LOCAL COLLECTOR

• US 20100107156A1
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Andersen, David M., Mayer, Michael J., Hobart, Eric B., Richards, Philip L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for remotely collecting data from the local storage of a machines. For example, embodiments of the method involve deploying a collection tool to the machine via a network, automatically installing the collection tool on the machine, generating a snapshot of the data, storing the snapshot in a storage area on the machine, and transmitting the data from the storage area to a remote collection server. Because the data is transmitted from the snapshot stored in the storage area rather than from the original data stored on the local storage of the machine, the data may be transmitted to the remote collection server without substantially affecting a user'"'"'s ability to use the machine and interact with the data stored on the machine.

Claims

1. A method for collecting data stored on a machine, the method comprising:

deploying a collection tool to the machine via a network;

installing the collection tool on the machine;

generating a snapshot of the data;

storing the snapshot in a storage area on the machine; and

transmitting the data from the storage area to a collection server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection tool is configured to generate the snapshot, store the snapshot in the storage area, and transmit the data from the storage area to the collection server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating, storing, and transmitting operations are accomplished without substantially affecting the ability of a user to use the machine and interact with the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one file located on the hard drive of the machine.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing and/or hashing the data prior to transmitting the data from the storage area to the collection server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection tool is configured to be installed automatically on the machine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the data from the storage area to the collection server comprises:

determining if the machine is being actively used by a user;

transmitting the data from the machine to the collection server at a first rate if it is determined that the machine is being actively used by a user; and

transmitting the data from the machine to the collection server at a second rate if it is determined that the machine is not being actively used by a user, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

housing in a database server a catalog of the data stored in the snapshot; and

updating the catalog as the data is transmitted to the collection server to reflect the status of the data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

utilizing the catalog to resume transmission of the data to the collection server at the point of interruption in the event transmission is interrupted.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

utilizing the catalog to make a determination that the collection is complete.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection tool is configured to determine that a particular user of the machine has used a network resource, identify the network resource used, and transmit the identification of the used network resource to a server.

12. A method for collecting data from a machine, the method comprising:

identifying a machine for collection;

accessing the machine via a network;

taking a snapshot of the data stored on the machine;

storing the snapshot on the machine; and

transmitting the data from the snapshot to a collection server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying a machine for collection comprises:

providing a user name and a machine name;

searching the network for a machine having a name that matches the provided machine name;

locating a machine having a name that matches the provided machine name; and

confirming that the located machine maintains a user profile under the provided user name.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying a machine for collection comprises:

providing a user name and a machine name; and

employing an IP address lookup tool configured to search the network for a machine having a name that matches the provided machine name and, upon locating a machine having a name that matches the provided machine name, confirm that the located machine maintains a user profile under the provided user name.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said taking, storing, and transmitting operations are accomplished without substantially affecting the ability of a user to use the machine and interact with the data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein accessing the machine via a network comprises:

deploying a collection tool to the machine remotely via a network; and

installing the collection tool on the machine.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the collection tool is configured to take the snapshot, store the snapshot on the machine, and transmit the data from the snapshot to the collection server.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing the data temporarily in a landing zone as the data is transmitted to the collection server; and

transmitting the data to a network storage device after a determination is made that the collection is complete.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the collection server is configured to temporarily store the data in a landing zone as the data is transmitted to the collection server, and transmit the data to a network storage device after a determination is made that the collection is complete.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

housing in a database server a catalog of the data contained in the snapshot;

updating the catalog as the data is transmitted to the collection server to reflect the status of the data; and

utilizing the catalog to make a determination that the collection is complete.

21. A method for collecting data stored on a machine, the method comprising:

employing a collection tool configured to access the machine via a network, take a snapshot of the data stored on the machine, and store the snapshot on the machine; and

accessing the machine to transmit the data from the machine to a collection server.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the collection tool is configured to transmit the data from the machine to the collection server without substantially affecting the ability of a user to use the machine and interact with the data.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the collection tool is configured to be installed automatically on the machine.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the data comprises at least one file located on the hard drive of the machine.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the collection tool is configured to compress and/or hash the data prior to transmission of the data to the collection server.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein accessing the machine to transmit the data from the machine to a collection server comprises:

deploying the collection tool to the machine remotely via the network; and

installing the collection tool on the machine.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the collection tool is configured to determine if the machine is being actively used by a user, transmit the data from the machine to the collection server at a first rate if the machine is being actively used by a user, and transmit the data from the machine to the collection server at a second rate if the machine is not being actively used by a user, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the collection tool is configured to determine that a particular user of the machine has used a network resource, identify the network resource used, and transmit the identification of the used network resource to a server.

29. A system for collecting data stored on a machine, the system comprising:

a collection tool configured to be deployed to the machine via a network, take a snapshot of the data, store the snapshot on the machine, and transmit the data from the snapshot;

a deployment server in communication with the machine via the network and configured to deploy the collection tool to the machine; and

a collection server in communication with the machine and configured to receive the data transmitted from the machine and store the data in a network storage area.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the collection tool is configured to take a snapshot of the data, store the snapshot on the machine, and transmit the data from the snapshot without substantially affecting the ability of a user to use the machine and interact with the data.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising a case management server providing a user interface through which identifying information about the machine may be entered and the collection process may be observed and managed.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the deployment server and the collection server are combined into a single server.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising an IP address lookup tool configured to run on the deployment server and determine the IP address of the machine.

34. The system of claim 29, further comprising a database server in communication with the deployment server, the collection server, and the machine and configured to house data transmitted by the deployment server, the collection server, and/or the collection tool.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the collection tool is configured to transmit to the database server a catalog of the data contained in the snapshot.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the collection server is configured to transmit to the database server updated status information regarding the transmission of the data contained in the snapshot.

37. The system of claim 29, further comprising a landing zone configured to store temporarily and/or stage the data as the data is received by the collection server.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the collection tool is configured to employ a security tool configured to prevent a user of the machine from accessing or editing the snapshot.

39. The system of claim 29, further comprising a network storage device configured to permanently store the data.

40. The system of claim 29, wherein the collection server is configured to temporarily store the data in a landing zone as the data is transmitted to the collection server, and transmit the data to a network storage device after a determination is made that the collection is complete.

41. A computer program product for collecting data stored on a machine, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program instructions stored therein, wherein said computer readable program instructions comprise:

first instructions configured for taking a snapshot of the data stored on the machine;

second instructions configured for storing the snapshot on the machine; and

third instructions configured for transmitting the data contained in the snapshot to a remote collection server.

42. The computer program product of claim 41, wherein the computer program product is configured such that the first, second and third instructions are capable of being executed without substantially affecting a user'"'"'s ability to use the machine and interact with the data stored on the machine.

43. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions configured for automatically installing on the machine.

44. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions configured for transmitting a catalog of the data contained in the snapshot to a remote database server; and

instructions configured for updating the catalog as the data is transmitted to the remote collection server to reflect the status of the data.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, further comprising:

instructions configured for utilizing the catalog to resume transmission of the data contained in the snapshot to the remote collection server at the point of interruption in the event transmission is interrupted.

46. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions configured for preventing a user of the machine from accessing or editing the snapshot.

47. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions configured for identifying a network resource used by a user of the machine; and

instructions configured for transmitting the identification of the used network resource to a server.

48. The computer program product of claim 41, further comprising:

instructions configured for determining if the machine is being actively used by a user;

instructions configured for transmitting the data from the machine to the remote collection server at a first rate if it is determined that the machine is being actively used by a user; and

instructions configured for transmitting the data from the machine to the remote collection server at a second rate if it is determined that the machine is not being actively used by a user, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate.