Method of and apparatus for managing data utilizing configurable policies and schedules

• US 20080077622A1
• Filed: 09/22/2006
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Keith, Robert O.
• Application Number:
  US11/525,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077622A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409

Abstract

A system and method for managing data is described herein. A Data Manager (DM) is an application that is able to be situated on a server or a user system to provide capabilities of managing user data. The user data is located and knowledge of where the data is located is stored by the DM. Users are then able to set policies based on scheduling which will manage their data. Furthermore, within the data manager are utilities for managing the data efficiently and properly. The utilities include database management, open file management, VSS, synchronization and encryption. The DM uses the utilities and the policies provided and is able to manage the data as needed so as to ensure environment is healthy and managed the way the user desires.

Claims

1. A system for managing data comprising:

a. a set of utilities for managing and synchronizing the data; and

b. one or more configurable policies for determining how and when to execute the set of utilities.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface for receiving input from a user.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more configurable policies permit selecting of one or more selectable options.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the selectable options are selected from the group consisting of name, type, size, last accessed, action, when, how often and where.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of back up, archive, delete and copy.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the set of utilities further include database management and encryption.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system is stored on a server.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system is stored on a user computer.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data comprises user data.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein data knowledge is stored and utilized by the one or more policies.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 wherein the data knowledge includes locations of the data.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the system runs in the background of a computer.

13. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the one or more configurable policies are configured by a user.

14. A system for managing data comprising:

a. a set of utilities for providing;

i. database management;

ii. synchronization; and

iii. encryption;

b. one or more configurable policies for determining how to execute the set of utilities; and

c. one or more configurable schedules for determining when to execute the one or more policies.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a graphical user interface for receiving input from a user.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14 further comprising one or more selectable options within the one or more policies wherein at least one of the options is selected.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein the selectable options are selected from the group consisting of name, type, size, last accessed, action, when, how often and where.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of back up, archive, delete and copy.

19. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the system is stored on a server.

20. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the system is stored on a user computer.

21. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the data comprises user data.

22. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein data knowledge is stored and utilized by the one or more policies.

23. The system as claimed in claim 22 wherein the data knowledge includes locations of the data.

24. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the system runs in the background of a computer.

25. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the one or more configurable policies and the one or more configurable schedules are configured by a user.

26. A system for managing user data comprising:

a. a graphical user interface for permitting user interaction;

b. a set of utilities coupled to the graphical user interface for providing;

i. database management;

ii. synchronization; and

iii. encryption,

wherein the set of utilities perform one or more actions;

c. one or more configurable policies for determining how to execute the set of utilities, wherein the set of utilities further comprise one or more selectable options and further wherein the policies utilize user data knowledge to locate the user data, further wherein the one or more configurable policies are configured utilizing the graphical user interface; and

d. one or more configurable schedules for determining when to execute the one or more policies, further wherein the one or more configurable schedules are configured utilizing the graphical user interface.

27. The system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the selectable options are selected from the group consisting of name, type, size, last accessed, when, how often and where.

28. The system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the one or more actions are selected from the group consisting of back up, archive, delete and copy.

29. The system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the system is stored on a server.

30. The system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the system is stored on a user computer.

31. The system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the system runs in the background of a computer.

32. The system as claimed in claim 26 wherein the one or more configurable policies and the one or more configurable schedules are configured by a user.

33. A method of managing data comprising:

a. storing information related to user data; and

b. implementing a set of data management utilities for managing and synchronizing the data based on one or more user-configurable policies using the information related to user data.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein a graphical user interface receives input from a user for generating and configuring the one or more policies.

35. The method as claimed in claim 33 further comprising generating the one or more policies.

36. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein one or more selectable options within the one or more policies are used to configure the one or more policies.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the selectable options are selected from the group consisting of name, type, size, last accessed, action, when, how often and where.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37 wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of back up, archive, delete and copy.

39. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein the set of data management utilities include database management and encryption.

40. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein the method is implemented on a server.

41. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein the method is implemented on a user computer.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41 wherein the information related to the user data includes locations of the user data.

43. The method as claimed in claim 33 wherein the method runs in the background of a computer.

44. A method of managing data comprising:

a. storing information related to locations of user data;

b. generating one or more configurable policies;

c. implementing a set of data management utilities based on the one or more policies, wherein the data management utilities include;

i. database management;

ii. synchronization; and

iii. encryption.

45. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein a graphical user interface receives input from a user for generating and configuring the one or more policies.

46. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein one or more selectable options within the one or more policies are used to configure the one or more policies.

47. The method as claimed in claim 46 wherein the selectable options are selected from the group consisting of name, type, size, last accessed, action, when, how often and where.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47 wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of back up, archive, delete and copy.

49. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein the method is implemented on a server.

50. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein the method is implemented on a user computer.

51. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein the method runs in the background of a computer.

52. The method as claimed in claim 44 wherein the one or more configurable policies are configured by a user.