System, method, and program for providing will-call certificates for guaranteeing authorization for a printer to retrieve a file directly from a file server upon request from a client in a network computer system environment

Abstract

The system, method, and program of this invention enables a client system to pass authorization, received from a file source, to a printer to retrieve and print a file directly from the file source without the client system ever receiving a copy of the file. The client system, print server, and file source are communicatively connected across a network. When the client system requests authorization from the file source, the file source creates a “will-call” certificate which contains the distinguished name of the file source, a path to the file, a digital signature of the file source, a validity date, and a unique tracking number for that certificate created by that file source. The will-call certificate is sent to the client, which sends it on to the print server. The print server uses the distinguished name of the file source and path to the file in the will-call certificate to locate the file and request the file directly from the file source. The print server's request to the file source also includes the will-call certificate. The file source can verify various aspects of the will-call certificate's validity through the digital signature, the validity date, and/or the tracking number. If the request is valid, the file source sends the file directly to the print server.