System and method for remotely accessing data

• US 6,334,146 B1
• Filed: 09/18/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JDA Software Group Incorporated (RedPrairie Holding Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: i2 Technologies US Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Notani, Ranjit N., Whipple, Mark B., Parasnis, Abhay V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/156,265
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/205, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/211, 709/213, 709/216, 709/106, 709/219, 707/10, 707/2, 707/3, 707/9, 395/330, 395/339, 705/1, 705/3, 705/8
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A computer system for remotely accessing data in a multi-enterprise collaboration comprises a workspace associated with a first enterprise having a plurality of stored objects. The computer system further comprises a network node associated with a second enterprise, the network node being in communication with the workspace across the network. The computer system further comprises an agent generated at the network node, the agent operable to access the workspace via the network, the agent further operable to manipulate at least one of the plurality of stored objects within the workspace to perform a collaboration activity.

Claims

1. A computer system for remotely accessing data in a multi-enterprise collaboration, comprising:

a first network node associated with a first enterprise, the first network node being in communication with a workspace across a network, the workspace being at a second network node associated with a second enterprise, the workspace comprising a plurality of stored data elements in a hierarchy, access to which is controlled by a permissibility framework; and

an agent generated at the first network node, the agent being operable to be sent across the network to access at least one particular data element in the hierarchy of the workspace at the second node, the access occurring in response to verification that the agent has access rights to the data element according to the permissibility framework, the agent being further operable to manipulate the particular data element within the workspace at the second node to perform a collaboration activity between the first and second enterprises.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the agent is an administrative agent.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the agent is an administrative agent operable to modify characteristics of the hierarchy of the workspace.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the agent is an execution agent.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the agent is an optimization agent.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the agent is a query agent.

7. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising the workspace, the workspace comprising a plurality of memory slots each operable to store at least one data element.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein:

the memory slots are accessible by a plurality of network nodes; and

access to the memory slots by the network nodes is controlled by the permissibility framework.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the workspace is an in-memory workspace.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the workspace is a persistent workspace.

11. The computer system of claim 1, further comprising the workspace, the workspace comprising an event manager operable to notify the first network node in response to changes to the workspace.

12. A method of remotely accessing data in an object workspace, comprising:

initiating an agent at a first node of a network;

sending the agent across the network to a workspace at a second node of the network, the workspace having a plurality of memory slots, each memory slot operable to store at least one object, the workspace further having a permissibility framework to control access to the memory slots;

using the permissibility framework to verify that the agent has access rights to the specific memory slot; and

performing an operation using the agent and at least one object stored in the specific memory slot.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending the results of the operation to the first node.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending a message to a third node of the network in response to performing the operation.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising changing an organizational hierarchy of the workspace in response to performing the operation.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the first node subscribing to event notification in response to performing the operation.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising altering the permissibility framework in response to performing the operation.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein performing the operation comprises performing administrative tasks in the workspace.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein performing the operation comprises optimizing the performance of the object.

20. A method for remotely accessing data in a multi-enterprise collaboration, comprising:

generating an agent at a first network node associated with a first enterprise, the first network node being in communication with a workspace across a network, the workspace being at a second node associated with a second enterprise, the workspace comprising a plurality of stored data elements in a hierarchy, access to which is controlled by a permissibility framework;

sending the agent across the network to access the workspace at the second node;

using the agent, accessing at least one particular data element in the hierarchy of the workspace in response to verification that the agent has access rights to the data element according to the permissibility framework; and

manipulating the particular data element within the workspace using the agent to perform a collaboration activity between the first and second enterprises.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the agent is an administrative agent.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the agent is an administrative agent operable to modify characteristics of the hierarchy of the workspace.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the agent is an execution agent.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the agent is an optimization agent.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the agent is a query agent.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the workspace comprises a plurality of memory slots each operable to store at least one data element.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein:

the memory slots are accessible by a plurality of network nodes; and

access to the memory slots by the network nodes is controlled by the permissibility framework.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the workspace comprises an event manager; and

the method further comprises notifying the first network node, using the event manager, in response to changes to the workspace.

29. A system for remotely accessing data in an object workspace, comprising:

a first network node, the first network node being in communication with a workspace across a network, the workspace being at a second network node and comprising a plurality of memory slots, each memory slot operable to store at least one object, the workspace further having a permissibility framework to control access to the memory slots; and

an agent initiated at the first network node, the agent being operable to be sent across the network to access the workspace at the second network node, the access occurring in response to verification that the agent has access rights to a specific memory slot according to the permissibility framework, the agent being further operable to perform an operation with at least one object stored in the specific memory slot.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising an event manager operable to send the results of the operation to the first node.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising an event manager operable to send a message to a third network node in response to the performance of the operation.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the agent is further operable to change an organizational hierarchy of the workspace in response to performing the operation.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the first network node is operable to subscribe to event notification in response to the performance of the operation.

34. The system of claim 29, further comprising a permissibility framework manager operable to alter the permissibility framework in response to the performance of the operation.

35. The system of claim 29, wherein the agent is operable to perform administrative tasks in the workspace.

36. The system of claim 29, wherein the agent is operable to optimize the performance of the object.

37. An agent for remotely accessing data in an object workspace:

the agent having been initiated at a first network node that is in communication with a workspace across a network, the workspace being at a second network node and comprising a plurality of memory slots, each memory slot operable to store at least one object, the workspace further having a permissibility framework to control access to the memory slots;

the agent having been sent across the network to access the workspace at the second network node, the access occurring in response to verification that the agent has access rights to a specific memory slot according to the permissibility framework; and

the agent being operable to perform an operation with at least one object stored in the specific memory slot.

38. The agent of claim 37, wherein the agent is operable to change an organizational hierarchy of the workspace in response to performing the operation.

39. The agent of claim 37, wherein the agent comprises an administrative agent operable to perform administrative tasks in the workspace.

40. The agent of claim 37, wherein the agent comprises an optimization agent operable to optimize the performance of the object.

41. The agent of claim 37, wherein the agent comprises a query agent operable to perform a query on the workspace.

42. The agent of claim 37, wherein the first network node is associated with a first enterprise and the second network node is associated with a second enterprise.

43. Software for remotely accessing data in an object workspace, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

initiate an agent at a first node of a network; and

send the agent across the network to a workspace at a second node of the network, the workspace having a plurality of memory slots, each memory slot operable to store at least one object, the workspace further having a permissibility framework to control access to the memory slots and to verify that the agent has access rights to the specific memory slot;

the agent operable to perform an operation on at least one object stored in the specific memory slot in response to verification that the agent has access rights to the specific memory slot.

44. The software of claim 43, wherein the agent is operable to change an organizational hierarchy of the workspace in response to performing the operation.

45. The software of claim 43, wherein the agent comprises an administrative agent operable to perform administrative tasks in the workspace.

46. The software of claim 43, wherein the agent comprises an optimization agent operable to optimize the performance of the object.

47. The software of claim 43, wherein the agent comprises a query agent operable to perform a query on the workspace.

48. The software of claim 43, wherein the first network node is associated with a first enterprise and the second network node is associated with a second enterprise.

49. An agent for remotely accessing data in an object workspace:

the agent having been generated at a first network node associated with a first enterprise, the first network node being in communication with a workspace across a network, the workspace being at a second node associated with a second enterprise, the workspace comprising a plurality of stored data elements in a hierarchy, access to which is controlled by a permissibility framework;

the agent having been sent across the network to access the workspace at the second node;

the agent being operable to access at least one particular data element in the hierarchy of the workspace in response to verification that the agent has access rights to the data element according to the permissibility framework; and

the agent being further operable to manipulate the particular data element within the workspace to perform a collaboration activity between the first and second enterprises.

50. The agent of claim 49, wherein the agent is operable to change an organizational hierarchy of the workspace in response to performing the operation.

51. The agent of claim 49, wherein the agent comprises an administrative agent operable to perform administrative tasks in the workspace.

52. The agent of claim 49, wherein the agent comprises an optimization agent operable to optimize the performance of the object.

53. The agent of claim 49, wherein the agent comprises a query agent operable to perform a query on the workspace.

54. Software for remotely accessing data in a multi-enterprise collaboration, the software embodied in a computer-readable medium and when executed operable to:

generate an agent at a first network node associated with a first enterprise, the first network node being in communication with a workspace across a network, the workspace being at a second node associated with a second enterprise, the workspace comprising a plurality of stored data elements in a hierarchy, access to which is controlled by a permissibility framework; and

send the agent across the network to access the workspace at the second node;

the agent operable to access at least one particular data element in the hierarchy of the workspace in response to verification that the agent has access rights to the data element according to the permissibility framework and further operable to manipulate the particular data element within the workspace to perform a collaboration activity between the first and second enterprises.

55. The software of claim 54, wherein the agent is operable to change an organizational hierarchy of the workspace in response to performing the operation.

56. The software of claim 54, wherein the agent is operable to change an administrative agent operable to perform administrative tasks in the workspace.

57. The software of claim 54, wherein the agent is operable to change an optimization agent operable to optimize the performance of the object.

58. The software of claim 54, wherein the agent comprises a query agent operable to perform a query on the workspace.