SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AGGREGATING INFORMATION-ASSET CLASSIFICATIONS

• US 20160140207A1
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Veritas Technologies, LLC (Whitehouse Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Koeten, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 10,095,768 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/122 using management policies backup systems G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for aggregating information-asset classifications may include (1) identifying a data collection that includes two or more information assets, (2) identifying a classification for each of the information assets, (3) deriving, based at least in part on the classifications of the information assets, an aggregate classification for the data collection, and (4) associating the aggregate classification with the data collection to enable a data management system to enforce a data management policy based on the aggregate classification. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for aggregating information-asset classifications, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying a data collection that includes a plurality of information assets;

identifying a classification for each of two or more of the information assets;

deriving, based at least in part on the classifications of the two or more of the information assets, an aggregate classification for the data collection;

associating the aggregate classification with the data collection to enable a data management system to enforce a data management policy based on the aggregate classification.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

deriving the aggregate classification comprises compiling a union of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets;

the aggregate classification comprises the union of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

deriving the aggregate classification comprises identifying a maximum value of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets;

the aggregate classification comprises the maximum value of the two or more of the information assets.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

deriving the aggregate classification comprises calculating an average value of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets;

the aggregate classification comprises the average value of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

deriving the aggregate classification comprises identifying a minimum value of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets;

the aggregate classification comprises the minimum value of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification of a change to the data collection, wherein the change comprises at least one of;

a change to the classification of one of the information assets included in the data collection;

deletion of one of the information assets included in the data collection;

inclusion of an additional information asset to the data collection;

modifying the aggregate classification of the data collection based on the change to the data collection.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the aggregate classification for the data collection;

in response to receiving the request for the aggregate classification, providing the aggregate classification for the data collection.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a data management policy that applies to the aggregate classification of the data collection;

enforcing the data management policy.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the information assets comprises an information asset capable of containing at least one additional information asset.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein deriving the aggregate classification for the data collection is based at least in part on the aggregate classification of at least one subordinate data collection contained in the data collection.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein deriving the aggregate classification for the data collection is based at least in part on a classification of at least one information asset contained in a subordinate data collection contained in the data collection.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the classifications for the two or more of the information assets are received from two separate and distinct data management systems.

13. A system for aggregating information-asset classifications, the system comprising:

an identification module, stored in memory, that identifies a data collection that includes a plurality of information assets;

a classification module, stored in memory, that identifies a classification for each of two or more of the information assets;

an aggregation module, stored in memory, that derives, based at least in part on the classifications of the two or more of the information assets, an aggregate classification for the data collection;

an association module, stored in memory, that associates the aggregate classification with the data collection to enable a data management system to enforce a data management policy based on the aggregate classification;

at least one physical processor configured to execute the identification module, the classification module, the aggregation module, and the association module.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the aggregation module derives the aggregate classification by compiling a union of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets;

the aggregate classification comprises the union of the classifications of the two or more of the information assets.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the aggregation module derives the aggregate classification by identifying a maximum value of the classifications of the information assets included in the data collection.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the aggregation module derives the aggregate classification by calculating an average value of the classifications of the information assets included in the data collection.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the aggregation module derives the aggregate classification by identifying a minimum value of the classifications of the information assets included in the data collection.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the classification module further receives a notification of a change to the data collection, wherein the change comprises at least one of;

a change to the classification of one of the information assets included in the data collection;

deletion of one of the information assets included in the data collection;

inclusion of an additional information asset to the data collection;

the aggregation module further modifies the aggregate classification of the data collection based on the change to the data collection.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the association module further:

receives a request for the aggregate classification for the data collection;

provides the aggregate classification for the data collection in response to receiving the request for the aggregate classification.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify a data collection that includes a plurality of information assets;

identify a classification for each of two or more of the information assets;

derive, based at least in part on the classifications of the two or more of the information assets, an aggregate classification for the data collection;

associate the aggregate classification with the data collection to enable a data management system to enforce a data management policy based on the aggregate classification.