JP2000214840A - Computer system, and cache generating method of font data in the system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display and print characters at high speed, even when a low-speed network (LAN) is used by referring to a font control table, copying a font data held in a server computer into a storage medium shown by a location information, and creating a cache, using a client computer. SOLUTION: A network computer 31 refers to a control table 15a, corresponding to the network computer 31 which are stored in a server machine 10 via a LAN 20, and reads out control information stored in it. It is discriminated as to whether the read control information has any font whose location is a volatile memory. For example, when a the location of a font B12 is a volatile memory, the network computer 31 reads out the font B12 from the server machine 10, stores its copy in a main memory 31a, a volatile memory, and creates a cache.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a computer system for generating a cache of font data of a server computer on a client computer in a computer system including a server computer and a client computer, and a cache generation method for the computer system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, network computers (N
A new computer architecture called C: Network Computer has been developed. This network computer is based on the use of a network (LAN), and downloads programs and data necessary for data processing from a server machine via the network. By providing this download mechanism, each client machine functioning as a network computer does not need to have programs and data, so that it can flexibly respond to updates of the operating system (OS) and application programs. Become. Therefore,
There is no need to make any settings such as installing programs on each network computer, and all software can be centrally managed on the server machine.
(Total Cost of Ownership)
Can be reduced.

[0003] In a network computer, character font data used for displaying and printing characters is no exception. When displaying and printing characters, character font data held on a server machine is used using character codes. You access it through a network, download it, and use it. However, when a low-speed network is used, there has been a problem that, for example, the display of characters on the network computer side is delayed.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional network computer, when the speed of the network (LAN) used is low, the speed of downloading the character font data from the server machine is low.
Character display and printing were slow.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and to provide a network computer which cannot display or print characters at high speed even when a low-speed network (LAN) is used. Aim.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in a computer system comprising a server computer and a client computer, the server computer stores at least one font data and a location of a cache of font data held by the client computer. The client computer refers to the font management table, copies the font data held by the server computer into a storage medium indicated by the location information, and forms a cache. And a cache generation unit that performs

With this configuration, even a network computer connected to a low-speed LAN can display and print characters at high speed by using a font data cache.

Further, the server computer holds time stamp information corresponding to each font data held therein, the font management table holds time stamp information for each font, and the client computer further stores the time stamp information. The time stamp information corresponding to the font data held by the server computer is compared with the time stamp information corresponding to the cache data of the font data, and when the comparison result does not match, the font data is transmitted from the server computer. It is characterized by comprising a cache updating means for reading and updating the cache data.

According to such a configuration, when the font data held by the server computer is updated when the font data cache is provided in the client computer, the cache provided in the network computer can be easily updated. realizable.

[0010] Further, in the client computer,
An information rewriting means for rewriting information stored in the font management table is provided. According to such a configuration, it is possible to create a cache of specified font data based on an instruction from the client computer.

Further, the server computer is provided with flag information indicating whether or not the information held in the font management table by the information rewriting means can be rewritten.

According to such a configuration, the rewriting of the information held in the font management table by the client computer can be controlled based on the will of the administrator of the server computer.

The font management table holds access frequency information from the client computer for a font whose location is a server computer. The client computer refers to the frequency information and determines the frequency. It is characterized by having cache generation means for generating a cache of the font when the number exceeds the number.

According to such a configuration, a font that is frequently accessed can be cached in the client computer so that the access can be speeded up.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a network computer system according to one embodiment of the present invention. A server machine 10 as a server computer and two network computers 31 and 32 as client machines are connected to a local area network (hereinafter, referred to as LAN) 20, respectively. The hard disk drive (not shown) of the server machine 10 includes:
Four types of character fonts, font A11 and font B1
2, font C13 and font D14 are stored. Similarly, a font management table 15 and a font management table flag 16 are stored in a hard disk drive (magnetic disk device) (not shown) of the server machine 10. A plurality of font management tables 15 are provided corresponding to individual network computers as client machines. In this embodiment, the font management table 1 for the network computer 31 is used.
5a and a font management table 15b for the network computer 32 are provided. Details of the management table 15 will be described later. The font management table flag 16 is also provided with a font management table flag 16a and a font management table flag 16b corresponding to the font management table 15a and the font management table 15b.

The network computer 31 includes a main memory 31a as a volatile memory and a flash memory 3 mounted on a detachable PC card as a nonvolatile memory.
1b, a hard disk drive 31 as an auxiliary storage device
Have c. Similarly, the network computer 31b
It has a main memory 32a, a flash memory 32b, and a hard disk drive 32c.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the font management table 15a provided corresponding to the network computer 31. This font management table 15a
Stores management information when the network computer 31a uses four types of fonts held on the server machine 10 and provided to the network computer as a system. This font management table 15a
Is composed of four items: a font name 151, a location 152, a time stamp 153, and a use frequency 154.

The font name 151 is an item for recording names of four types of fonts provided to a network computer as a system. Location 152
This is information indicating where the font is stored when the network computer 31 uses the font. Specifically, the font A uses the one stored in the server, and the font B uses the server machine 1
The data stored in 0 is copied to the volatile memory and cached. As the font C, a font stored in the server machine 10 and copied to a non-volatile memory and cached is used. As the font D, a font stored in the server machine 10 is copied to an auxiliary storage device and cached. Also,
If the font is stored in the ROM mounted on the network computer, the location is "R
OM ".

The time stamp indicates the date and time when the font was last updated. The use frequency stores the number of times the font is accessed from the network computer 31 when the font stored in the server machine 10 is used.

The font management table flag 16a stores flag information indicating whether the user of the network computer 31 is allowed to update the data stored in the corresponding font management table 15a. When the flag information is "1", the user of the network computer 31 is allowed to update the data stored in the font management table 15a. If the flag information is "0", the user of the network computer 31 is not permitted to update the data stored in the font management table 15a.
The flag information stored in the font management table flag 16a is stored by the administrator of the server machine 10.

Next, an operation related to font management when the system of the network computer 31 is started (after the end of user authentication at the time of booting) will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. In this case, the description will be made on the assumption that the management information is stored in advance in the management table 15a by the administrator of the server machine 10 as shown in FIG.

First, the network computer 31
Management table 1 corresponding to network computer 31 stored in server machine 10 via LAN 20
With reference to 5a, the management information stored therein is read (step S31).

Next, it is determined whether or not the read management information includes a font whose font location is a volatile memory (step S32). Referring to FIG. 2, since the location of the font B is a volatile memory, the process proceeds to step S33. In step S33, the network computer 31
And reads a font B from the main memory 311 as a volatile memory. As a result, the font B is cached in the main memory 311. At this time, the time stamp information of the font B is also copied and stored in the main memory 311.

Next, in step S34, it is determined whether a font cache whose font location is a non-volatile memory or an auxiliary storage device exists in the non-volatile memory. Specifically, the location of the font C is a non-volatile memory, and the location of the font D is an auxiliary storage device. Therefore, it is checked whether the cache of the font C exists in the flash memory which is the nonvolatile memory of the network computer 31. Similarly, it checks whether the cache of the font D exists in the hard disk drive which is the auxiliary storage device of the network computer 31. As a result of this check, if the cache does not exist, the font corresponding to the non-volatile memory or the auxiliary storage device is read from the server machine 10, and a copy thereof is stored to create a cache (step S35). At this time, the time stamp information of the font is also copied. The reason that steps S34 and S35 are provided is that even if the location of each font is specified in advance in the management table 15 by the administrator of the server machine 10, the font cache does not actually exist at that location. This is not a limitation. In particular, the case where the network computer is first introduced into the network computer system and the network computer is first connected to the network and started up.

Next, the time stamps of the caches of all the fonts provided in the network computer 31 are compared with the time stamps of the fonts stored in the server machine 10 corresponding to the cached fonts (step S36). . As a result of the comparison, if the time stamps are the same, the process proceeds to step S38. If the time stamps are not the same, the process proceeds to step S37. The time stamps are not the same
This is because the font stored in the server machine 10 has been updated. Therefore, the fonts whose time stamps do not match are read from the server machine 10 and copied to the network computer 31 to update the cache (step S37). At this time, the time stamp information is similarly copied and updated.

Next, the network computer 31
It is checked whether the flag is "1" with reference to the font management table flag 16a (step S38). If the flag is “0”, the network computer 31
Ends the operation related to font management when the system is started. If the flag is “1”, step S
Proceed to 39. In steps S39 to S41,
In the font management table 15a, the use frequency of the font whose location is the server is checked, and if the frequency is high, a process of creating a cache of the font on the network computer 31 is performed. That is, in step S39, it is checked in the font management table 15a whether or not the frequency of use of the font "Font A" whose location is the server exceeds a predetermined value "50". Since the use frequency of the font A is 60, which exceeds the predetermined value 50, the process proceeds to step S10. When the use frequency exceeds the predetermined value 50, it means that the network computer 31 frequently uses the font. Therefore, in step S40, the network computer 31 reads out the font A from the server machine 10 and copies it to the memory 31a, which is a volatile memory, to create a cache. Subsequently, the location of the font A in the font management table 15a is changed from the server to the volatile memory (step S4).
1).

The operation related to font management when the network computer 31 starts up the system is completed. Thereafter, when displaying characters on the display device or printing characters on the printing device, the network computer 31 refers to the font management table 15a to check the storage location of the font to be used, and to store the font. Access and use fonts stored in locations.

Next, the operation of explicitly creating a font cache by the user of the network computer 31 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the network computer 31 sends the font management table 15a and the font management table flag 1 from the server machine 10.
6a is read (step S51). Next, it is checked whether the read flag information of the font management table flag 16a is "1" (step S52). If the flag information is “0”, the process ends because the user of the network computer 31 is not permitted to rewrite and update the data stored in the font management table 15a. If the flag information is "1", rewriting and updating of the data stored in the font management table 15a is permitted, and the process proceeds to step S53. In step S53, the font name and its location stored in the font management table 15a are displayed on a display device (not shown), and a cache is added to the user (a new font cache is created on the network computer).
Or, the user is prompted to input a deletion instruction.

In the case of adding a cache, step S
Proceed to 54. In this case, the user specifies a font name to be cached and its storage location. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, since a cache is not created for font A, it is assumed that an instruction to create a cache for font A is given. In this case, it is assumed that a hard disk drive as a storage device is designated as the storage location. The network computer 31 reads the font A specified by the user from the server machine 10, stores the copy in the hard disk drive 31C, and creates a cache (step S54). At this time, the time stamp “1998.04.10” is stored on the hard disk together with the copy of the font A.
Also copy.

In the case of deleting the cache, step S
Go to 55. In this case, the user specifies a cache name to be deleted. Specifically, it is assumed that an instruction to delete font C has been given. The network computer 31
The font C specified by the user is deleted from the flash memory 31b as the storage location. The deletion of the cache is to delete the font whose cache is created on the network computer 31. If the deletion of the font whose location is the server is specified, the specification is invalidated. You.

Next, in step S56, the content stored in the font management table 15a is updated in accordance with the addition or deletion of the cache in the previous step. When the font A cache is created as described above, the location of the font A is changed from "server" to "auxiliary storage device" and updated. When the cache of the font C is deleted as described above, the location of the font C is changed from “non-volatile memory” to “server” and updated.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a network computer capable of displaying / printing characters at high speed even when a slow network is used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a font management table.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a font management operation performed when the network computer 31 starts up the system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a font management operation performed when the network computer 31 starts up the system.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation in which a user of the network computer 31 explicitly creates a font cache;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 server machine 11, 12, 13, 14 font 15 font management table 16 font management table flag 20 LAN 31, 32 network computer

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page F term (reference) 2C087 AB06 BA09 EA10 EA12 EA27 5B021 AA01 AA02 BB03 JJ02 JJ03 5B089 GA11 GA21 GB09 HA06 JA33 JB03 KA05 LB12 5C082 AA01 AA34 BB01 BB32 BB02 CB02 CB02 BB02 CB01 BB02 BB02 JJ27 JJ35 KK42

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A computer system comprising a server computer and a client computer, wherein the server computer has at least one font data and a font management table having location information indicating a position of a cache of font data held by the client computer. The client computer has cache generation means for referring to the font management table, copying font data held by the server computer into a storage medium indicated by the location information, and forming a cache. A computer system characterized by the following: 2. The computer according to claim 1, wherein said server computer holds time stamp information corresponding to each font data held by said server computer, and said font management table holds time stamp information for each font. Computer system as described. 3. The client computer further compares time stamp information corresponding to font data held by the server computer with time stamp information corresponding to cache data of the font data,
3. The computer system according to claim 2, further comprising a cache updating unit that reads the font data from the server computer and updates the cache data when the result of the comparison does not match. 4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said client computer further comprises information rewriting means for rewriting information stored in said font management table.
The computer system according to claim 2, 3 or 4. 5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein said server computer is provided with flag information indicating whether or not information held in said font management table by said information rewriting means can be rewritten. 6. The font management table holds access frequency information from a client computer for a font whose location is a server computer. The client computer refers to the frequency information and determines the frequency. 2. The computer system according to claim 1, further comprising a cache generation unit for generating a cache of the font when the number exceeds the number. 7. A computer system comprising a server computer and a client computer, wherein the server computer has at least one font data and a font management table having location information indicating a position of a cache of font data held by the client computer. A font in a computer system, wherein a font is stored in the storage medium of the client computer indicated by the location information with reference to the font management table and the font data held by the server computer is copied to form a cache. How to generate data cache. 8. The server computer holds time stamp information corresponding to each font data held by the server computer, the font management table holds time stamp information for each font, and a font held by the server computer. The time stamp information corresponding to the data is compared with the time stamp information corresponding to the cache data of the font data. If the result of the comparison does not match, the font data is read from the server computer and the cache data is updated. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a font data cache is generated in the computer system. 9. The font management table holds access frequency information from the client computer for a font whose location is a server computer, and the client computer refers to the frequency information and determines the frequency. 8. A cache for the font is generated when the number exceeds the number.
A method for generating a font data cache in the computer system described above. 10. A method according to claim 7, wherein said client computer rewrites information stored in said font management table.