SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SYNCHRONIZING FILE INDEXES REMOTELY

Abstract

An exemplary method for synchronizing file indexes remotely is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: identifying files that were newly created, modified, or deleted within a time range; reading the modified status of each of the files; parsing data from each of the files that are either of the newly created files or the modified files to create new info files; signaling each of the index servers to create new file indexes corresponding to the new info files; replacing file indexes of the files that are the modified status with the new file indexes of the files in a files indexes list; merging the new file indexes of the files that are the new status into the files indexes list; and removing file indexes of the files that are the deleted status from the files indexes list. A related system is also disclosed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration of a system for synchronizing file indexes remotely in accordance with a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a file info table in the synchronization server of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a file history table in the synchronization server of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of main function modules of the synchronization server of the system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a preferred method for synchronizing file indexes remotely by utilizing the system of FIG. 1.

Claims

1. A system for synchronizing file indexes remotely, the system comprising a database with various files stored therein, a plurality of index servers with the same information, and a synchronization server configured between the database and the index servers, the synchronization server comprising: a parameter setting module configured for setting parameters in a parameter configuration file of the synchronization server;a file select module configured for identifying files that were newly created, modified, or deleted within a time range from a file history table of the database;a file status reader module configured for reading the modified status of each of the files from the file history table, thus, detecting if each of the files is either of the newly created file, the modified file, or the deleted file;a parser module configured for parsing data from each of the files that are either of the newly created files or the modified files to create new information files that are in a predetermined format;a creating module configured for signaling each of the index servers to create new file indexes corresponding to the new information files; anda synchronizing module configured for signaling each of the index servers to replace file indexes of the files that are the modified status with the new file indexes of the files in a files indexes list of each of the index servers, merge the new file indexes of the files that are the new status into the files indexes list of each of the index servers, and remove file indexes of the files that are the deleted status from the files indexes list of each of the index servers.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined format is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file format.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter configuration file stores the parameters that comprise a last index update time, an index update schedule, and a data path of all info files in the synchronization server.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the time range is derived according to the last index update time and the index update schedule.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the file history table is configured for recording history data of each of the files in the database that are newly created, modified or deleted within the time range.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the file history table contains three fields that are a history identifier field, a modify status field and a last modified date-time field.

7. A computer-based method for synchronizing file indexes remotely, the method comprising the steps of: proving a database with various files stored therein, a plurality of index servers with the same information, and a synchronization server configured between the database and the index servers;setting parameters in a parameter configuration file of the synchronization server;identifying files that were newly created, modified, or deleted within a time range from a file history table of the database;reading the modify status of each of the files from the file history table, thus, detecting if each of the files is either of the newly created file, the modified file, or the deleted file;parsing data from each of the files that are either of the newly created files or the modified files to create new information files that are in a predetermined format;signaling each of the index servers to create new file indexes corresponding to the new information files;signaling each of the index servers to replace file indexes of the files that are the modified status with the new file indexes of the files in a files indexes list of each of the index servers;signaling each of the index servers to merge the new file indexes of the files that are the new status into the files indexes list of each of the index servers; andsignaling each of the index servers to remove file indexes of the files that are the deleted status from the files indexes list of each of the index servers.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the predetermined format is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file format.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein the parameter configuration file stores the parameters that may include a last index update time, an index update schedule, and a data path of all info files in the synchronization server.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the time range is derived according to the last index update time and the index update schedule.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the file history table is configured for recording history data of each of the files that are newly created, modified or deleted within the time range.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the file history table contains three fields that are a history identifier field, a modify status field and a last modified date-time field.