RE: Patent Issues

[Karl-Koenig Koenigsson]

Interesting thing you found here, and I would also like to hear comments on
this, if only just for the sheer fun of it.

IANAL either, and I just looked at the Patent text, and it seems as their
first claim is rendered void be the existence of CVS. The other claims,
where they map the version control as a transparent file system is not in
conflict with CVS but maybe TortoisCVS.

These are the claims with my comments preceeded by "[K-K]"

<SNIPPET>
1. A data processing system for controlling versions of objects, comprising

a storage device for storing a plurality of versions of a set of objects,

a processor for executing instructions and for retrieving a specific version
of one or more target objects from and storing each version of such target
objects to the storage device during a process, and

an object version selector (i) which evaluates version selection rules by
performing one or more queries on each target object during the process
without requiring prior knowledge of each target object, and (ii) which
provides the processor with access only to a specific version of such target
object as determined by version selection rules during the process.

[K-K] This claim seems to be what CVS does, doesn't it?

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the object version
selector provides for viewing selected versions of objects as a transparent
file system comprising directories, files and links.

3. The data processing system of claim 2, wherein the transparent file
system provides access to a version of an object by accessing that object
in-place.

4. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein

each object has a pathname for accessing the object from the storage device,
each pathname having a plurality of pathname components listed in sequential
order, and

the object version selector applies version selection rules to a target
object determined by matching an N component wildcard pattern to the final N
components of a pathname.

[K-K] Seems OK to me -- mapping a file system to the repository, thus
letting you browse the contents by walking the directory tree.

5. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the object version
selector applies the existing version selection rules to newly created
objects.

6. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein

the object version selector stores the identity of a selected object
version, selected by applying the version selection rules, in a cache memory
and

the object version selector provides for invalidating a selected object
version identity stored in cache memory upon detecting a change which could
affect the selected object version.

7. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the version selection
rules comprise a rule for selecting that version of an object that was the
most recent version of that object at a specific time in the past.

[K-K] Hm, here it gets fishy: I would say that this is the retrieval of an
earlier version by either getting a tag or a specific version.

8. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the version selection
rules comprise a rule for selecting that version of an object that was the
most recent version of that object at the specific time that a process
requiring that object began.

9. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the time that the process
began is adjusted to compensate for time skew among the storage devices
storing the objects required by the process.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the process includes a
system build.

[K-K] Looks like automated building, not a feature of CVS as far as I know.

11. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the versions of objects
are conceptually stored along branches of a tree structure, with each
sequential version of an object being stored sequentially as the next
version of that object in the same branch, and parallel versions of an
object being similarly stored sequentially along a parallel branch, the
parallel branch having its source at a version of the object on another
branch.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the version selection
rules comprise a rule for creating a new parallel branch when a version of
an object is accessed by the processor for modification creating a new
version of the object, the new version of the object being subsequently
stored in the newly created parallel branch.

[K-K] These two claims seems to be direct applications of CVS branching
structure.

13. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the object version
selector provides for accessing the versions of an object as a file system
structured as directories and sub-directories.

14. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein

the storage device stores a plurality of attributes associated with each
version of the objects, and

the object version selector provides for searching for a version of an
object determined by the state of the associated attributes.

15. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein versions of objects
comprise compressed files.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein a version of an object
stored as a compressed file is uncompressed upon access to the object by the
processor.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein an uncompressed version
of an object is stored in a cache memory.

18. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the objects comprise
directories.

19. The data processing system of claim 18, wherein a version of a directory
object comprises a catalog of objects and their associated names, each
cataloged object referring to all versions of that object.

20. The data processing system of claim 19, wherein the version selected of
a directory object can be independent of the version selected of an object
cataloged in the selected directory object.

21. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the object version
selector further comprises
</SNIPPET>

Cheers!

        Karl-Koenig Koenigsson

--
KIMMERIDGE (n.)
The light breeze which blows through your armpit hair when you are stretched
out sunbathing.
The Meaning of Liff, Douglas Adams


-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden [mailto:address@hidden Behalf Of
Petric Frank
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 1:33 AM
To: address@hidden
Subject: Patent Issues


Hello,

recently i had a view on Rational (former Atria) ClearCase Patents.
Especially the one from US Patent Office granted on with number
5,649,200 seems to conflict with cvs.

Due to the fact that english is not my mother tongue and i am also not a
lawyer - what is your expression on this patent.
In my read there might be a problem.

I wrote a mail 3 weeks ago to cyclic.com, but up to now there was no
response.

regards
  Petric

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