Method and apparatus for providing a web-based active virtual file system

A method for operating a computerized active file system, comprising:

• providing a file server having a memory circuit for storing data, a communications port for transmitting and receiving data over a network, and a processing circuit that controls the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port, said file server treating predetermined data groups as single file entities, wherein the file server comprises a plurality of folders residing on the file server;
• and
• automatically causing one or more automatic response actions upon the occurrence of a least one predetermined triggering event pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein the one or more automatic response actions comprise one or more of:
• (i) archiving one or more objects,
• (ii) running a script,
• (iii) launching one or more programs, or
• (iv) triggering a rule,
• wherein said at least one predetermined triggering event and its associated type and content of the automatic response action are configurable under the control of an auto-response computer program routine residing on said computerized active file system, wherein the one or more automatic response actions further comprises triggering a workflow among at least two folders of the plurality of folders residing on the server.

A computerized active virtual file system,

• comprising:
• a memory circuit for storing data;
• a communications port that is in communication with a network, said communications port being configured to transmit and receive data over said network;
• and
• a processing circuit that is configured to control the flow of data between said memory circuit and said communications port;
• said processing circuit also being configured to control said memory circuit so as to operate as a file server;
• said processing circuit being further configured to control the access rights over said network of a plurality of users to files stored on, or uploaded to, said file server, while providing one or more automatic response actions to predetermine of said plurality of users over said network when a triggering event occurs pertaining to the operation of said file server, wherein the triggering event comprises the file server granting access to one of the users to perform, but the triggering event is complete before the user performs, one or more of:
• (i) reading a file residing on the file server,
• (ii) writing a file residing on the file server,
• (iii) downloading of a file from the file server,
• (iv) uploading of a file to the file server,
• wherein the one or more automatic response actions comprise, in addition to carrying out the triggering event, one or more of:
• (i) archiving one or more objects,
• (ii) running a script,
• (iii) launching one or more programs, or
• (iv) triggering a rule.