AUTOMATIC DETERMINATION OF ITEM REPLICATION AND ASSOCIATED REPLICATION PROCESSES

• US 20090100109A1
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Lili, Turski, Andrzej, Williams, Shane F., Harris, Stacey, Maclaurin, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US11/873,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100109A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/176 Support for shared access to files; File sharing support

Abstract

Architecture for replicating and sharing of data (e.g., different types) by analyzing the type and source of the data, analyzing the recipient entities (e.g., users, other devices or systems) that will receive the data, setting access to the data, and configuring rules and defaults for replication and security/access controls. For example, a user can share data with recipient entities such as another user or group of users or another system. The data can be uploaded to a server for access and sharing by the intended recipients or made accessible directly from the recipient computing system. Thus, the intended recipient can access the data directly without being required to register, for example. The architecture automatically and transparently makes the data accessible to the intended recipients based on a number of criteria.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented data management system, comprising:

an analysis component for analyzing static and dynamic collections of data items for sharing and analyzing entities with which the data items will be shared; and

a security component for managing access to the collections of data items by the entities.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis component analyzes type and source of the data and the data items are shared based on the type and the source of the data.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a notification component for notifying a source of the data items of a security concern related to a recipient entity.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the source modifies access to the data items in a communication to the recipient entity based on the security concern.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the security component manages access to the data items according to a predetermined period of time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the data items are encrypted in a shared space and the encrypted items are accessed using a decryption key.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a rules component for creating and processing rules against the data items and entities which define sharing of the data items and access by the entities.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a preferences component for processing preferences of a source of the data items and preferences of the entities.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data items are shared from different sources, the data items associated with a query that is communicated to the entities.

10. A computer-implemented method of managing data, comprising:

receiving a dynamic collection of data items for sharing;

replicating the data items to a share location;

identifying one or more entities to access the data items;

qualifying the one or more entities for access to the data items; and

sharing the data items with the one or more entities.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining ownership of each of the data items and qualifying access by the one or more entities based on the ownership.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining sensitivity of a data item and qualifying access by the one or more entities based on the sensitivity.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising restricting access to the data items based on a period of time.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising automatically updating the data items in the share location based on version.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising synchronizing the data items of the share location to another system.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising notifying an owner of a data item and qualifying access to the data item by an entity based on the owner.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising sending information about new items and updated items via a directory service.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising specifying communications access methods for the one or more entities to access the data items.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising continuously updating the data items in the share location based on a sliding window of time.

20. A computer-implemented system, comprising:

computer-implemented means for receiving a dynamic collection of data items for sharing;

computer-implemented means for replicating the data items to a share location;

computer-implemented means for identifying one or more entities to access the data items;

computer-implemented means for qualifying the one or more entities for access to the data items; and

computer-implemented means for sharing the data items with the one or more entities.