Online storage system

A method for uploading files for online storage in a global communication network having a client server computer and a plurality of client computers, the method comprising:

• identifying files to be uploaded as part of a first operation;
• for each identified file, generating a record to be uploaded to the client server computer, the record including identifying information for the corresponding file, the identifying information comprising file size and file checksum data;
• receiving the records for the first operation at the client server computer;
• for each one record received as part of the first operation, testing data records of a database to determine whether there is a record in the database having the same identifying information, for the case in which there is a record in the database with matching identifying information, adding a new record into the database which includes an operation identifier and the identifying information without corresponding file contents;
• wherein for the case in which there is not a record in the database with matching identifying information, receiving the file contents from the client computer, and adding a new record into the database which includes an operation identifier, the identifying information, and the corresponding file contents.

An online storage system, comprising:

• a client server computer comprising system memory and expandable memory,
• a plurality of client computers;
• means for carrying communications between the plurality of client computers and the client server computer;
• means for identifying files to be uploaded for online storage as part of a first operation;
• means for generating, for each identified file, a record to be uploaded to the client server computer, the record including identifying information for the corresponding file, the identifying information comprising file size and file checksum data;
• a reference storage area within client server computer system memory comprising a first operation storage area for the first operation;
• a central data base within client server memory system memory comprising records, wherein each record comprises file identifying information, wherein the file identifying information is not duplicated in any other record of the central database;
• and
• means for determining at the client server computer, for each one record received as part of the first operation, whether to request that the associated file be uploaded from the client computer
• means for adding, for each one record received as part of the first operation, an entry into the corresponding first operation storage area;
• wherein said determining means comprises means for testing the identifying information in said received one record to seek a match against identifying information of any records within the central database,
• wherein for a case in which a match is found the associated file is not uploaded from the client computer and said adding means comprises means for adding the identifying information as part of the corresponding entry in the first operation storage area, and wherein file contents for the associated file are not stored in the corresponding first operation storage area,
• wherein for a case in which a match is not found, the associated file is uploaded from the client computer and said adding means comprises means for receiving file contents for the associated file from the client computer and means for storing the received file contents and the unmatched identifying information as the entry in the first operation storage area.