System and method for downloading files over a network with real time verification

A system, comprising:

• a client computer configured to interconnect to a server by a network, wherein the client computer is configured to implement:
• a download manager for downloading a data file from the server to the client computer, the data file having a separate associated verification file containing first error detection data associated with each of a respective plurality of segments of the data file, the download manager comprising a program executable by the client computer to implement:
• initiating the downloading of the data file upon receiving location data identifying a location of the data file;
• utilizing information from the location data to build new location data pointing to the location on the sewer containing the verification file associated with the data file;
• downloading at least a portion of the data file;
• generating second error detection data associated with the downloaded portion of the data file;
• and
• comparing a corresponding portion of the first error detection data and second error detection data to determine if errors occurred in the data file.

A system, comprising:

• a server computer configured to interconnect to a client computer by a network, wherein the server computer is configured to implement:
• a verification application for generating error detection data of a data file to be downloaded from the server computer to the client computer, the verification application comprising a program executable by the server computer to implement:
• reading the name of the data file, for which a verification file is to be generated;
• and
• for each of a plurality of segments into which the data file is to be divided:
• determining a segment size to be used in the verification file for the segment;
• reading in the segment of the data file;
• providing a segment identifier indicative of the segment;
• calculating error detection data for the segment;
• and
• writing the error detection data, the segment size and the segment identifier to the verification file.

A computer-implemented method for downloading a data file from a server computer to a client computer, the method comprising:

• providing a data file available for downloading;
• generating a separate verification file containing first error detection data associated with the data file prior to beginning downloading of the data file, wherein the separate verification file includes data comprising a predetermined plurality of segment identifiers indicative of corresponding segments into which the data file is divided;
• at a client computer:
• downloading at least a portion of the data file;
• generating a second error detection data associated with the data file;
• and
• comparing the first and second error detection data to determine if errors occurred in the data file.