Patent ID: 6418456
Filing Date: 2002-07-09
Classification: G06F,H04N,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for managing files in a network system, comprising:detecting an update to a file maintained in a storage unit, wherein at least one network device maintains a copy of the file to update that is a previous version of the file to update maintained at the storage unit; in response to detecting the update to the file in the storage unit, performing: (i) processing a data structure indicating network devices that include previous versions of the file; (ii) determining, from processing the data structure, the network devices that include at least one previous version of the file; and (iii) transmitting a message to the network devices that include at least one previous version of the file wherein the message to modify the previous version of the file comprises a request to delete the previous version of the file, wherein after the deletion, tie previous version of the file is not available at the network devices receiving the message.