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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. In a data library system for controlling user access to a library of
images, an image being a data representation of a document or a portion of
a document, the system including at least one processor coupled to a
client store, a library server coupled to an access control store, a
library storage resource to hold the library of images, and one or more
image servers coupled to the library storage resource for storage or
retrieval of images, a method for transferring an image between a client
process executing on the processor and the library storage resource,
the library server maintaining in the access control store means for
authenticating user identities and a catalog of the images stored in the
library storage resource, the catalog containing entries each identifying
an image and an associated image server controlling the library storage
resource storing the image,
the data library system further including a message-passing communication
facility connecting the processor, the library server, and the image
servers for message-based communication, and
the library storage resource further including means for validating the
access control store authority associated with the library server,
the method including the steps of:
the processor providing a first message from the client process to the
library server, the first message including a new authenticating token, an
associated request for transferring a requested image between the client
process and the library and a name of an associated image port at the
processor through which the requested image is to be transferred; in
response to receipt by the library server of the first message,
the library server using the authenticating means in the access control
store to verify the new authenticating token,
the library server using the catalog in the access control store to
identify an associated image server with access to a library storage
resource for storing the requested image, and
the library server providing a second message from the library server to
the associated image server, the second message including an image copy
identifier unique to this request, a command for setting up transfer of
the requested image between the client process and the library storage
resource, and the name of the associated image port; in response to
receipt by the associated image server of the second message,
the associated image server using the validating means in the library
storage resource and the unique image copy identifier to verify the
authority of the library server to control the requested image, and
the associated image server providing through the associated image port a
third message to the processor for the client process including a command
for transferring the requested image between the client process and the
library storage resource through the associated image port; and in
response to receipt by the processor of the third message,
the processor and the associated image server transferring the requested
image between the associated image port and the library storage resource
under control of the associated image server.
2. The method of claim 1, further including:
the processor generating and retaining in the client store the new
authenticating token for the client process before providing the first,
second, and third messages;
the processor, the library server, and the associated image server
including a copy of the new authenticating token in the first, second, and
third messages, respectively;
the processor comparing the copy of the new authenticating token in the
third message with the new authenticating token retained at the processor
in the client store before the transferring step; and
the processor continuing execution of the transferring step if the copy of
the new authenticating token in the third message matches the new
authenticating token retained in the client store; otherwise,
the processor, the library server, and the associated image server
terminating the method without transferring the requested image.
3. The method of claim 1, further including:
the processor generating and retaining in the client store the new
authenticating token for the client process before providing the first,
second, and third messages;
the processor, the library server, and the associated image server
including a copy of the new authenticating token in the first, second, and
third messages, respectively, and the associated image server retaining in
the library storage resource a copy of the new authenticating token sent
in the third message;
the step of transferring including the processor sending from the client
process to the associated image server a fourth message including the
requested image and a copy of the new authenticating token retained in the
client store;
the associated image server comparing the copy of the new authenticating
token in the fourth message with the copy of the new authenticating token
retained in the library storage resource; and
the associated image server storing the requested image in a library
storage resource controlled by the associated image server if the copy of
the new authenticating token in the fourth message matches the copy of the
new authenticating token retained in the library storage resource;
otherwise,
the processor, the library server, and the associated image server
terminating the method without storing the requested image.
4. The method of claim 1, further including:
the processor generating and retaining in the client store the new
authenticating token for the client process before providing the first,
second, and third messages;
the processor and the library server including a copy of the new
authenticating token in the first and second messages, respectively;
in the step of the associated image server providing the third message, the
associated image server including in the third message a copy of the new
authenticating token received in the second message and retrieving a copy
of the requested image from the library storage resource;
the processor comparing the copy of the new authenticating token in the
third message with the new authenticating token retained in the client
store; and
the processor and the associated image server completing the transferring
step by the processor receiving the copy of the requested image through
the associated image port and retaining the copy of the requested image
for the client process if the copy of the new authenticating token in the
third message matches the new authenticating token retained in the client
store; otherwise,
the processor, the library server, and the associated image server
terminating the method without the processor receiving the copy of the
requested image.
5. The method of claim 1, further including:
the processor sending a fourth message from the client process to the
associated image server confirming completion of the transferring step;
the associated image server sending a fifth message to the library server
confirming completion of the transferring step;
the library server recording in the access control store catalog a result
of the transferring step; and
the library server sending a sixth message to the processor for the client
process confirming completion of the transferring step.
6. In a data library system for controlling user access to a library of
images, an image being a data representation of a document or a portion of
a document, the system including a library server coupled to an access
control store, a library storage resource for holding the library of
images and one or more image servers coupled to the library storage
resource for storage or retrieval of images, a method for removing images
from the library,
the library server maintaining in the access control store means for
authenticating user identities and a library catalog of the images stored
in the library storage resource, each image in the library being
represented by an associated library catalog entry identifying the library
storage location for the image and the identification of an associated
image server controlling the library resource containing the image storage
location,
each image server maintaining a server catalog of images stored in the
library storage resource under control of the associated image server,
each image stored in the library storage resource being represented by an
associated server catalog entry,
the library storage resource further including means for validating the
access control store authority associated with the library server, and
the library system including a processor coupled to a client store for
executing a client process and a message communication facility connecting
the processor, the library server, and the image servers for message-based
communication,
the method including the steps of:
the processor providing a first message to the library server including a
new authentication token and an associated request from the client process
for deletion of a subject image from the library storage resource;
the library server, in response to the first message, using the
authenticating means in the access control store to verify the new
authenticating token, deleting the subject image entry from the library
catalog in the access control store and enqueuing the deletion request
with any other such deletion requests;
the processor sending a second message from the client process to the
library server including a request for commitment of any enqueued deletion
requests;
the library server, in response to the second message, committing library
catalog changes in the access control store including deletion of the
subject library catalog entry and providing to an associated image server
controlling the library storage resource in which the requested image is
stored a third message including a request for deletion from the library
storage resource of the subject image; and
the associated image server, in response to the third message, using the
validating means in the library storage resource to verify the authority
of the library server to control the requested image and deleting the
subject image from the library storage resource.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the library server deleting step includes
the library server removing from the library storage resource the
associated server catalog entry corresponding to the location where the
requested image is stored in the library storage resource.
8. In a data library system for controlling user access to a library of
images, an image being a data representation of a document or a portion of
a document, the system including a library server coupled to an access
control store, a library storage resource to hold the library of images
and one or more image servers coupled to the library storage resource for
storage or retrieval of those images, a method for replacing images in the
library,
the library server maintaining in the access control store means for
authenticating user identities and a library catalog of the images stored
in the library storage resource, each image in the library being
represented by a respective library catalog entry identifying an image
storage location in the library storage resource, identifying an image
identifier (ID) unique to the image and including the identification of an
associated image server controlling the library storage resource
containing the image storage location,
each image server maintaining in the storage resource a server catalog of
the images stored in the library storage resource under control of the
image server, each image stored in the library storage resource being
represented by a respective server catalog entry identifying the image
storage location in the library storage resource,
the library system including a processor coupled to a client store for
executing a client process and a message communication facility connecting
the processor, the library server, and the image servers for message-based
communication,
the method including the steps of:
the processor sending a first message to the library server, the first
message including a new authentication token, an associated request from
the client process for deletion of a first image from the library and a
first image identifier ID unique to the first image and indexed to an
entry in the library catalog;
the processor sending a second message to the library server, the second
message including a request from the client process for storage of a
second image to replace the first image and the first image identifier ID,
where the second message follows the first message;
the library server using the authenticating means in the access control
store to verify the new authenticating token;
the library server generating in response to receipt of the second message
a library catalog entry for the second image indexed to the first image
identifier ID;
the library server sending a third message to an associated image server
controlling the library storage resource where the first image is stored,
the third message including a request for storing the second image;
the processor providing the second image from the client process to the
associated image server;
the associated image server using the validating means in the library
storage resource to verify the authority of the library server to control
the first image; and
the associated image server overwriting the first image with the second
image.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein:
the generating step includes the step of the library server creating a
second image identifier ID', and;
the third message includes a request to store the second image at a library
storage resource location indexed to the second image identifier ID' in
the server catalog of the associated image server;
the library server generating and retaining in the access control store an
aliasing relation IDID' that indexes the first image identifier ID to the
library storage resource location of the second image, the aliasing
relation mapping to the second image all access requests to the first
image received before the overwriting step; and
the overwriting step including the steps of
the processor providing a message from the client process to the library
server for commitment of deletion of the first image and storage of the
second image,
the library server providing a message to the image server requesting that
the first image be overwritten by the second image,
the associated image server overwriting the first image with the second
image,
the associated image server changing from the first image identifier ID to
the second image identifier ID' the index to the library storage resource
location of the second image, and
the library server deleting from the access control store the aliasing
relation IDID'.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the first image identifier ID is a
multi-byte data object comprising:
a first portion including ten bytes of information, the first and ninth
bytes including representations of respective characters randomly selected
from a first character set and the remaining eight bytes including
representations of respective characters randomly selected from a second
character set; and
a second portion appended to the first portion and including a multi-byte
representation of an elapsed time.
11. In a data library system for controlling client process access to a
library of images, an image being a data representation of a document, the
system including a library server, a library storage resource to hold the
library of images, and one or more image servers coupled to the library
storage resource for storage or retrieval of images, a method for
replacing images in the library,
the library server maintaining in an access control store means for
authenticating client process identities and a library catalog of the
images stored in the library storage resource, each image in the library
being represented by an associated library catalog entry identifying for
the storage location for the image and the identification of an associated
image server controlling the library storage resource containing the
library storage location,
each image server maintaining a server catalog of images stored in the
library storage resource under control of the associated image server,
each image stored in the library storage resource being represented by an
associated server catalog entry that identifies the image storage location
in the library storage resource,
the library storage resource further including means for validating the
access control store authority associated with the library server, and
the library system including a processor coupled to a client store for
executing a client process and a message communication facility connecting
the processor, the library server, and the image servers for message-based
communications,
the method including the steps of:
the processor sending a first message from the client process to the
library server, the first message including a new authentication token and
a request for deletion of a first image from the library storage resource
and further including a first image identifier ID unique to the first
image and indexed to the image library catalog entry;
the processor sending a second message from the client process to the
library server, the second message including a request for storage of a
second image to replace the first image and further including the first
image identifier ID, where the second message follows the first message;
the library server generating a second image identifier ID' unique to the
storage request;
the library server sending a third message to an associated image server
controlling the library storage resource where the first image is stored,
the third message including a request for storing the second image at a
library storage resource location indexed by the second image identifier
ID';
the associated image server in response to the third message using the
validating means in the library storage resource to verify the authority
of the library server to control the second image;
the associated image server storing the second image in a library storage
resource controlled by the associated image server at a storage location
indexed by the second image identifier ID';
the library server generating an aliasing relation IDID' and storing the
aliasing relation in a set of aliasing relations in response to storage of
the second image;
the library server setting an alias flag bit in the library catalog entry
corresponding to the first image identifier ID, the alias flag bit
operating to direct all subsequent requests for access to the first image
to the library storage resource location indexed by the second image
identifier ID';
the processor providing a fourth message from the client process to the
library server including a request for commitment of first image deletion
and second image storage;
the library server providing a fifth message to the associated image server
in response to receipt of the fourth message, the fifth message including
a request that the first image be overwritten by the second image;
the associated image server overwriting the first image with the second
image by changing the second image storage location index from the second
image identifier ID' to the first image identifier ID; and
the library server deleting the aliasing relation IDID' from the set of
aliasing relations and resetting the aliasing flag in the library catalog
entry indexed by the first image identifier ID.
12. In a data library system for storing a library of images, an image
being a data representation of an information object, the data library
system including
a library server coupled to an access control store for controlling access
to the library of images,
a library storage resource to hold the library of images,
one or more image servers coupled to the library storage resource for
storage or retrieval of images,
one or more processors each coupled to a client store for executing one or
more client processes, and
a message-passing communication facility connecting the library server, the
image servers, and the one or more processors for message-based
communications,
a method for managing library service request messages comprising the steps
of:
the one or more processors providing a sequence of messages from one or
more client processes to the library server, each message including at
least one library service request directed to an image server, each
library service request specifying access to an image;
the library server authenticating the identity of the originating client
process for each library service request and responsively accumulating
from the sequence of messages a plurality of equivalent library service
orders directed to an associated image server; and
the library server sending the accumulated plurality of equivalent library
service orders to the associated image server in a single message.
13. In a data library system for storing a library of images, an image
being a data representation of an information object, the data library
system including
a library server coupled to an access control store for controlling access
to the library of images,
a library storage resource to hold the library of images,
one or more processors each coupled to a client store for executing one or
more client processes,
one or more image servers coupled to the library storage resource for
storage or retrieval of images, and
a message-passing communication facility connecting the library server, the
image servers, and the one or more processors for message based
communications,
a method for managing library service request messages comprising the steps
of:
the one or more processors providing library service orders to the library
server;
the library server authenticating the identity of the originating client
process for each library service order and responsively providing to the
image servers messages that each include at least one authenticated
library service order for access to an image; and
an associated image server receiving a plurality of authenticated library
service orders,
validating the library server authority to issue authenticated library
service orders,
generating responses to the authenticated and validated library service
orders,
accumulating responses to authenticated and validated library service
orders, and
sending to the library server the accumulated responses in a single
message.
14. In a data library system for storing a library of images, an image
being a data representation of an information object, the data library
system including
a library server coupled to an access control store containing a plurality
of library catalog entries for controlling access to the library of
images,
a library storage resource to hold the library of images,
one or more processors each coupled to a client store for executing one or
more client processes,
one or more image servers coupled to the library storage resource for
storage or retrieval of images, and
a message-passing communication facility connecting the library server, the
image servers, and the one or more processors for message based
communications,
a method for managing requests to discard images from the library
comprising the steps of:
the one or more processors sending to the library server one or more
messages including library service orders for discarding images from the
library;
the library server deleting from the access control store the library
catalog entry for an associated image in response to each library service
order to discard the associated image;
the library server enqueuing the library service discard order with other
discard orders;
a processor sending a COMMIT order from a client process to the library
server for commitment of library service discard orders enqueued for the
client process; and
the library server committing the library catalog entry deletions for the
enqueued discard orders in response to the COMMIT order, thereby
effectively discarding the associated images from the library storage
resource.
15. In a data library system for controlling user access to a library of
images, an image being a data representation of a document or a portion of
a document, the system including one or more processors each coupled to a
client store for executing one or more client processes, a library server
coupled to an access control store, a library storage resource to hold the
library of images, and one or more image servers coupled to the library
storage resource for storage or retrieval of images, a method for moving
an image between a client process and the library storage resource,
the library server maintaining in the access control store a catalog of the
images stored in the library storage resource, the catalog containing
entries each identifying an image and an associated image server
controlling the library storage resource for storing the image,
the data library system further including a communication facility
connecting the one or more processors, the library server, and the image
servers for communication, and
the library storage resource further including means for validating the
access control store authority associated with the library server,
the method including the steps of:
a processor providing a first communication to the library server, the
first communication including a new authenticating token, an associated
request for transferring a requested image between a client process and
the library storage resource and a name of an associated image port at the
processor through which the requested image is to be transferred; in
response to receipt by the library server of the first communication,
the library server using the authenticating means in the access control
store to verify the new authenticating token,
the library server using the catalog in the access control store to
identify an associated image server with access to a library storage
resource for storing the requested image, and
the library server providing a second communication to the associated image
server for setting up transfer of the image between the processor and the
library storage resource, the second communication including an image copy
identifier unique to this request and the name of the associated image
port; in response to receipt by the associated image server of the second
communication,
the associated image server using the validating means in the library
storage resource to verify the authority of the library server to control
the requested image, and
the associated image server providing a third c | | |
