Programs in a plurality of processors connected through a common network are started when a plurality of data necessary for starting the program are received from the network. When the processor receives data from an external equipment, it adds the event number to the data and sends it to the network, and each processor determines whether all data necessary for starting the program in itself have been received and checks the relation among the received data by comparison with the event numbers of the received data.

An information filing apparatus including two keyword input units, storage for image information, keyword data and retrieval information, a display, an image information retrieval unit and an image information output unit. The image information retrieval unit retrieves image information from the image information storage based on a keyword inputted from one of the two keyword units and on information stored in the retrieval information storage. The image information output unit reads out the retrieved information and displays it on the display. One of the keyword input units is independent of the display and is used for inputting keywords. The other keyword unit enables input of a keyword selected from a displayed keyword list.

A method and system are provided for updating the software used in remote computer systems from a central computer system. The method includes storing in the central computer system, copies of the software executable used in each remote computer system. When the copies of the software in the central computer system are upgraded, for example, to correct the software, to add new facilities, to change user interfaces, to make cosmetic changes, to improve performance, etc., each change made to the software is monitored and stored. The remote computer systems are permitted access to the central computer system via communication links and the software in the remote computer systems and the corresponding software in the central computer system are compared. All of the changes that have been made to the software at the central computer system which have not been made to the corresponding software at the remote computer system accessing the central computer are detected. The detected changes are then transmitted to the remote computer system and applied to the software therein in order to upgrade the software in the remote computer system. The upgraded software in the remote computer system is examined to ensure that the software has been changed correctly. The method allows the software at the remote computer systems to be upgraded even while the software at the remote site is being used. The system and method also allow the software used in the remote computer systems to be upgraded when the remote computer systems use different versions of the software and allow the software to be upgraded in a variety of hardware environments and operating systems.

According to the present invention, a file recovery system is provided in which the commands for recovering files such as a historical file are unnecessitated and the recovery system configuration is independent of the host processing system. That is, since the equipment for achieving a file recovery does not have information about the location of the recovery data, information about the content of a file to be recovered is transmitted to a transmission line. The other equipments asynchronously receive the information and judges whether or not a file containing the same content exists in the own system. If its file exists, the content of the file is transmitted to the transmission line. The equipment achieving the file recovery asynchronously receives from the transmission line the file data of files such as a historical file and establishes data consistency by use of the buffered current data and the event number, thereby recovering files such as a historical file.

Method for marking a document with action markers and specifying an action to be performed by a responding end user. One or more related documents may be specified which are associated with the action to be performed. Notification criteria, notify ID and a status, which are associated with the action to be performed, are also specified. Upon the completion of the action specified, the responding end user updates the status and a message is automatically generated and transmitted to a end associated with the notify ID if the updated status meets the notification criteria. Moreover, the responding end user may, as a part of the review of the document, specify a related document which is associated with the review of the document as marked with the action markers.