Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

A folder relationship holding unit ( 305 ) manages the relationship only between parents and children of files and/or folders arranged in a hierarchical structure. An operation target of the files and/or folders managed by the folder relationship holding unit ( 305 ) is operated in a locked state. To reflect the operation result on each apparatus that manages information identical to that managed by the folder relationship holding unit ( 305 ), the apparatus is notified of the operation result at a designated timing.

1 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 management unit adapted to manage metadata of each file or folder in the information processing apparatus as data sharable by a plurality of information processing apparatuses that form a network;   registration unit adapted to register, as a parent-child hierarchy, a relationship between a first folder and a second folder in the information processing apparatus; and   reflection unit adapted to reflect an operation result of the file or folder operated offline on the plurality of information processing apparatuses at a designated timing,   wherein in reflecting the operation result, if the first folder as a parent layer associated with the second folder by said registration unit is deleted offline, registration is done not to make the second folder have a parent folder.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein in the operation, the apparatus deletes or changes the file or folder for which the apparatus has acquired a lock. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 unit adapted to transmit, to an external apparatus, a request to lock an operation target of the managed files and folders;   unit adapted to receive lock information indicating a lock enable/disable state from the external apparatus in response to the request; and   unit adapted to operate the operation target upon receiving information indicating a lock enable state of the operation target.   
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein in the operation, the file or folder is newly registered without acquiring a lock. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said management unit manages the files and folders as data sharable by the plurality of information processing apparatuses by using an identifier. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the identifier contains information of the information processing apparatus and information unique to each file in the information processing apparatus. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said management unit holds each file and a number of the information processing apparatus that is holding each file in association with each other. 
   
   
       8 . An information processing method executed by an information processing apparatus, comprising steps of:
 managing metadata of each file or folder in the information processing apparatus as data sharable by a plurality of information processing apparatuses that form a network;   registering, as a parent-child hierarchy, a relationship between a first folder and a second folder in the information processing apparatus; and   reflecting an operation result of the file or folder operated offline on the plurality of information processing apparatuses at a designated timing, wherein in reflecting the operation result, if the first folder as a parent layer associated with the second folder in the registering step is deleted offline, registration is done not to make the second folder have a parent folder.   
   
   
       9 . A program that causes a computer to execute an information processing method of  claim 8 . 
   
   
       10 . A computer-readable storage medium for storing a program of  claim 9 .