초록 ▼

The invention includes a markup language according to the SGML standard in which document type definitions are created under which electronic documents are divided into blocks that are associated with logical fields that are specific to the type of block. Each of many different types of electronic d

The invention includes a markup language according to the SGML standard in which document type definitions are created under which electronic documents are divided into blocks that are associated with logical fields that are specific to the type of block. Each of many different types of electronic documents can have a record mapping to a particular environment, such as a legacy environment of a banking network, a hospital's computer environment for electronic record keeping, a lending institution's computer environment for processing loan applications, or a court or arbitrator's computer system. Semantic document type definitions for various electronic document types (including, for example, electronic checks, mortgage applications, medical records, prescriptions, contracts, and the like) can be formed using mapping techniques between the logical content of the document and the block that is defined to include such content. Also, the various document types are preferably defined to satisfy existing customs, protocols and legal rules.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention includes a markup language according to the SGML standard in which document type definitions are created under which electronic documents are divided into blocks that are associated with logical fields that are specific to the type of block. Each of many different types of electronic d

The invention includes a markup language according to the SGML standard in which document type definitions are created under which electronic documents are divided into blocks that are associated with logical fields that are specific to the type of block. Each of many different types of electronic documents can have a record mapping to a particular environment, such as a legacy environment of a banking network, a hospital's computer environment for electronic record keeping, a lending institution's computer environment for processing loan applications, or a court or arbitrator's computer system. Semantic document type definitions for various electronic document types (including, for example, electronic checks, mortgage applications, medical records, prescriptions, contracts, and the like) can be formed using mapping techniques between the logical content of the document and the block that is defined to include such content. Also, the various document types are preferably defined to satisfy existing customs, protocols and legal rules. scarded, such that the update includes only the changes that are required for bringing the secondary mass storage device current with the logically consistent state of the primary mass storage device. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: storing a copy of the update in a cache holding area associated with the primary system; and providing access to data included in a mirrored and archived version of the primary mass storage by first determining whether the data is included in the update stored in the cache holding area and then providing access to the data from the secondary mass storage if the data is not included in the update in the cache holding area. 5. The method of in claim 1, wherein tracking changes to the primary mass storage during the time interval and consolidating the tracked changes are conducted independently of any particular file structure associated with the primary mass storage or the secondary mass storage. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein tracking the changes to the primary mass storage during the time interval comprises storing information representing all changes, wherein the changes are tracked at a disk level of the primary mass storage. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein consolidating the tracked changes is conducted in an ongoing manner during the time interval. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein consolidating the tracked changes is conducted at or after the end of the corresponding time interval. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting data transferred between the primary system and the secondary system by: exchanging values between the primary system and the secondary system, the values being subject to change from one moment to the next; manipulating, by the primary system, a first value exchanged from the secondary system to the primary system to generate a primary system key seed; manipulating, by the secondary system, a second value exchanged from the primary system to the secondary system to generate a secondary system key seed, the primary system key seed and the secondary system key seed being equal; using the primary key seed at the primary system to generate a primary encryption key; using the secondary key seed at the secondary system to generate a secondary encryption key, the primary encryption key and the secondary encryption being equal, as if they had been generated using a single key seed; and encrypting and decrypting data transmitted between the primary system and the secondary system using the primary encryption key and the secondary encryption key. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary mass storage is subdivided and comprises a first subdivision that includes storage locations in which said data is stored and further comprises a second subdivision that includes a cache holding area in which is stored information representing all changes that have been made in the storage locations during the time interval. 11. A computer program product for implementing, in a primary system that has a primary mass storage and is in communication with a secondary system that has a secondary mass storage, a method for mirroring and archiving the primary mass storage on the secondary mass storage, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, the computer-executable instructions, when executed, causing the primary system to: synchronize the secondary mass storage with the primary mass storage; track changes to the primary mass storage during a time interval; identify an end of the time interval by identifying when the primary mass storage is in a logically consistent state; consolidate the tracked changes by retaining any tracked changes necessary to represent the state of the primary mass storage at the end of the time interval, so as to create an update that includes the retained changes but does not include tracked changes that represent an interm ediate state of the primary mass storage; and transfer the update to the secondary mass storage, the update including only the changes that are required for bringing the secondary mass storage device current with the logically consistent state of the primary mass storage device. 12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein transferring the update to the secondary mass storage results in the update being stored at the secondary mass storage such that the logically consistent state of the primary mass storage is determinable from the update stored at the secondary mass storage. 13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein consolidating the tracked changes comprises retaining, for each storage location of the primary mass storage that has changed during the time interval, information representing the most recent change to the particular storage location, with the information representing any previous changes to the particular storage location being discarded, such that the update includes only the changes that are required for bringing the secondary mass storage device current with the primary mass storage device as the data in the primary mass storage device exists at the end of the time interval. 14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, further cause the primary system to: store a copy of the update in a cache holding area associated with the primary system; and provide access to data included in a mirrored and archived version of the primary mass storage by first determining whether the data is included in the update stored in the cache holding area and then providing access to the data from the secondary mass storage if the data is not included in the update in the cache holding area. 15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein tracking changes to the primary mass storage during the time interval and consolidating the tracked changes are conducted independently of any particular file structure associated with the primary mass storage or the secondary mass storage. 16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein tracking the changes to the primary mass storage during the time interval comprises storing information representing all changes, wherein the changes are tracked at a disk level of the primary mass storage. 17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein consolidating the tracked changes is conducted in an ongoing manner during the time interval. 18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein consolidating the tracked changes is conducted at or after the end of the corresponding time interval. 19. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the primary mass storage is subdivided and comprises a first subdivision that includes storage locations in which said data is stored and further comprises a second subdivision that includes a cache holding area in which is stored information representing all changes that have been made in the storage locations during the time interval. 20. A computer program product for implementing, in a primary system that has a primary mass storage and is in communication with a secondary system having a secondary mass storage, a method for mirroring and archiving the primary mass storage by transmitting to the secondary mass storage only those changes to the primary mass storage that are necessary to bring the secondary mass storage current with the primary mass storage while representing a plurality of logically consistent states of the primary mass storage, the computer program product comprising: a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the primary system to perform: initiating synchronization of the secondary mass storage with the primary mass storage; and for each of a plurality of distinct time intervals: changing data stored in storage locations of the primary mass storage; identifying when the pri mary mass storage is in a logically consistent state, so as to identify an end of a current time interval of the plurality of distinct time intervals; as the data is changed, storing information representing all changes that have been made in the storage locations during the each of the plurality of time intervals in updates that correspond to the plurality of time intervals; consolidating the stored information in each update by retaining, for each storage location that has changed during the corresponding time interval, the information representing the most recent change to the particular storage location for that update, with the information representing any previous changes to the particular storage location being discarded for that update, such that each update includes only the changes that are required for bringing the secondary mass storage device current with the primary mass storage device as the data in the primary mass storage device exists at the end of the corresponding time interval; and transferring each update to the secondary mass storage at the end of the corresponding time interval, wherein each update is stored at the secondary mass storage such that the plurality of logically consistent states of the primary mass storage are determinable from the plurality of updates stored at the secondary mass storage.