Method and system for performing a server-assisted file transfer

A system, comprising:

• a file transfer application instance executable on a first computer;
• and
• an Internet-accessible computer operable to transfer a file from the first computer to a second computer, the Internet-accessible computer comprising:
• a processor;
• computer memory;
• and
• computer program code stored in the computer memory that, when executed by the processor, performs the steps of:
• establishing and maintaining a connection from the first computer;
• upon receipt at the Internet-accessible computer of a request from the first computer, the request associated with the file, generating a data string that identifies the file and the file transfer application instance executing on the first computer;
• providing the data string from the Internet-accessible computer to the first computer;
• upon subsequent receipt at the Internet-accessible computer of a request from the second computer, the request associated with a URL that encodes an address of the Internet-accessible computer and the data string, extracting the data string to identify the file and the file transfer application instance executing on the first computer;
• providing an instruction to the file transfer application to initiate a transfer of the file from the first computer;
• and
• receiving the file at the Internet-accessible computer and forwarding the file to the second computer through the Internet-accessible computer, wherein during the file transfer at least one of the first and second computers does not accept incoming Internet connections, wherein the file is transferred through the Internet-accessible computer without being cached or stored in the Internet-accessible computer.

A machine-implemented method for transferring a file from a first computer to a second computer, the first computer having a file transfer application instance, comprising:

• upon receipt at the Internet-accessible computer of a request from the first computer, the request associated with a file to be transferred to the second computer, generating a data string that identifies the file and the file transfer application instance;
• sending the data string to the first computer from the Internet-accessible computer;
• upon subsequent receipt at the Internet-accessible computer of a request from the second computer, the request associated with a URL that encodes an address of the Internet-accessible computer and the data string, de-referencing the URL by extracting the data string to identify the file and the file transfer application instance;
• sending an instruction to the file transfer application instance to initiate a transfer of the file from the first computer to the second computer via the Internet-accessible computer, wherein the instruction is sent from the Internet-accessible computer;
• receiving the file at the Internet-accessible computer;
• and
• forwarding the file from the Internet-accessible computer to the second computer;
• wherein, during the forwarding of the file, at least one of the first and second computers does not accept incoming Internet connections;
• wherein the file is forwarded from the first computer to the second computer without being cached or stored in the Internet-accessible computer.