JP4329319B2 - File management system and file management method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a file management system, and more particularly to effective management and display of files managed by a file management server.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When sharing a document managed in a file format with multiple users, it is common to centrally manage the document by installing a document management server in order to efficiently use the shared document. . In order to allow a third party to use a centrally managed document, the document database is generally installed in a web server and accessed by a third party. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the overall configuration of a conventional document management system. FIG. 5 shows a provider client 50 used by a document provider, a user client 52 used by a user of a document provided by the document provider, a document management server 54 for centrally managing documents provided by the document provider, and A document publishing server 56 that publishes a document provided by a document provider to a user is shown.
[0003]
In the above configuration, the document provider registers the document created by itself in the document database 58 of the document management server 54. In the following description, a document managed by the document management server 54 is also referred to as an original document.
[0004]
Of the documents managed by the document management server 54, a document that may be disclosed to a third party is copied to the document database 60 of the document publication server 56. If all the created documents may be disclosed, it is not necessary to separate the document management server 54 and the document disclosure server 56. In the following description, if a document managed by the document publishing server 56 is also referred to as a browsed document, the document publishing server 56 will determine a user client 52 that is determined in advance when a browsed document is newly registered. Distribute to Alternatively, the user copies the browse document to be referred to from the document publishing server 56 by copying it to the user client 52, and browses the duplicate document displayed on the screen.
[0005]
By the way, some documents, such as specifications, create new documents by adding and correcting the created documents, and stack the newly created documents as new versions. is there. When such a revision is made, the document provider takes out and edits the document (for example, the first version) registered in the original document database 58, and edits the edited document as a new version (for example, the second version). Register in the document database 58. In this way, a new version is created for the same document. The document management server 54 performs version management of each document by associating each version with respect to the same document. Since the document provider should normally copy the original document to the document publishing server 56 if the document provider is allowed to publish, the browsing document acquired by the user from the document publishing server 56 is the latest version.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the conventional document management system, the document copied to the user client is not subject to version management. For this reason, even if the document acquired by the user to the user client is the latest version at the time of acquisition, there is no guarantee that the document will be the latest version when it is reused over time. Therefore, when a document user uses a duplicate document again, he or she must be aware of whether the version of the document is still the latest version. It may be possible to avoid such a situation by copying the document from the document publishing server each time it is used, or inquiring whether the copied document is the latest version. The operation was not preferable for operation and was troublesome.
[0007]
In particular, when revisions are repeated, multiple versions exist for the same document. However, when only one version of a document to be displayed is displayed, that version is the latest version as described above. I can't check if it exists. On the other hand, if all the versions of the document to be displayed are displayed, it can be confirmed whether or not it is the latest version, but information on unnecessary old versions is acquired and displayed.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to make the user aware of the revision of the file when the user copies and uses the version management target file. An object is to provide a file management system and a file management method that can be used.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a file management system according to the present invention includes a file management server that manages a version-managed file, a provider client that is used by a file provider, and the provision of the provider Newly created file in a file management system having a user client used by a user who uses the file Identifying information And its revised file Is associated with multiple files using an index that contains information identifying Storage means for storing virtual binders and files provided by file providers ,in front In the registration means for registering in the virtual binder, and in the provider client, in the virtual binder Associated While allowing a plurality of files to be treated as different files, the user client can make the virtual binder Associated For multiple files, a means to display only the latest version of the file, When the revised file is registered as the latest version in the virtual binder, the latest version delivery processing means for delivering the revised file to the user client using the old version file; It is characterized by having.
[0015]
Further, the file management method according to the present invention is a file management method for centrally managing files that are version-managed by providing a file management server. Identifying information And its revised file Is associated with multiple files using an index that contains information identifying Create a virtual binder and use the file provided by the file provider ,in front Register with the virtual binder, and the file provider Associated While allowing multiple files to be treated as different files, the file Associated For multiple files, only the latest version is displayed. When a revised file is registered as the latest version in the virtual binder, the revised file is distributed to users of the old version of the file. It is characterized by that.
[0021]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a case where the file management system according to the present invention is applied to a document management system that centrally manages document files will be described as an example.
[0022]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a document management system according to this embodiment. The document management system according to the present embodiment includes a document management server 10 that centrally manages documents managed by the system, one or more provider clients 20, and user clients 30. It has the structure connected by. In FIG. 1, one client 20 and 30 is shown for convenience. The document management server 10 can be realized by a general-purpose server computer in terms of hardware. The provider client 20 is used by a user (document provider) who creates a document and revises the created document. The user client 30 is used by a user (document user) who uses a document created or revised by a document provider for reference, printing or the like. Each client 20 and 30 can be realized by a general-purpose personal computer (PC) in terms of hardware. In the present embodiment, for convenience, the clients constituting the system are illustrated and described separately for the client 20 used by the document provider and the client 30 used by the document user. Since it becomes a user of a document created by itself and a user of a document created by another user, one PC can be both a provider client 20 and a user client 30.
[0023]
The provider client 20 includes a new registration processing unit 21, a revision registration processing unit 22, and an original document database 23. The new registration processing unit 21 newly creates a document to be managed by this system and registers it in the original document database 23. If the document can be viewed by a third party, it is also registered in the document management server 10. The revision registration processing unit 22 takes out the created document from the original document database 23 and edits it to revise the document. Then, the revised document is registered in the original document database 23. If the document can be viewed by a third party, it is also registered in the document management server 10 as the latest version. The new registration processing unit 21 and the revision registration processing unit 22 give document identification information (document ID) to each version created by new or revision. In the present embodiment, the description will be made on the assumption that the document created by the user is stored in the disk device (original document database 23) mounted on the provider client 30 used by the client. You may make it preserve | save in other storage means, such as a shared disk apparatus and a database server.
[0024]
The user client 30 includes a display processing unit 31, a document acquisition processing unit 32, and a document storage unit 33. The display processing unit 31 displays a document whose version is managed by the document management server 10. “Display document” here means not display of the content of the document itself, but display of the document name, document attributes, and the like realized by the file operation software, and display with icons. In the following description, “document” is displayed when the document name is displayed, and “document content” is displayed when the document content is displayed by an editor or the like. The document acquisition processing unit 32 takes out a document corresponding to the version designated by the user from the document management server 10 and stores the document in the document storage unit 33. A document user normally uses the latest version, and unless otherwise specified, obtains the latest version. The document user uses the duplicate document stored in the document storage unit 33 when using the document.
[0025]
The document management server 10 includes a binder management unit 11, a latest version distribution processing unit 12, an access history management unit 13, a shared document database 14, and an access log file 15. Although details will be described later, in the present embodiment, the version (for example, the first version, the second version, and the fourth version of the document A) of the document created by the document provider (for example, the document A). ) And binding to a virtual binder to manage the document, but the binder management unit 11 manages and provides the document using the virtual binder stored in the shared document database 14 The document is registered in the shared document database 14 in cooperation with the registration processing units 21 and 22 in the person client 20. The user client 30 cooperates with the display processing unit 31 to perform display processing on a display (not shown) of the user client 30 and further cooperates with the document acquisition processing unit 32 to execute document download processing. The shared document database 14 includes a document (for example, a document) that the document provider may use by a third party among documents (for example, the first to fourth versions of the document A) created by the document provider. Only the first version, the second version, and the fourth version of A) are stored. The latest version delivery processing unit 12 automatically delivers the latest version of the document file to the user client 30 when the latest version is registered in the virtual binder. The access history management unit 13 records the access history of the document user to the document management server 10 in the access log file 15.
[0026]
In the present embodiment, various functions are provided by the above-described components, but each processing function in the document management server 10 and each client 20, 30 is realized by operating an application on each computer.
[0027]
By the way, in the present embodiment, the document version is managed, and the document version and use of the document will be described below.
[0028]
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a basic model of a document and a version. Documents to be created are generally managed by assigning serial numbers in ascending order such as the first version and the second version. Normally, a newly created document is the first version, and the second version, the third version, and the version are updated with each revision. However, there is no doubt that both versions are document A. In this way, the versions of each document are stacked by revision. And the newest version in time series becomes the latest version. In this way, when referring to a document, it is that document, whatever the version. In other words, the document A is the document A regardless of the difference between the first version, the second version, and the third version. A version refers to a specific version that constitutes a document, and refers to a version of a document that is either the first version, the second version, or the third version. Speaking of the first edition (document A), the same document A is not the second edition or the third edition.
[0029]
Here, it is assumed that the document A is copied to the user client 20 when the second version is the latest version in FIG. 2 (that is, before the third version is created). The user client 20 can edit the duplicate document and create a new version (document). In the present embodiment, creation of a new document by editing the duplicate document is referred to as modification, and a document created by modification is referred to as a derived document. This derived document is handled as a document independent of the original document A managed by the document management server 10 and is not managed by this embodiment. Of course, it is possible to make the management target of the document management server 10 by a special processing procedure.
[0030]
The document copied to the user client 30 by the document acquisition processing unit 32 is normally used under the management of the individual user of the user client 30. Note that a document user generally uses a disk device installed in the user client 30 used by the document user as a document copy destination. Other storage means such as a shared disk device or a database server on the client may be used as the copy destination. The user of the document A usually does not access the shared document database 14 every time it is referred to, but the second version of the document A downloaded to the document storage unit 33 of the user client 30 in consideration of the access speed or the like. You will have access to it.
[0031]
This embodiment is characterized by a document management method using a binder. The binder will be described here.
[0032]
In the present embodiment, a binder model for bundling documents on a time axis is introduced as a document management technique. For example, when the first to fourth versions of the document A are created as the original document, the version of the document A that the document provider may use to a third party (for example, the first version, the second version, etc.) , 4th edition) is bound on the time axis and held in a binder. Each binder is formed for each document, such as document A and document B. The version information of each version bound to each binder is described in time series in a virtual index (table of contents) bound to the same binder. In the present embodiment, version management of each document is performed using such a virtual binder.
[0033]
FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between the binder, each document, and each version in the present embodiment, and is also a conceptual diagram of the user interface. In FIG. 3, each version of the documents A and B created in the provider client 20 and each binder (icons) 41 for the documents A and B formed in the shared document database 14 in the document management server 10 are shown. 42 and documents A and B copied to the user client 30 are shown. Document registration processing from the provider client 20 to the document management server 10 is executed by the registration processing units 21 and 22 and the binder management unit 11. The document management process managed by the document management server 10 is executed by the binder management unit 11 and the display processing unit 31. Here, document registration processing performed between the provider client 20 and the document management server 10 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0034]
When the document creator creates a new document A, the document A (first version) is registered in the original document database 23. At this time, a document ID for identifying the document is assigned to the document A. When the third party uses the document A, the first version of the document A is registered in the binder 41. In this registration operation, the binder 41 for the document A generated in advance using the file operation software is displayed on the screen, and the first version icon 43 of the document A is displayed, and the icon 43 indicating the document is displayed. Then, the user drags the icon 41 indicating the displayed document A binder. The first version of the document A can be easily registered in the document management server 10 by such a mouse operation. The binder management unit 11 registers the document A in the shared document database 14 in accordance with the registration operation by the document provider, and the first version is bound to the index 44 created when the binder for the document A is generated. Sometimes version information such as the document ID of the first version, document storage location, etc. is written.
[0035]
Subsequently, when the document creator edits the first version of the document A to create the second version, the document A (second version) is registered in the original document database 23. At this time, a unique document ID different from the first version is assigned to the second version. Note that the document A (first version) to be edited may be extracted from the original document database 23 in consideration of the access speed, or may be extracted from the document management server 10. When the third party uses the document A, the second version of the document A is registered in the binder 41. The registration operation of the second version and the processing in the binder management unit 11 according to the operation are the same as when the first version is registered. At this time, the binder management unit 11 clearly indicates that the second version has been bound by writing the version information of the second version in the index 44.
[0036]
If a revised document is to be used by a third party, each version may be bound to the binder 41 in the same manner as described above. If the user does not want to use it, he / she should not bind to the binder 41 without performing the above-described drag operation. FIG. 3 illustrates the case where the third version of the document A and the second version of the document B are not bound.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, each version of each document can be registered in the document management server 10 by the simple mouse operation described above. As is clear from the above description, in the registration process performed in response to an operation by the document provider, each version is handled as one document, and is bound by a binder common to each version related to the same document. It will be.
[0038]
Next, document display processing performed between the user client 30 and the document management server 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the display of the document does not indicate the content of the document itself as described above, but the display of the document icon or the like realized by the file operation software. Here, a case where a document is displayed as an icon as in the registration process will be described as an example.
[0039]
When it is desired to refer to each document managed by the document management server 10, the document user downloads the corresponding document from the document management server 10 from the shared document database 14 and stores a copy of the document in the local document storage unit 33. . In general, a document user generally uses a disk device mounted on a user client 30 used by the user as a document copy destination. Other storage means such as a shared disk device or database server on another client may be used as the replication destination.
[0040]
For example, when the user wants to use the document A, the document user displays the icon 45 of the document A in the document management server 10 using the file operation software, and copies it to the folder to be the local copy destination. be able to. By this mouse operation, the duplicate document is stored in the document storage unit 33, and the document A is displayed in the storage destination folder. Such operation and display are generally performed in a window system. The document user can obtain a copy of the document A by such a simple mouse operation. At this time, the display processing unit 31 in the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. It is characterized in that it is displayed on the screen as a single document (icon 45 indicating) instead of a plurality of versions managed by the binder. In other words, in the display process, each version managed by the binder is not handled as a single document as in the registration process, but the binder storing a plurality of versions is handled as a single document. It is characterized by. For example, the first, second, and fourth versions bound to the binder 41 of the document A are displayed as one document A instead of being displayed as three separate documents. However, it displays so that it can be understood what the version of the copied document is. Only the latest version of the document A registered in the binder 41 is duplicated in the display processing in the present embodiment. This is because the latest version of the document is usually used.
[0041]
FIG. 3 illustrates this characteristic display form. In FIG. 3, when the fourth version of the document A is the latest version at a certain point in time, the fourth version of the document A is displayed on the user client 30. In the present embodiment, a version that is not the latest version can be acquired, but the process will be described later. The access history management unit 13 constantly monitors access to the document managed by the shared document database 14, the access date and time, the accessed user client 30, the access contents such as registration and acquisition, the accessed document, The version is recorded in the access log file 15.
[0042]
FIG. 4A shows an icon 45 indicating the document A shown in FIG. The general-purpose file operation software can display the file name of each document together with a character string or an icon as illustrated in FIG. Note that the file operation software normally displays a list of files registered in the folder, but in the present embodiment, only one file of the document A is shown for convenience. Here, an example in which the property screen 46 of the document A is opened is shown in FIG. In a general-purpose window system, information such as document file type, storage location, creation date and time is displayed on the property screen. The present embodiment is characterized in that the version history information of the document is also displayed on the property screen 46. Of course, it may be displayed on a unique window screen such as a version history information display screen instead of the property screen. Information display other than the version history information is not the gist of the present invention, and is omitted in FIG.
[0043]
As shown in FIG. 4B, the version history information is displayed so that the contents described in the index bound to the binder of the document A are displayed, and the version is displayed so that the time series can be understood. Therefore, the document user can know the process of creating the published version of the document A. If an old version is to be acquired, the version number displayed on the property screen 46 is clicked. As a result, the document acquisition processing unit 32 takes out the designated version of the document A from the binder of the document A, and stores the copy in the document storage unit 33. Thereby, the contents of the old version of the document can be displayed.
[0044]
When the document A is used when the fourth version is the latest version, the fourth version is stored in the document storage unit 33, and the document A is displayed as illustrated in FIG. 4A. It is assumed that the fifth version is created in this state and registered in the binder by the document provider. At this time, the binder management unit 11 notifies the latest version distribution processing unit 12 to that effect. Alternatively, the latest version distribution processing unit 12 may check the contents recorded in the access log file 15 and recognize the registration of the version itself. When receiving the notification from the binder management unit 11, the latest version distribution processing unit 12 distributes the fifth version of the document A to the user client 30 using the document A as the latest version. The user client 30 serving as the distribution destination can be identified by searching the access log file 15 and confirming the access source to the document A.
[0045]
When the latest version is automatically distributed from the document management server 10, the display processing unit 31 in the user client 30 that was displaying the document A and the property screen 46 displays the display of the document A from FIG. Switch automatically to 4 (c). The version history information displayed on the property screen 46 is also taken out of the binder index and automatically updated.
[0046]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user client corresponding to the copy destination is automatically distributed to the copy destination of the document managed by the document management server 10 to automatically distribute the latest version of the document. At 30, the latest document can always be used without being aware of the revision of the document and without taking out the latest version from the document management server 10. For a document provider, when a document is revised, if the revised document (latest version) is registered in the document management server 10, the contents added and modified by the revision are used as a copy destination of the document. Can be reflected in the client 30.
[0047]
In particular, in this embodiment, document versions are managed by bundling each version of each document with a virtual binder. As a result, the document provider only has to bind the version that may be disclosed to the binder. Further, since the binder is displayed as one document for the document user, the document can be used efficiently without being aware of the version.
[0048]
In the present embodiment, it has been described that the document itself is stored in the shared document database 14. However, only the document storage location is managed, and the document management server 10 does not necessarily hold the entity of the document. Good.
[0049]
In the present embodiment, the case where the new registration processing unit 21 and the revision registration processing unit 22 are involved in the document creation step has been described. However, the document identification information ( It is also possible to register the document management server 10 with a document ID).
[0050]
In the present embodiment, the example of performing automatic distribution has been mainly described. However, automatic distribution is not performed, document display and document content display are performed in the state of a copied file, and version history information is stored in the binder. It is also possible to take out from the index and display it in the latest state.
[0051]
In this embodiment, an example in which a document copy is created in the user client by the document acquisition processing unit 32 has been described. However, the document copy is also distributed when the document creator is distributed by e-mail. This is the same as when a copy is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 32.
[0052]
In this embodiment, the management of the document, particularly the registration and display of the document has been described. However, it is desirable that the document can be deleted. For example, when the latest version (for example, the fifth version) is deleted from the binder by the document provider, the version of the document displayed on the user client 30 is returned from the fifth version to the fourth version, and the document storage unit For example, the fifth version is deleted from 33 and the fourth version is downloaded again.
[0053]
Further, in the present embodiment, the case where document version management is performed has been described as an example. However, since the version is also assigned to the execution image and the like, the data can be stored in a file format. It is possible to apply the present invention.
[0054]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, a virtual binder is provided, a file creator is caused to register a file corresponding to each version as a single file in the corresponding virtual binder, and a file user is displayed as a single file. As a result, the user can use the document without being aware of the document version.
[0055]
In addition, when the latest version of a file is registered in the virtual binder, a copy of the latest version is automatically distributed to the user of the file, so that the corresponding user always uses the latest version of the file. Can do.
[0056]
In addition, it is possible to obtain a copy of an old version file as necessary.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a document management system according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a basic model of a document and a version.
FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between a binder, each document, and each version according to the present embodiment and a user interface.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a document displayed on a user client in the present embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration of a conventional document management system.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 document management server, 11 binder management unit, 12 latest version distribution processing unit, 13 access history management unit, 14 shared document database, 15 access log file, 20 provider client, 21 new registration processing unit, 22 revision registration processing unit, 23 original document database, 30 user client, 31 display processing unit, 32 document acquisition processing unit, 33 document storage unit.

Claims (2)

A file management server for managing version-managed files;
A provider client used by the file provider;
A user client used by a user who uses the file provided by the provider;
In a file management system having
Storage means for storing a virtual binder associated with a plurality of files using an index including information for identifying a newly created file and information for identifying the revised file;
And registration means that the provided file, to register before Symbol virtual binder by the provider of the file,
The provider client treats a plurality of files associated with the virtual binder as different files, while the user client displays only the latest version of the plurality of files associated with the virtual binder. Means to
When the revised file is registered as the latest version in the virtual binder, the latest version delivery processing means for delivering the revised file to the user client using the old version file;
A file management system comprising: In a file management method for centrally managing files that are version controlled by providing a file management server,
Generate a virtual binder associated with multiple files using an index that includes information identifying the newly created file and information identifying the revised file,
The provided file by the provider of the file, to register before Symbol virtual binder,
The file provider allows a plurality of files associated with the virtual binder to be treated as different files, while the file user displays only the latest version of the files associated with the virtual binder. then,
When a revised file is registered as the latest version in the virtual binder, the revised file is distributed to users of the old version of the file .

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