosts 24
In step S-2, the archiver management list is updated to the compressed state in step S302.

As described above, in the extended system of FIG. 39, if the group is different, an archiver of another group cannot be created directly, but the archiver creation processing can be performed in exactly the same way via each host. However, the actual data is directly transferred from another group of clients to the clients that distribute the archiver.

FIG. 41 is a time chart of the archiver reference processing in the extension system of FIG. Clients 26-11, now belonging to the group of host 24-2
At 26-12, another group of clients 26-1 and 26-2
When the operation of referring to the data files stored in the archiver files 34-1 and 34-2 in 6-2 is performed, the host 24-2 recognizes this, and in step S301, the host 24-2 issues a restoration instruction as an archiver reference request. Notify 24-1.

In response, the host 24-1 issues a restore command to the clients 26-1 and 26-2 in the same group as an archiver reference request in step S1.
The clients 26-1 and 26-2 that have received the restoration instruction
In step S101, its own archiver file 34-
1 and 34-2, the compressed data file requested is read out, and the compressed data file is decompressed by the compression decompression processes 38-1 and 38-2.
At 202, another group of clients 26 that made the request
-11, 26-12, and at the same time, transfer the restored data file to its own archiver file.
1, 34-2.

In steps S103 and S203, a restoration end notification is sent to the host 24-1. Upon receiving the restoration end notification, the host 24-1 updates the archiver management list to the restoration state in step S2. Further, a restoration end notification is sent from the host 24-1 to the host 24-2 in another group, and in step S302, the host 24-2 also updates the archiver management list to a restoration state.

Although the system form is taken as an example in the extended system of FIG. 39, the same can be applied to the system form of FIG. 24 and the system form of FIG. FIG. 42 shows another embodiment of the extended system of the network archiver system of the present invention. In the extended system of FIG. 38, different hosts are mutually connected by paths. Is provided with a general-purpose host computer 240 above the host computers 24-1, 24-2, and 24-3, and the general-purpose host computer 240 collectively manages the archiver processing of all the groups belonging to the general-purpose host computer 240. It is characterized by having done.

Therefore, the host computers 24-1 to 24-1
Each of 24-3 can reflect the archiver processing request from the client of its own group to the general host computer 240 and reflect it on the host computer of another group, and can load the host existing in each group. Can be reduced. FIG. 43 shows another embodiment of the archiver network system of the present invention. In this embodiment, a WWW server used on the Internet and WW as its search software are shown.
It is characterized by adding a W browser function to the system.

That is, in the network 10, a computer device 12-1 as an archiver process-equipped host having an archiver module installed therein for realizing the network archiver system of the present invention shown in FIG. 2, 12-3, as well as a WWW server 140, which is an Internet information source, and WWW browser-equipped clients 150-1, 15, which are search machines therefor.
0-2 and 150-3 are connected. WWW server 14
0 is connected by a dedicated line to the computer device 12-1 serving as an archiver process mounting host of the present invention,
A link module for linking the HTML on the WW side with the host client side is mounted. For this reason, the WWW server 140 is searched by the WWW browser-equipped client of each of the computer devices 150-1 to 150-3, thereby forming a shared group via the computer device 12-1 serving as the archiver process-equipped host. Reference processing can be performed on the archiver on the side of the computer devices 12-2 and 12-3 serving as the archiver process installation client.

Computer devices 150-1 to 150-3
Browser software such as NetscopeNaavigator can be used as it is as the WWW browser. On the other hand, the archiver creation process involves the transfer of a data file from the client equipped with a WWW browser, and therefore requires the same HTML data file server function as the WWW server 140.

To realize such a server function on the WWW browser side, for example, a mechanism for downloading and executing a program from a network side represented by JAVA as necessary is adopted, so that an archiver from the client side with a WWW browser is realized. Creation processing can be realized. In this case, the file cannot be input from the local machine at present due to security reasons, but this problem will be solved in the near future.

The shared data to which the network archiver system of the present invention is applied is not limited by applications such as groupware, data-based processing, transaction processing, and e-mail. The structure and use of the archiver group can be freely realized for Internet users.

The computer readable recording medium that stores the program for realizing the network archiver system of the present invention includes a removable portable storage medium such as a CD-ROM and a floppy disk, and a program provider that provides the program via a line. And a memory device such as a RAM or a hard disk of a processing device in which a program is installed. The program provided by the recording medium is loaded into the processing device and executed on the main memory.

[0126]

As described above, according to the present invention, data that could not be reused after being distributed on a network in various places can be realized as common data while maintaining the distribution of data. . In addition, in centralized management of groupware, etc., there was a limit to the use and accumulation of shared data due to the load of the network and server, but in the present invention, data compression technology was realized on the network, Regarding archiver management, by constructing a usage form that uses an insubstantial alias as archiver management information, the amount of data actually flowing on the network is reduced, the load on the network and servers is further reduced, and the shared data Since the storage amount substantially increases and the ease of use is improved, the use efficiency of the shared data can be significantly increased.

Further, regarding the arrangement of the archiver as the data compression / decompression and storage destination on the network, it is possible to construct an appropriate system form in which the centralized type and the distributed type are mixed, and the characteristics of the shared data and the shared It is possible to build a highly flexible system according to the business content using data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a computer network to which the present invention is applied;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a procedure from installation to operation of an archiver module realizing the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an archiver module used by being installed in a computer device in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a sharing group according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a system configuration according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of function concentration and function distribution for each system mode for the shared group in FIG. 8;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a system function for realizing the system form;

9 is an explanatory diagram of an initial screen of archiver management information used in the system of FIG.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list obtained by selecting creation on the initial screen of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a specification list of group formation and a system form taking a monthly report creation operation as an example;

12 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list having a hierarchical structure with link information used in a system constructed according to the specification list of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a lower catalog list linked to the catalog list of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram in which the catalog lists of FIGS. 12 and 13 are iconified.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of nesting catalogs of a plurality of groups into a catalog list

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list generated according to FIG.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a network transfer process by a socket interface used as a TCP / IP layer protocol interface in FIG. 8;

FIG. 18 is a time chart of an archiver creation process in the system configuration of FIG. 8;

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list updated after the archiver creation processing of FIG. 18 has been completed;

20 is a time chart of an archiver reference process in the system configuration of FIG. 8;

21 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list updated after the archiver reference process of FIG. 20 has been completed;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart of a host process in a system mode.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart of a client process in a system mode.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram of a system function for realizing the system form;

FIG. 25 is a time chart of an archiver creation process in the system configuration of FIG. 24;

26 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list updated after the archiver creation processing of FIG. 25 has been completed;

FIG. 27 is a time chart of an archiver reference process in the system configuration of FIG. 24;

FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list updated after the archiver reference process of FIG. 27 has been completed;

FIG. 29 is a flowchart of a host process in a system mode.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart of a client process in a system mode.

FIG. 31 is a block diagram of a system function for realizing a system form;

FIG. 32 is a time chart of an archiver creating process in the system configuration of FIG. 31;

FIG. 33 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list updated after the archiver creation processing of FIG. 31 has been completed;

FIG. 34 is a time chart of an archiver reference process in the system configuration of FIG. 31;

FIG. 35 is an explanatory diagram of a catalog list updated after the archiver reference process of FIG. 34 has been completed;

FIG. 36 is a flowchart of a host process in a system mode.

FIG. 37 is a flowchart of a client process in a system mode.

FIG. 38 is a block diagram of an extended system that connects a plurality of groups of hosts to each other to enable access beyond the groups.

FIG. 39 is a block diagram of a system function for realizing the extended system of FIG. 38;

40 is a time chart of an archiver creation process in the extension system of FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a time chart of an archiver reference process in the extension system of FIG. 39;

FIG. 42 is a block diagram of an extended system in which a plurality of groups of hosts are connected to an upper general host to enable access beyond the groups

FIG. 43 is a block diagram of a system configuration for a computer network compatible with the Internet.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Network 12-1 to 12-5: Computer Device 14-1 to 14-5: File Device 16: Archiver Module 17: Setup Module 18: Management Process Module (Archiver Management Unit) 19: Creation Process Module (Archiver Creation Unit) 20: Reference process module (archiver reference unit) 21: Compression module 22: Decompression module 24, 24-1 to 24-3: Host (centralized processing device) 25: Shared group 26, 26-1 to 26-4: Client (distributed processing device) 28: Archiver management list 30: List management process 32: TPC / IP layer protocol interface 34, 34-1 to 34-2: Archiver file (archive) 36-1, 36-2: Local file 38-1, 38-2: Compression Original process 40: Network connection status 42: Catalog menu screen 44: Title 46: Menu window 48, 50, 52: Icon 5894, 96: Catalog list 60: File name 62: Machine name 64: Directory 66: Size 68: Creation date 70: compressed state 72: specification list 74: link information 76: first layer catalog list 78: second layer catalog list 82: icon catalog list 84: first layer icon window 86: second layer icon window 100: file storage process 102-1, 102-2: Backup file 104: Compression and decompression process 106-1, 106-2: File search process 108-1, 108-2: File storage process 140: WWW server 1150-1 to 150- 3: Client with WWW browser 240: Host computer (for supervision)

Claims (19)

[Claims] 1. A sharing group for sharing data by a plurality of computer devices connected via a network is formed, and a data file created by each device is stored and used as a shared data file in an archiver existing on the network. In a network archiver system, when receiving a request for creating the archiver, an archiver creating unit that compresses data of a data file on the computer network and stores the data in the archiver, and receives a reference request for the archiver An archiver reference unit that reads a compressed data file from the archiver, restores the archived data file on the network, and stores the archived data file in the archiver, and an archiver management unit that centrally manages the archiver on the network. Identification within a sharing group The device is a centralized processing device that performs centralized processing with respect to the archiver, and the remaining devices are set as a distributed processing device that performs distributed processing with respect to the archiver, and the archiver, the archiver creation unit, and the archiver reference unit are configured as described above. A network archiver system characterized by being arranged on a centralized processing unit and a distributed processing unit and mixed on a network. 2. The network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein said archiver management unit is centrally arranged in said centralized processing unit, and a command is issued to compress or decompress a data file to said distributed processing unit. Each of the mold processing devices, the archiver creating unit,
A network archiver system, wherein an archiver reference unit and an archiver are distributed, and a data file is compressed or decompressed according to an instruction from the centralized processing device and stored. 3. The network archiver system according to claim 2, wherein the centralized processing device searches for the archiver management information when receiving an archiver creation request from itself or an arbitrary distributed processing device. A distributed processing device having an archiver storing the data file is searched for and issues a compression instruction. When the distributed processing device receives the compression instruction from the centralized processing device, the distributed data processing device Is read from its own archiver, compressed and stored, and the end of the compression is notified to the centralized processing device to update the archiver management information to a compressed state. 4. The network archiver system according to claim 2, wherein the centralized processing device searches for the archiver management information when it receives an archiver reference request from itself or an arbitrary distributed processing device. A decentralized processing device that has an archiver storing the corresponding compressed data file is searched and issues a decompression command.When the decentralized processing device receives a decompression command from the centralized processing device, A network archiver for reading out the corresponding compressed data file from its own archiver, restoring the archived data file, storing the restored data file, and notifying the centralized processing device of the end of the restoration to update the content of the archiver management information to a restored state. system. 5. The network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein the centralized processing unit has the archiver management unit and the archiver arranged centrally and instructs the distributed processing unit to compress and decompress a data file. In each of the distributed processing devices, the archiver creating unit and the archiver reference unit are distributed and arranged, and a data file is compressed or decompressed according to an instruction from the centralized processing device. A network archiver system stored in a network archiver. 6. The network archiver system according to claim 5, wherein when the centralized processing device receives an archiver creation request from itself or an arbitrary distributed processing device, the centralized processing device obtains corresponding data from the archiver management information. The distributed processing device for compressing the file is searched and a compression instruction is issued, and the corresponding data file is read from the archiver and transferred to the distributed processing device. Upon receiving a compression command, the data file transferred from the centralized processing device is compressed, transferred to the centralized processing device and stored in the archiver, and further notified to the centralized processing device of the end of compression, and the archiver is notified. A network archiver system for updating management information to a compressed state. 7. The network archiver system according to claim 6, wherein the distributed processing device transfers the compressed data file to the centralized processing device and saves it, and at the same time saves it as a backup file by itself. A network archiver system. 8. The network archiver system according to claim 5, wherein when the centralized processing device receives an archiver reference request from itself or an arbitrary distributed processing device, the centralized processing device obtains corresponding data from the archiver management information. The distributed processing device for restoring the file is searched and a decompression command is issued, and the corresponding compressed data file is read from its own archiver and transferred to the distributed processing device. When a decompression command is received from the central processing unit, the decompressed data file transferred from the centralized processing unit is decompressed, and then the decompressed data file is transferred to the centralized processing unit and stored in the archiver. The central processing unit to update the archiver management information to a restored state. Over Kaiba system. 9. The network archiver system according to claim 8, wherein the distributed processing device transfers the restored data file to the centralized processing device and saves it, and at the same time saves it as backup information by itself. A network archiver system. 10. The network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein each of said archiver management section, archiver creation section, and archiver reference section is centrally arranged in said centralized processing device to compress a data file for said archiver. And decompression are intensively processed. In each of the decentralized processing devices, the archiver is distributed, and the data file transferred from the centralized processing device is compressed, stored, restored, and transferred. Characterized network archiver system. 11. The network archiver system according to claim 10, wherein when the centralized processing device receives an archiver creation request from itself or an arbitrary distributed processing device, the centralized processing device obtains corresponding data from the archiver management information. The distributed processing device that has the archiver storing the file is searched and issues a transfer command. When the distributed processing device receives the transfer command from the centralized processing device, the distributed processing device receives the corresponding data from its own archiver. Reading the file, transferring it to the centralized processing device and compressing it, and further, the centralized processing device compresses the data file transferred from the distributed processing device, and then sends the compressed data file to the distributed processing device. A network archiver for transferring and storing the archiver management information in a compressed state. Bus system. 12. The network archiver system according to claim 10, wherein the centralized processing device has an archiver storing a corresponding compressed data file from the archiver management information when receiving the archiver reference request. The distributed processing device searches the distributed processing device and issues a transfer instruction. When the distributed processing device receives the transfer instruction from the centralized processing device, the distributed processing device reads the corresponding compressed data file from its own archiver and performs the centralized processing. After transferring the compressed data file transferred from the distributed processing device, the centralized processing device transfers the restored data file to the distributed processing device and stores the restored data file in the archiver. A network archiver system for updating archiver management information to a restored state. . 13. A network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of groups each including said centralized processing device and a plurality of distributed processing devices are provided, and said centralized processing of each group is provided. A network archiver system, wherein each of the devices requests the centralized processing device of another group to create and refer to the archiver. 14. The network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of groups each including the centralized processing device and a plurality of distributed processing devices are provided, and the centralized processing of each group is provided. A network archiver system, wherein a general centralized processing device is further arranged above a device, and a request for creation and reference of an archiver is made between a plurality of groups. 15. The network archiver system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the archiver management unit stores the archiver storage location, whether or not compression is performed, a creation date, a size, a file name, as archiver management information. A network archiver system for managing directory names, computer names, and presence / absence of a compressed state. 16. The network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein archiver management information by said archiver management unit can be transparently referred to as the same content from any computer device on said network. A network archiver system. 17. The network archiver system according to claim 1, wherein said archiver management unit creates link information as hierarchical archiver management information indicating addition of personal information to an archiver file. A network archiver system characterized by being managed by 18. The network archiver system according to claim 17, wherein said archiver management unit nests archiver management information of another group into archiver management information of each group when managing archivers of a plurality of groups. A network archiver system characterized in that it is included in and managed. 19. A network for forming a sharing group in which data is shared by a plurality of computer devices connected via a network, and storing and using a data file created by each device as a shared data file in an archiver existing on the network. In a computer-readable recording medium recording a program for constructing an archiver system, when an archiver creation request is received, an archiver creation for compressing data of a data file on the computer network and storing the data in the archiver An archiver reference unit that reads a compressed data file from the archiver when receiving a reference request for the archiver, restores the archived data file on the network, and stores the archived data file in the archiver, and concentrates the archiver on the network. A centralized processing device that performs centralized processing with respect to the archiver, and the remaining devices perform distributed processing with respect to the archiver. Recording a program for constructing a network archiver system, wherein the archiver, the archiver creation unit, and the archiver reference unit are arranged in the centralized processing device and the distributed processing device and mixed on a network. Computer readable recording medium.