USING FILE BACKUP SOFTWARE TO GENERATE AN ALERT WHEN A FILE MODIFICATION POLICY IS VIOLATED

• US 20080086513A1
• Filed: 10/04/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: O'Brien, Thomas Edward
• Granted Patent: US 7,769,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1461 Backup scheduling policy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action

Abstract

A method and data processing system for using file backup software to generate an alert when a file modification policy is violated. File backup software is installed on a computer to monitor a plurality of files. If the file backup software detects a modification to a file, the file backup software determines whether a file modification policy associated with the file has been violated. If the file backup software determines that the file modification policy has been violated, the file backup software generates an alert, indicating that the modification violates the modification policy.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for generating an alert using file backup software, the computer implemented method comprising:

monitoring a plurality of files for modifications;

responsive to detecting a modification of a file in the plurality of files, determining whether a modification policy associated with the file has been violated by the modification; and

responsive to determining that the modification policy has been violated, generating an alert, indicating that a modification violating the modification policy has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert comprises at least one of a log file, a simple network management protocol (SNMP) message, an email, a voice mail, an instant message, a text message, or a pager message, and generating the alert comprises sending the alert to the user or a software component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified file is compared to a previous version of the file to create a delta file, and the delta file is attached to the alert.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification policy specifies one or more users with permission to access the file, and the modification policy is violated if the file is modified by a user different than the one or more users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification policy specifies a time period, the file is modified at a first date and at a second date, and the modification policy is violated if the difference between the second date and the first date exceeds the time period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that the modification policy is violated, restoring a previous copy of the file using file backup software.

7. A data processing system for generating an alert when a modification policy is violated, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a storage device connected to the bus;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a processing unit connected to the bus; and

file backup software that monitors a plurality of files on the storage device, wherein a first user creates a modification policy, the first user creates a file associated with the modification policy, a second user modifies the file to form a modified file, the file backup software detects the modified file, determines whether the modified file violates the modification policy, and responsive to determining the modified file violates the modification policy, generates an alert.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the alert comprises at least one of a log file, a simple network management protocol (SNMP) message, an email, a voice mail, an instant message, a text message, or a pager message.

9. The data processing system of claim 7, further comprising comparing the modified file to a previous version of the file to create a delta file, and attaching the delta file to the alert.

10. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the modification policy specifies one or more users with permission to access the file, and the second user is different than the one or more users.

11. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the modification policy specifies a time period, the file is modified at a first date and at a second date, and the modification policy is violated if the difference between the second date and the first date exceeds the time period.

12. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the file backup software automatically restores a previous copy of the modified file.

13. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the second user is prevented from modifying any files.