Small-scale secured computer network group without centralized management

• US 20040210767A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ward, Richard B., Lyndersay, Sean O., Guzak, Chris, Reasor, Sterling, Flo, Eric, Sinclair, Andrew P., Brezak, John E. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0869 for achieving mutual authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for mutual authentication H04L9/3273
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

Computers on a local computer network, such as a home network or a small business network, are formed into a secured network group that provides common user access control and enables resource sharing among the computers in the group. A computer on the local network discovers whether there are secured network groups existing on the local network. If one secured network group is found, the computer indicates to a second computer in the group its desire to join the group, and establishes trust with that computer, such as by entering a proper user name and password, or a secret identification number. Once the trust is established, the first computer joins the group. Within the secured network group, user accounts and user profiles are replicated to each of the computers in the group. The establishment of trust and the replication of user accounts and profiles among the computers in the group enable the implementation of security policies and user access control in a group-wide manner.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for a computer connected to a local computer network to perform steps of:

discovering whether there is a secured network group on the local computer network;

if a secured network group is discovered, establishing trust with a selected computer in the secured network group to join the secured network group; and

replicating user accounts to and from computers in the secured network group.

2. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the step of discovering includes broadcasting a discovery request over the local computer network to computers connected to the local computer network.

3. A computer-readable medium as in claim 2, wherein the discovery request is constructed according to the Simple Service Discovery Protocol.

4. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the step of replicating replicates user-specific data in addition to the user accounts.

5. A computer-readable medium as in claim 4, wherein the user-specific data include user documents.

6. A computer-readable medium as in claim 5, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

detecting that one of the user documents is changed; and

replicating the changed documents to computers in the secured network group.

7. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving a changed password from a user; and

replicating the changed password to other computers in the secured network group.

8. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of presenting a user interface after the step of discovering, the user interface including an option of joining a secured network group identified in the step of discovering.

9. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, wherein the step of establishing trust includes presenting a secret known to the selected computer in the secured network group.

10. A computer-readable medium as in claim 7, wherein the secret is a user name and password.

11. A computer-readable medium as in claim 7, wherein the secret is a randomly generated secret personal identification number.

12. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions for performing steps of:

in response to a user input, creating a new secured network group on the local computer network;

inviting a second computer on the local computer network to join the created secured network group;

establishing trust with the second computer; and

replicating user accounts to and from the second computer.

13. A computer-readable medium as in claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions for performing the step of:

receiving a user request to leave the secured network group; and

leaving the secured network group.

14. A method for a computer on a local computer network to work with other computers on the local computer network, comprising:

connecting to the local computer network;

discovering whether there is a secured network group on the local computer network;

if a secured network group is discovered, establishing trust with a selected computer in the secured network group to join the secured network group; and

replicating user accounts to and from computers in the secured network group.

15. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of discovering includes broadcasting a discovery request over the local computer network to computers connected to the local computer network.

16. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of replicating replicates user-specific data in addition to the user accounts.

17. A method as in claim 14, wherein the user-specific data include user documents.

18. A method as in claim 17, further including the steps of:

detecting that one of the user documents is changed; and

replicating the changed documents to computers in the secured network group.

19. A method as in claim 14, further including the steps of:

receiving from a user a changed password of the user; and

replicating the changed password of the user to other computers in the secured network group.

20. A method as in claim 14, wherein the step of establishing trust includes presenting a secret known to the selected computer in the secured network group.

21. A computer network group comprising a plurality of computers connected to a local computer network, each computer having a group service module for establishing trust with the other computers in the computer network group and replicating user data to and from the other computers after trust has been established therewith, wherein the user data include user accounts.

22. A computer network group as in claim 21, where the group service module of each computer is programmed to establish trust with a second computer in the computer network group by transmitting a user name and password known to the second computer.

23. A computer network group as in claim 21, wherein the user data being replicated include selected user documents.

24. A computer-network group as in claim 21, wherein each computer in the computer network group is further programmed to discover existing computer network groups on the local computer network.