Controlled Sharing of Information in Virtual Organizations

• US 20120131581A1
• Filed: 11/24/2010
• Published: 05/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Zielinski, Marek Piotr, Eloff, Jan Harm Petrus
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method for extracting data items for a task requesting a set of data items in a virtual organization including a plurality of members is provided. A set of confidentiality sub-policies associated with the set of data items and an information utility sub-policy associated with the task are retrieved. At least a portion of the set of data items for the task are retrieved based on an analysis that optimally balances confidentiality and information utility using the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy.

Claims

1. A method for extracting data items for a task requesting a set of data items in a virtual organization including a plurality of members, the method comprising:

determining a set of confidentiality sub-policies associated with the set of data items;

determining an information utility sub-policy associated with the task; and

retrieving, by a computing device, at least a portion of the set of data items for the task based on an analysis that optimally balances confidentiality and information utility using the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a set of conflict control sub-policies for members associated with the set of data items and a first member associated with the task; and

determining if a conflict exists between members associated with the set of data items and the first member using the set of conflict control sub-policies,

wherein the at least a portion of the set of data items are not retrieved if the conflict exists.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of conflict control sub-policies includes a conflict control sub-policy associated with each of the members associated with the set of data items and a conflict control sub-policy associated with the first member.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an optimum level of information utility and confidentiality based on the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy for the task.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the optimum level of information utility and confidentiality is determined using an optimization function.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining at least a portion of the data items to extract based on the maximum level determined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the confidentiality of each data item is quantified based on a pre-condition defined for the confidentiality sub-policy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information utility for each data item requested by the task is quantified based on a pre-condition defined for the confidentiality sub-policy.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising dynamically changing at least one sub-policy in the set of confidentiality sub-policies or the information utility sub-policy.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy are defined by a single policy used to control sharing of the set of data items.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for extracting data items for a task requesting a set of data items in a virtual organization including a plurality of members, the instructions for controlling a computer system to be operable to:

determine a set of confidentiality sub-policies associated with the set of data items;

determine an information utility sub-policy associated with the task; and

retrieve at least a portion of the set of data items for the task based on an analysis that optimally balances confidentiality and information utility using the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further operable to:

determine a set of conflict control sub-policies for members associated with the set of data items and a first member associated with the task;

determine if a conflict exists between members associated with the set of data items and the first member using the set of conflict control sub-policies,

wherein the at least a portion of the set of data items are not retrieved if the conflict exists.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the set of conflict control sub-policies includes a conflict control sub-policy associated with each of the members associated with the set of data items and a conflict control sub-policy associated with the first member.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further operable to determine an optimum level of information utility and confidentiality based on the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy for the task.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the maximum level is determined using an optimization function.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further operable to determine the at least a portion of the data items to extract based on the optimum level determined.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the confidentiality of each data item is quantified based on a pre-condition defined for the confidentiality sub-policy.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the information utility for each data item requested by the task is quantified based on a pre-condition defined for the confidentiality sub-policy.

19. A system for extracting data items for a task requesting a set of data items in a virtual organization including a plurality of members, the system comprising:

storage configured to store;

data items for each member, and

a confidentiality sub-policy for data items for each member,

an information extraction component configured to;

determine an optimum balance of confidentiality and information utility based on a set confidentiality sub-policies associated with the set of data items and an information utility sub-policy associated with the task; and

retrieve at least a portion of the set of data items based on the optimum balancing of the confidentiality and the information utility using the set of confidentiality sub-policies and the information utility sub-policy.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a conflict control component configured to:

determine a set of conflict control sub-policies for members associated with the set of data items and a first member associated with the task; and

determine if a conflict exists between members associated with the set of data items and the first member using the set of conflict control sub-policies,

wherein the at least a portion of the set of data items are not retrieved if the conflict exists.