Method to simplify the check-in of checked-out files in an ecm system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016132525-A1
Application number	US-201414536454-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for managing a file stored in an enterprise content management (ECM) repository. In response to a check-out request from a client machine for a file stored in the ECM repository, a management application for an ECM system identifies ECM-related metadata associated with the file. The management application stores the ECM-related metadata into the file (or an associated file) prior to sending the file to the client. At check-in for the file, the management application identifies the location of the corresponding file in the ECM repository using the metadata previously stored in the file sent to the client.

First claim

1 .- 7 . (canceled)

8 . A system, comprising:
a processor; and a memory storing a program, which, when executed on the processor, performs an operation, the operation comprising:
receiving a request to check-out a file stored in an ECM content repository,
storing, in the file, metadata identifying a location of the file in the ECM content repository,
sending the file to a requesting client, and
designating the file as checked-out from the ECM content repository.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operation further comprises:
receiving a request to check-in the file to the ECM content repository, wherein the request includes the file having the embedded metadata; identifying the location of the first file in the ECM content repository from the metadata; and checking-in the file to the ECM content repository.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein checking-in the file comprises:
identifying one or more modifications made to the file; updating the file stored in the ECM content repository based on the one or more modifications; and designating the file as checked-in to the ECM content repository.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the metadata includes at least one of an identifier, version number, and the location of the file in the ECM content repository.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein embedding the metadata into the file comprises:
determining a file format of the file; upon determining that the file format supports arbitrary metadata, storing the metadata into a metadata field of the file.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein embedding the metadata into the file further comprises:
upon determining that the file format does not support arbitrary metadata but includes existing modifiable metadata fields, storing the metadata into one of the existing modifiable metadata fields of the file.

14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein embedding the metadata into the file further comprises:
upon determining that the file format does not support arbitrary metadata and does not include existing modifiable metadata fields, storing the metadata in a file system fork associated with the file.

15 . A computer program product, comprising:
a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising: receiving, via a processor, a request to check-out a file stored in an ECM content repository, storing, in the file, metadata identifying a location of the file in the ECM content repository, sending the file to a requesting client, and designating the file as checked-out from the ECM content repository.

16 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the operation further comprises:
receiving a request to check-in the file to the ECM content repository, wherein the request includes the file having the embedded metadata; identifying the location of the first file in the ECM content repository from the metadata; and
checking-in the file to the ECM content repository.

17 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein checking-in the file comprises:
identifying one or more modifications made to the file; updating the file stored in the ECM content repository based on the one or more modifications; and designating the file as checked-in to the ECM content repository.

18 . The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein embedding the metadata into the file comprises:
determining a file format of the file; upon determining that the file format supports arbitrary metadata, storing the metadata into a metadata field of the file.

19 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein embedding the metadata into the file further comprises:
upon determining that the file format does not support arbitrary metadata but includes existing modifiable metadata fields, storing the metadata into one of the existing modifiable metadata fields of the file.

20 . The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein embedding the metadata into the file further comprises:
upon determining that the file format does not support arbitrary metadata and does not include existing modifiable metadata fields, storing the metadata in a file system fork associated with the file.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Avery Kenytt D
• Bader Edward L
• Costecalde Jean-Marc
• Gatewood Patricia V

Classifications

• G06F16/13 Primary

  File access structures, e.g. distributed indices (arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06) · CPC title

• G06F16/183

  Provision of network file services by network file servers, e.g. by using NFS, CIFS (network file access protocols H04L67/1097) · CPC title

• G06F16/148

  File search processing · CPC title

• G06F16/1774

  Locking methods, e.g. locking methods for file systems allowing shared and concurrent access to files · CPC title

• G06F16/116

  Details of conversion of file system types or formats · CPC title