APPLICATION OF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT POLICIES BASED ON OPERATION WITH A GEOGRAPHIC ENTITY

• US 20170199924A1
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Vibhor, Anand, Gokhale, Parag
• Granted Patent: US 10,831,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/125 characterised by the use of retention policies retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/27 Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/81 Threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS

Abstract

Techniques for providing data retention services based on a geographic region are disclosed. In one aspect, a location of a computing device is determined. A geographic entity corresponding to the location of the computing device is then determined. A data retention policy is applied to production data of the computing device based on regulations of the geographic entity. Other aspects are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing information management services for a mobile computing device, comprising:

determining, with an information management server, a geographic entity corresponding to a current location of the mobile computing device;

querying a data structure using an identifier for the determined geographic entity to determine which information management rules apply to the geographic entity,

wherein the information management rules are based on data retention regulations for the determined geographic entity; and

applying, with the information management server, an information management policy to information production copies of data generated by the mobile computing device,

wherein the information management policy includes creating at least one secondary copy of the production copies of data information generated by the mobile computing device,

wherein the information management policy is updated to include the information management rules determined by querying the data structure for the determined geographic entity,

wherein applying the information management policy includes modifying one or more of;

a frequency with which secondary copies of the production copies of information are made,

a location to which the secondary copies of the production copies of information are stored,

a type of secondary copy of the information, and

retention of the production copies of information stored on the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure is populated automatically by extracting the information management rules from documents published on the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the production copies of information include metadata and data, and

wherein the metadata is associated with network communications performed by the mobile computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the geographic entity includes:

receiving, from the mobile computing device, a network address of the mobile computing device; and

performing a reverse lookup of the network address using an online database that returns the country where the network address is used.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the data structure is an access control list that identifies geographic entities into which operation of the mobile computing device is prohibited by an organization and wherein adjusting the production copies of data information stored by the mobile computing device includes one or more of encrypting, password protecting, and deleting at least part of the information stored by the computing device, in response to the information management server determining that the location of the mobile computing device is within the geographic entity, the method further comprising:

receiving instructions from a user that identify the at least part of the production copies of information to be deleted,

wherein the instructions specify one or more of a file, a folder of files, files having a particular file extension, files containing a particular class of information, and files having a specified level of sensitivity to the organization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the production copies of data information stored by the mobile computing device includes, in response to the information management server determining that the location of the mobile computing device is within the geographic entity:

encrypting at least part of the production copies of information stored by the computing device;

password protecting at least part of the production copies of information stored by the computing device;

or

deleting at least part of the production copies of information stored by the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by the information management server, a user interface to receive instructions from a user,

wherein the user interface includes one or more user objects to enable the user to instruct the information management server to perform a data restore operation, delete some or all of the production copies of information from the mobile computing device, change the login password of the mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a message to a user to alert the user of potentially prohibited operations by mobile computing device,

wherein transmitting a message to the user includes transmitting the message to a mobile telecommunications device,

wherein the message identifies the potentially prohibited operations, and

wherein the message includes a network address to a webpage that displays a log of operating locations for the mobile computing device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents, when executed by a processor of a mobile computing device, cause a mobile computing device perform a method, the method comprising:

acquiring information associated with a geographic location of the mobile computing device,

wherein the information includes at least one of a network address of the mobile computing device, GPS coordinates of the mobile computing device, or a response from a query to a wireless telecommunications system;

transmitting the information associated with the geographic location of the mobile computing device to an information management server that modifies an information management policy for the mobile computing device based on the geographic location of the mobile computing device;

receiving a request from the information management server for copies of production data and metadata generated by the mobile computing device; and

transmitting the requested copies of the production data and metadata to the information management server, which executes the information management policy for the copies of the production data and metadata based on the geographic location of the mobile computing device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the mobile computing device to transmit a message to the information management server if a password to log into the mobile computing device is entered incorrectly more than one time.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions to cause the mobile computing device to transmit the information to the information management server includes transmitting the information at least once each time the mobile device receives a new IP address or each time the mobile computing device makes a new connection to a wired or wireless communications network.

12. A system, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one data storage device coupled to the at least one processor and storing instructions for implementing a process of providing data storage services for a computing device, the process including;

determining a current location of the computing device,

wherein the computing device generates application data that includes production copies of data;

determining a country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the computing device;

querying a data structure using the country or geographic region to determine data storage rules to apply to the determined country or geographic region corresponding to the current location of the computing device,

wherein the data storage rules are based on data retention regulations for the determined country or geographic region; and

applying a data storage policy associated with creating secondary copies of the production copies of the application data generated by the computing device,

wherein the data storage policy is based on the data retention regulations for the determined country or geographic region.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy modifies:

a frequency with which secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are made;

a location to which the secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are stored;

one or more types of secondary copies of the production copies of the application data to be made; and

security measures to be applied to at least some of the production copies of the application data.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy modifies:

a frequency with which secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are made; and

a location to which the secondary copies of the production copies of the application data are stored.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy modifies security measures to be applied to at least some of the production copies of the application data.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy includes encrypting at least some of the production copies of the application data generated by the computing device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy includes password protecting at least some of the production copies of the application data generated by the computing device.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy includes deleting at least some of the production copies of the application data generated by the computing device.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is a mobile device.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein applying the data storage policy includes:

determining which one of a number of secondary copy servers is close to the country or geographic region; and

transferring secondary copies of the application data for the computing device to the one of a number of secondary copy servers to decrease a duration of a data restoration operation for the computing device while the computing device is located within the country.