Patent ID: 8010647
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A relay server which is connected to a LAN and which can communicate via a WAN with at least one different relay server connected to a different LAN, the relay server comprising: an account information registering unit that stores information on client terminals connected to the LAN to which the relay server is connected; a relay group information registering unit that stores relay group information including information on a group of relay servers which includes the relay server and at least one different relay server and permits accesses to each other, and logon status information on client terminals connected to the relay servers via a LAN; a relay group relay information sharing unit that shares the relay group information with the group of relay servers permitting accesses to each other; a shared resource information registering unit that stores shared resource information including the names of files or folders which are resources, information on owner client terminals which are client terminals capable of operating an entity of the resources, state information indicating statuses of the resources, and information on resource sharing client terminals which are client terminals sharing the resources; and a shared resource information sharing unit that shares the shared resource information with the resource sharing client terminals and relay servers in which the resource sharing client terminals are in logon status; wherein the relay group information sharing unit includes a relay group information notifying unit; when checking whether or not client terminals stored in the account information registering unit are in logon status and checking that a client terminal is changed in logon status, the relay group information notifying unit updates the relay group information and transmits a change notification of the relay group information to the group of relay servers permitting accesses to each other; the shared resource information sharing unit includes a shared resource information notifying unit; and when receiving a change notification of relay group information or updating the relay group information under a state in which client terminals being changed in logon status are owner client terminals of the shared resource information, the shared resource information notifying unit updates the shared resource information and transmits a change notification of the shared resource information to the resource sharing client terminals.