Patent ID: 7277896
Filing Date: 2007-10-02
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A file sharing system comprising a file server and a management server, and allowing a plurality of clients connected to the system via a network to make use of peer to peer (P2P) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in any of the clients and client/server (C/S) type file sharing in which shared files are stored in said file server, wherein said file server has means for notifying said management server of a C/S type shared file registration made by one of said clients, and said management server has a management table including an entry for each shared file, the entry indicating correspondence of at least file identifier, sharing type, and shared file location information, and means for managing the sharing type and file location information of a new shared file in said management table according to a shared file registration notification received from one of said clients or said file server, and means for sending the file location information retrieved from said management table back to a requester client in response to a shared file access request from the requester client, wherein when a P2P type shared file stored in said requester client has been uploaded to said file server and changed to a C/S type shared file, said management server changes in said management table the sharing type corresponding to the identifier of the file from P2P type to C/S type in response to a shifted file registration complete notification issued from said file server.