Access to Network-Based Storage Resource Based on Hardware Identifier

• US 20170302761A1
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: DEVITT-CAROLAN, TARAM SIERRA
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/13 File access structures, e.g. distributed indices arrangements of input from, or output to, record carriers G06F3/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Some examples provide a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions executable by a processor of a computing device. The instructions can cause the processor to establish remote access by the computing device to a network-based storage resource, and establish the remote access based on a hardware identifier associated with the computing device. The instructions can cause the processor to generate, at the computing device, a local index for the remote data stored on the network-based storage resource and available to the computing device through the remote access. The instructions can cause the processor to provide, based on the local index, local access to the remote data through a virtual file system at the computing device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a processor of a computing device to:

establish, based on a hardware identifier associated with the computing device, remote access by the computing device to a network-based storage resource;

generate, at the computing device, a local index for remote data stored on the network-based storage resource and available to the computing device through the remote access; and

provide, based on the local index, local access to the remote data through a virtual file system at the computing device.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the hardware identifier comprises a trusted hardware identifier.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein the trusted hardware identifier is obtained during a secure boot process of the computing device.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to fetch, from the network-based storage resource, a subset of the remote data that the computing device is attempting to access through the virtual file system.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to transmit, from the computing device to the network-based storage resource, local data that is written to the virtual file system by the computing device.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 5, wherein the local data comprises user-provided technical support data generated at the computing device.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote data comprises vendor-provided technical support data associated with the computing device.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the remote data comprises vendor-provided data, and the remote access comprises read-only access privilege with respect to at least the vendor-provided data.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the remote data comprises user-provided data, and the remote access comprises read-and-write access privilege with respect to at least the user-provided data.

10. A method, comprising:

determining, based on a hardware identifier associated with a client system, remote data stored on a network-based storage resource and associated with the client system;

determining, based on the hardware identifier, an access privilege of the client system to the remote data; and

providing the client system with remote access to the remote data, the remote access comprising the access privilege.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote data comprises vendor-provided technical support data associated with the client system, or user-provided technical support data generated at the client system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote data comprises vendor-provided data and the access privilege is read-only access privilege with respect to at least the vendor-provided data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote data comprises vendor-provided data, and the method comprises generating a report regarding access of the vendor-provided data by the client system and by at least one other client system sharing a common attribute with the client system.

14. A computer system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions being executable by the processor to;

determine, based on a first hardware identifier associated with a first client system, a first association between a data item stored on a network-based storage resource and the first client system;

provide, based on the first association, the first client system with remote access to the data item;

determine, based on a second hardware identifier associated with a second client system, a second association between the data item and the second client system; and

provide, based on the second association, the second client system with remote access to the data item.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the first client system and the second client system share a common attribute, and the remote item relates to the common attribute.