Patent ID: 6965924
Filing Date: 2005-11-15
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for transparent file proxying, the method comprising: coupling a plurality of computing devices to a local area network, each of said plurality of computing devices including a local memory element containing a plurality of files, at least one of said plurality of computing device coupled to a wide area network; coupling a remote memory element to said wide area network, said remote memory element configured to maintain a copy of the first file selected from said plurality of files contained in the local memory elements of said plurality of computing devices; said at least one of said plurality of computing devices to a wide area communication network; coupling a remote computing device to said remote memory element; intercepting, in said remote memory element, an Internet Protocol (IP) communication message from said remote computing device, said IP communication message corresponding to a request from a first user to access a requested file; and providing information corresponding to said copy of said first file to said remote computing device from said remote memory element without said IP communication message traversing said wide area communication network and said local area network if the first user is authorized to access said requested file and if said requested file corresponds to said first file; wherein, if the first user is authorized access, said remote memory element updates said copy of said first file in response to receiving information corresponding to a modification of said first file from said remote computing device; and wherein, after the remote memory element updates said copy of said first file, said remote memory device causes said first file to be updated.