Patent ID: 7284041

Claim:
A gateway apparatus coupled to a client computer and a file server via a network comprising: a first interface, coupled to the client computer via the network, which receives a first type file access request from the client computer based on a first type protocol; a second interface, coupled to the file server via the network, which outputs a second type file access request to the file server based on a second type protocol, the second type protocol being used between the file server and a second client computer which is adapted to use the second type protocol; a processing unit coupled to the first interface and the second interface; and a memory coupled to the processing unit, wherein the first type file access request specifies a path name indicating a directory including a file to be accessed and a file name indicating the file, the file name being a first type of unique identifier in the directory, wherein the second type file access request specifies a file ID which is a second type of unique identifier in the file server and indicates the file, the file ID being used between the file server and the second client computer for accessing the file, wherein the memory stores information of a correspondence between a set of path name and file name of the first type protocol and file ID of the second type protocol, wherein, when the first interface receives a first command of the first type file access request from the client computer, the first command specifies a first set of a first path name and a first file name related to a first file, the processing unit sends a second command of the second type file access request to the file server via the second interface, the second command indicates the file server to create a second file which includes update data of the first file and which is assigned to a second file ID of the second type protocol in the file server if the first file already exists in the file server and is assigned to a first file ID, which is different from the second file ID, and wherein the processing unit recognizes a completion of updating of the first file indicated by the first command of the first type file access request if contents of the first file are not updated within a predetermined period of time.