System and method for managing distributed computer processes

• US 7,475,107 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DTI of Washington LLC
• Original Assignee: Electronic Evidence Discovery, Inc. (EPIQ Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Mathew T., Newham, Keith, Maconi, Chris, Jessen, John H., Kutner, Alex
• Primary Examiner(s): Dollinger; Tonia L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shin; Kyung H
• Application Number:
  US10/361,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/103, 707/103.R, 709/201, 709/202, 709/226, 709/224, 719/316
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4862 the task being a mobile agent, i.e. specifically designed to migrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method for processing data on a plurality of distributed computing devices. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a system and method prioritizes and distributes computing tasks over a network of computers. One embodiment, remote computers communicate signals indicative of the availability of computing resources to a server. The server determines if at least one computer has available resources that match the requirements of at least one stored computing task. If the server determines that an available resource matches at least one computing task, an agent storing the computing task is communicated to the computer for execution of the task. In accordance with another aspect, a system and method provide an improved knowledge based system utilizing a set of expressions displayed on a graphical user interface to configure and view software objects that process and manage data.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a data management system, the data management system comprising a plurality of computers storing a plurality of records thereon, wherein the method comprises:

generating a graphical user interface for displaying a set of expressions that are graphically representative of a plurality of computer implemented functions for applying a unified record management policy to a network of computers, said functions comprising a process, a portion of a process, and at least one linking object that allows a user to graphically link the expressions,

wherein a subset of the expressions are representative of a plurality of objects of the data management system,

wherein the set of expressions allows the receipt of properties associated with the objects, and

wherein the graphical user interface enables a user to;

select expressions from the set of expressions;

graphically arrange the selected expressions on a display unit with one or more linking objects that graphically link the selected expressions to create a desired workflow that defines a path in which data is processed, and

configure the selected expressions to create a set of configured expressions that implement a unified record management policy for scheduled maintenance, transfer and deletion of data on a network of computers;

communicating the graphical user interface to a display unit;

receiving the set of configured expressions representative of the plurality of computer implemented functions that implement the unified record management policy;

generating a mobile agent having executable code configured in accordance to the set of configured expressions; and

communicating the mobile agent to at least one resource computer different from the computer on which the mobile agent was generated, for execution of the code, wherein the execution of the code implements the unified record management policy on the at least one resource computer receiving the mobile agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation of the unified record management policy comprises:

determining if records of said plurality of records have been stored for a predetermined time period;

selecting the records of said plurality of records that have been stored for a time longer than the predetermined time period; and

deleting the selected records.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation of the unified records management policy comprises:

determining if records of said plurality of records have been stored for a predetermined time period;

selecting the records of said plurality of records that have been stored for a time longer than the predetermined time period; and

transferring the selected records to a storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a set of displayed icons represents the set of expressions.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 1.

6. A method for processing electronic evidence, wherein the method comprises:

generating a graphical user interface for displaying a set of expressions that are graphically representative of a plurality of computer implemented functions for processing electronic evidence data, said functions comprising a process, a portion of a process, and at least one linking object that allows a user to graphically link the expressions,

wherein a subset of the expressions is representative of a plurality of objects,

wherein the set of expressions allows the receipt of properties associated with the objects, and

wherein the graphical user interface enables a user to;

select expressions from the set of expressions;

graphically arrange the selected expressions on a display unit with one or more linking objects that graphically link the selected expressions to create a desired workflow that defines a path for processing electronic evidence data, and

configure the selected expressions to create a set of configured expressions;

communicating the graphical user interface to a display unit;

receiving the set of configured expressions representative of the plurality of computer implemented functions that are configured to perform one or more customized tasks on a computer in a distributed network of computers, wherein the customized tasks are configured to process the electronic evidence data in accordance with the user-created workflow;

generating a mobile agent having code configured in accordance to the set of configured expressions;

communicating the mobile agent to at least one resource computer different from the computer on which the mobile agent was generated, for execution of the code stored in the mobile agent; and

executing one or more tasks defined in the code to process the electronic evidence data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein executing one or more tasks includes:

collecting selective records of electronic evidence data; and

storing the selective records of electronic evidence data in a memory unit.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a set of displayed icons represents the set of expressions.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 6.

10. A data management system having improved configuration capabilities, the system comprising:

a first computing device having a processing unit and a memory with executable code for providing an agent factory, wherein the first computing device is communicatively connected to a network, wherein the agent factory comprises a mobile agent management tool configured to generate a graphical user interface for displaying a set of expressions that are graphically representative of a plurality of computer implemented functions for applying a unified record management policy to a network of computers, said functions comprising a process, a portion of a process, and at least one linking object that allows a user to graphically link the expressions,

wherein a subset of the expressions is representative of a plurality of objects of the data management system,

wherein the set of expressions allows the receipt of properties associated with the objects, and

wherein the graphical user interface enables a user to interact with a display unit of the first computing device and via the display unit;

select expressions from the set of expressions;

graphically arrange the selected expressions with one or more linking objects that graphically link the selected expressions to create a desired workflow that defines a path in which data is processed, and

configure the selected expressions to create a set of configured expressions that implement a unified record management policy for scheduled maintenance, transfer and deletion of data on a network of computers; and

at least one remote computer, wherein the remote computer is communicatively connected to the network, and wherein the first computing device is configured with executable program code for;

receiving the set of configured expressions representative of the plurality of computer implemented functions that implement the unified record management policy on the at least one remote computer;

generating a mobile agent having executable code configured in accordance to the set of configured expressions; and

communicating the mobile agent to the at least one remote computer for execution of the code, wherein the execution of the code implements the unified record management policy on the at least one remote computer.

11. A data management system having improved configuration capabilities, the system comprising:

a first computing device having an agent factory application, wherein the first computing device is communicatively connected to a network, wherein the agent factory comprises a mobile agent management tool configured to generate a graphical user interface for displaying a set of expressions that are graphically representative of a plurality of computer implemented functions for processing electronic evidence data, said functions comprising a process, a portion of a process, and at least one linking object that allows a user to graphically link the expressions,

wherein a subset of the expressions is representative of a plurality of objects,

wherein the set of expressions allows the receipt of properties associated with the objects,

wherein the graphical user interface enables a user to;

select expressions from the set of expressions;

graphically arrange the selected expressions on a display unit with one or more linking objects that graphically link the selected expressions to create a desired workflow that defines a path for processing electronic evidence data, and

configure the selected expressions to create a set of configured expressions, and

wherein the first computing device is further configured to communicate the graphical user interface to a display unit; and

at least one remote computer, wherein the remote computer is communicatively connected to the network, and wherein the first computing device is configured with executable program code for;

receiving the set of configured expressions representative of the plurality of computer implemented functions that are configured to perform one or more customized tasks on the at least one remote computer, wherein the customized tasks are configured to process the electronic evidence data in accordance with the user-created workflow;

generating a mobile agent having code configured in accordance to the set of configured expressions;

communicating the mobile agent to the at least one remote computer for execution of the code stored in the mobile agent; and

executing one or more tasks defined in the code to process the electronic evidence data.

12. A method for managing a number of distributed processes, wherein the method comprises:

receiving at least one mobile agent having program code defining a desired workflow that defines a path in which data is processed, said workflow resulting from a set of user-configured expressions that are representative of a plurality of computer implemented functions, said functions comprising a process, a portion of the process, and at least one linking object that allows a user to graphically link the expressions to create the workflow, wherein a subset of the expressions is representative of data objects stored on a computing device, and wherein the program code defines execution requirements for a resource to execute the program code;

receiving a signal from at least one computing device indicating that the at least one computing device contains an available computing resource;

determining if the available computing resource matches the execution requirements of program code stored in at least one mobile agent; and

if the available computing resource matches the execution requirements of program code stored in at least one mobile agent, transmitting the mobile agent having the matching requirements to the at least one computing device containing the available computing resource for execution of the mobile agent.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method is applied to a distributed computer system having a plurality of brokered services configured to transmit a signal indicating that it contains at least one available computing resource.

14. A computer-readable medium having computer readable instructions capable of performing the method recited in claim 12.

15. A system comprising at least one server having a processing unit and a memory with executable code, wherein the processing unit is configured to:

receive at least one mobile agent having program code defining a desired workflow that defines a oath in which data is processed, said workflow resulting from a set of user-configured expressions that are representative of a plurality of computer implemented functions, said functions comprising a process, a portion of the process, and at least one linking object that allows a user to graphically link the expressions to create the workflow, wherein a subset of the expressions is representative of data objects stored on a computing device and wherein the program code defines execution requirements for a resource to execute the program code;

receive an indication from at least one computing device that the computing device contains an available computing resource;

determine if the available computing resource matches the execution requirements of a mobile agent; and

if the available computing resource matches the execution requirements of a particular mobile agent, then transmit the particular mobile agent to the computing device containing the available computing resource for execution of the mobile agent.