Method and apparatus for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system

• US 20030236820A1
• Filed: 10/24/2001
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Groove Networks, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Kenneth G., Tierney, William D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1085 Content sharing, e.g. peer-to-peer [P2P]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1087 Synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Users and devices in a peer-to-peer collaboration system can join a management domain in which members are administered as a group by a centralized management server operated by an enterprise. In response to a administrator request to join the management domain, the user downloads an injectible identity file containing a definition of the managed user/device into the user system. The user then joins the managed domain by associating the injected identity with their actual identity. Once a user or device is part of a management domain, that user or device receives license rights and policy restrictions that are associated with the domain. In return, the management server interacts with the individual peer-to-peer collaboration systems to enable the enterprise to monitor the usage of, and control the behavior of, that specific identity within the peer-to-peer collaboration system.

Claims

1. A method for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system in which users having identities are directly connected to each other in a shared private space by client software operating in devices and wherein the users can communicate with a management server using the client software, the method comprising:

(a) sending a request from the management server to the user to become a managed entity;

(b) downloading from the management server to the client software a definition file containing a definition of the managed entity; and

(c) associating information in the definition file with user identities and device in the client software in order to create a managed entity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the managed entity is a managed user and the definition information file is an injectible identity file.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the managed entity is a managed device and the definition information file is a device information file.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the device information file is a Windows REG file.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(d) sending at least one license file from the management server to the managed user; and

(e) in response to information in the license file, enabling at least one function in the client software.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(f) sending at least one policy restriction file from the management server to the managed user; and

(g) in response to information in the policy restriction file, restricting at least one function in the client software.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(h) creating a client list of licensed components and policy restrictions in the client software of the managed user;

(i) sending the client list to the management server;

(j) creating a server list of licensed components and policy restrictions in the management server;

(k) comparing the client list to the server list; and

(l) adjusting and synchronizing the components in the client software based on the comparison on step (k).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein step (I) comprises downloading and installing licensed components from the management server to the client software which components are on the server list and are not on the client list.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein step (I) further comprises revoking licenses in the client software of components are on the client list and are not on the server list.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein steps (h) to (I) are repeated periodically.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(m) periodically sending event notifications and statistical information from the client software of the managed user to the management server.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the event notifications include error notifications.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein event notifications and statistical information are temporarily stored in a memory located at a client site.

14. Apparatus for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system in which users having identities are directly connected to each other in a shared private space by client software operating in devices and wherein the users can communicate with a management server using the client software, the apparatus comprising:

management software that sends a request from the management server to the user to become a managed entity;

a download manager that downloads from the management server to the client software a definition file containing a definition of the managed entity; and

a mechanism in the client software that associates the definition information with the user identities and device information in the client software in order to create a managed user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the managed entity is a managed user and the definition information file is an injectible identity file.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the managed entity is a managed device and the definition information file is a device information file.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the device information file is a Windows REG file.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

license control software in the management server that sends at least one license file from the management server to the managed user; and

license control software in the client software that, in response to information in the license file, enables at least one function in the client software.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

policy control software in the management server that sends at least one policy restriction file from the management server to the managed user; and

policy control software in the client software that, in response to information in the policy restriction file, restricts at least one function in the client software.

20. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

management software in the management server that creates a client list of licensed components and policy restrictions in the client software of the managed user;

a transport mechanism that sends the client list to the management server;

management software in the client software that creates a server list of licensed components and policy restrictions in the management server;

a mechanism that compares the client list to the server list; and

a mechanism that adjusts and synchronizes the components in the client software in cooperation with the comparison mechanism.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the adjusting and synchronizing mechanism comprises a download manager that downloads and installs licensed components from the management server to the client software which components are on the server list and are not on the client list.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the adjusting and synchronizing mechanism further comprises a mechanism that revokes licenses in the client software of components are on the client list and are not on the server list.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the adjusting and synchronizing mechanism operates periodically.

24. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

customer service management software that periodically sends event notifications and statistical information from the client software of the managed user to the management server.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the event notifications include error notifications.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein event notifications and statistical information are temporarily stored in a memory located at a client site.

27. A computer program product for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system in which users having identities are directly connected to each other in a shared private space by client software operating in devices and wherein the users can communicate with a management server using the client software, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, including:

program code for sending a request from the management server to the user to become a managed entity;

program code for downloading from the management server to the client software a definition file containing a definition of the managed entity; and

program code for associating information in the definition file with user identities and device in the client software in order to create a managed entity.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the managed entity is a managed user and the definition information file is an injectible identity file.

29. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the managed entity is a managed device and the definition information file is a device information file.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the device information file is a Windows REG file.

31. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising:

program code for sending at least one license file from the management server to the managed user; and

program code that responds to information in the license file for enabling at least one function in the client software.

32. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising:

program code for sending at least one policy restriction file from the management server to the managed user; and

program code that responds to information in the policy restriction file for restricting at least one function in the client software.

33. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising:

program code for creating a client list of licensed components and policy restrictions in the client software of the managed user;

program code for sending the client list to the management server;

program code for creating a server list of licensed components and policy restrictions in the management server;

program code for comparing the client list to the server list; and

program code that cooperates with the comparing program code for adjusting and synchronizing the components in the client software.

34. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein the program code for adjusting and synchronizing the components comprises program code for downloading and installing licensed components from the management server to the client software which components are on the server list and are not on the client list.

35. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein the program code for adjusting and synchronizing the components further comprises program code for revoking licenses in the client software of components are on the client list and are not on the server list.

36. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein program code for adjusting and synchronizing the components operates periodically.

37. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising:

program code for periodically sending event notifications and statistical information from the client software of the managed user to the management server.

38. The computer program product of claim 37 wherein the event notifications include error notifications.

39. The computer program product of claim 37 further comprisinig program code for temporarily storing event notifications and statistical information in a memory located at a client site.

40. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system in which users having identities are directly connected to each other in a shared private space by client software operating in devices and wherein the users can communicate with a management server using the client software, the computer data signal comprising:

program code for sending a request from the management server to the user to become a managed entity;

program code for downloading from the management server to the client software a definition file containing a definition of the managed entity; and

program code for associating information in the definition file with user identities and device in the client software in order to create a managed entity.

41. Apparatus for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system in which users having identities are directly connected to each other in a shared private space by client software operating in devices and wherein the users can communicate with a management server using the client software, the apparatus comprising:

means for sending a request from the management server to the user to become a managed entity;

means for downloading from the management server to the client software a definition file containing a definition of the managed entity; and

means in the client software for associating the definition information with the user identities and device information in the client software in order to create a managed user.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the managed entity is a managed user and the definition information file is an injectible identity file.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the managed entity is a managed device and the definition information file is a device information file.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the device information file is a Windows REG file.

45. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising:

means for sending at least one license file from the management server to the managed user; and

means responsive to information in the license file for enabling at least one function in the client software.

46. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising:

means for sending at least one policy restriction file from the management server to the managed user; and

means responsive to information in the policy restriction file for restricting at least one function in the client software.