Isolated working chamber associated with a secure inter-company collaboration environment

• US 20040093397A1
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Chiroglazov, Anatoli G., Drenan, Lawrence A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/362 Software debugging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system is described in which multiple companies can securely collaborate on a design or other project, while one company can still protect certain property, such as source code, from the other collaborating companies. The system includes an inter-company collaboration system that includes a set of resources residing on a set of one or more first utility servers maintained by a first company, an access control mechanism for controlling access to the set of resources, a first data storage mechanism, and a secure network connection between the set of utility servers and a second company. The system further includes an isolated system that includes a second set of servers, a second data storage mechanism that includes a first portion that contains data shared with the collaboration system and a second portion that contains data private to the isolated system, and a second access control mechanism to control access to the second set of servers to only individuals associated with one company.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an inter-company collaboration system comprising;

a first set of one or more utility servers maintained by a first company,

a first data storage mechanism associated with the first set of utility servers,

a first set of resources residing on the first set of utility servers,

a secure network connection between the first set of utility servers and a second company, and

a first access control mechanism configured to control access, by the first company and the second company, to the first set of resources and to the secure network connection, wherein access to the first set of resources is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the first company and specific authorized individuals that are associated with the second company; and

an isolated system that is communicatively coupled to the collaboration system, comprising;

a second set of one or more utility servers maintained by the first company;

a second data storage mechanism associated with the second set of utility servers, the second data storage mechanism including

a first storage portion that contains data that is shared with the collaboration system, and

a second storage portion that contains data that is private to the isolated system; and

a second access control mechanism configured to control access to the second set of utility servers, wherein access to the second set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated only with the first company.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a switching mechanism coupled to the first data storage mechanism and the second data storage mechanism, configured to control copying of the data that is shared with the collaboration system to the first and second data storage mechanisms and to control copying of the data that is private to the isolated system to only the second data storage mechanism.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data that is private to the isolated system includes source code associated with a software application.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the software application is an electronic design automation (EDA) application.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the data that is shared with the collaboration system includes a set of data that represents an electronic design created using the software application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the isolated system further comprises:

a second set of resources residing on the second set of utility servers, wherein the second set of resources includes a compiler.

7. A method for providing a secure system for working in isolation from an associated inter-company collaboration system, the method comprising:

controlling access to a first set of one or more utility servers maintained by a first company, wherein access to the first set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the first company;

controlling access to a second set of one or more utility servers maintained by a second company, wherein access to the second set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the second company;

controlling access to a secure network connection between the first and second sets of utility servers, wherein access to the secure network connection is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the first company or the second company;

controlling access to a third set of one or more utility servers maintained by the first company, wherein access to the third set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated only with the first company;

providing access to shared data to at least the first set of utility servers and the third set of utility servers; and

providing access to private data to only the third set of utility servers.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the private data includes software application source code, the method further comprising:

using the third set of utility servers to debug the source code.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the private data includes electronic design automation (EDA) application source code, the method further comprising:

using the third set of utility servers to debug the source code.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the private data includes electronic design automation (EDA) application source code and the shared data includes a set of data that represents an electronic design created using the application, the method further comprising:

using the third set of utility servers, in conjunction with the shared data, to debug the source code.

11. A system for providing a secure system for working in isolation from an associated inter-company collaboration system, the system comprising:

means for controlling access to a first set of one or more utility servers maintained by a first company, wherein access to the first set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the first company;

means for controlling access to a second set of one or more utility servers maintained by a second company, wherein access to the second set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the second company;

means for controlling access to a secure network connection between the first and second sets of utility servers, wherein access to the secure network connection is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated with the first company or the second company;

means for controlling access to a third set of one or more utility servers maintained by the first company, wherein access to the third set of utility servers is limited to specific authorized individuals that are associated only with the first company;

means for providing access to shared data to at least the first set of utility servers and the third set of utility servers; and

means for providing access to private data to only the third set of utility servers.