Method and System for Policy Driven Data Distribution

• US 20110161332A1
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Milman, Ivan M., Schunter, Matthias, Waidner, Michael P., Wolfson, Charles D., Hinton, Heather M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for controlling the distribution of data. Data stored in a datastore is filtered according to a data release policy to generate filtered data. A data release policy agreement, corresponding to the data release policy, is generated. The filtered data and the data release policy agreement are then provided to an information consumer. The data release policy agreement is then used to enforce the data release policy.

Claims

1. A computer-implementable method for controlling the distribution of data, comprising:

filtering a set of data stored in a first datastore to generate a first set of filtered data, wherein the filtering is performed according to a first data release policy;

generating a first data release policy agreement corresponding to the first data release policy;

providing the first set of filtered data and the first data release policy agreement to a first information consumer; and

enforcing the first data release policy with the first data release policy agreement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data release policy is enforced by the first data release policy agreement upon the acceptance of the first data release policy agreement by the first information consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is performed according to metadata associated with the set of data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtering is performed according to attributes associated with the set of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the filtered data is masked.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the set of data stored in the first datastore is filtered according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

a second data release policy agreement corresponding to the second data release policy is generated;

the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement are provided to the first information consumer; and

the second data release policy agreement is used to enforce the second data release policy.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the first set of filtered data to a second datastore;

filtering the first set of filtered data according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

generating a second data release policy agreement;

providing the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement to a second information consumer; and

using the second data release policy agreement to enforce the second data release policy.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

the first data release policy is used to update the second data release policy.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the second data release policy is associated with the second information consumer; and

the second data release policy is used as a proxy by the second information consumer to access the first set of filtered data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first data release policy is enforced by the first data release policy agreement upon the acceptance of the first data release policy agreement by the first information consumer.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the filtering is performed according to metadata associated with the set of data.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the filtering is performed according to attributes associated with the set of data.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the filtered data is masked.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the set of data stored in the first datastore is filtered according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

a second data release policy agreement corresponding to the second data release policy is generated;

the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement are provided to a second first information consumer; and

the second data release policy agreement is used to enforce the second data release policy.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

providing the first set of filtered data to a second datastore;

filtering the first set of filtered data according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

generating a second data release policy agreement;

providing the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement to a second information consumer; and

using the second data release policy agreement to enforce the second data release policy.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

the first data release policy is used to update the second data release policy.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the second data release policy is associated with the second information consumer; and

the second data release policy is used as a proxy by the second information consumer to access the first set of filtered data.

10. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code controlling the distribution of data and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

filtering a set of data stored in a first datastore to generate a first set of filtered data, wherein the filtering is performed according to a first data release policy;

generating a first data release policy agreement corresponding to the first data release policy;

providing the first set of filtered data and the first data release policy agreement to a first information consumer; and

enforcing the first data release policy with the first data release policy agreement.

19. A computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

filtering a set of data stored in a first datastore to generate a first set of filtered data, wherein the filtering is performed according to a first data release policy;

generating a first data release policy agreement corresponding to the first data release policy;

providing the first set of filtered data and the first data release policy agreement to a first information consumer; and

enforcing the first data release policy with the first data release policy agreement.

20. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein the first data release policy is enforced by the first data release policy agreement upon the acceptance of the first data release policy agreement by the first information consumer.

21. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein the filtering is performed according to metadata associated with the set of data.

22. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein the filtering is performed according to attributes associated with the set of data.

23. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein the filtered data is masked.

24. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein:

the set of data stored in the first datastore is filtered according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

a second data release policy agreement corresponding to the second data release policy is generated;

the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement are provided to a second first information consumer; and

the second data release policy agreement is used to enforce the second data release policy.

25. The computer usable medium of claim 19, further comprising:

providing the first set of filtered data to a second datastore;

filtering the first set of filtered data according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

generating a second data release policy agreement;

providing the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement to a second information consumer; and

using the second data release policy agreement to enforce the second data release policy.

26. The computer usable medium of claim 25, wherein:

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

the first data release policy is used to update the second data release policy.

27. The computer usable medium of claim 25, wherein:

the second data release policy is associated with the second information consumer; and

the second data release policy is used as a proxy by the second information consumer to access the first set of filtered data.

28. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

29. The computer usable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.