Network operating system and method

• US 7,698,346 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skai, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Skai, Inc.
• Inventors: Henderson, Charles E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Merilyn P
• Application Number:
  US10/549,306
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,217 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/9, 707/10, 707 1- 2, 707/8, 707/203
• US Class Current: 707/781
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• 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 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes

Abstract

A network operating system may be provided. Also, system and method may include a complex data medium that enables the continuous reconciliation of the collaborative information process and product. The system generally may increase productivity by enabling a network dynamic among knowledge workers. The system may unify e-mail and shared file management, synchronous and asynchronous collaboration, serial and parallel work flow, top-down and bottom-up collaboration, and information lifecycle management.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of access evolution for automating the sharing of access rights in a computer environment having one or more access sharing relationships, comprising the steps of:

a) creating an access sharing relationship in which an access provider having a first set of access rights shares at least a subset of the first set of access rights with an access receiver having a second set of access rights, so that the second set of access rights evolves as an automated function of the first set of access rights by way of the shared subset, wherein the access sharing relationship is one of one or more access sharing relationships in a network of access control;

b) defining the subset based on constraints of the access sharing relationship; and

c) sharing the subset with the access receiver,

whereby the steps of defining and sharing comprise an iteration of access evolution,

wherein the access provider has access rights to a newer version of an entity or file and the access receiver has access rights to an older version of the entity or file and deferring the sharing of the access rights to the newer version with the access receiver for a period of time, so that the access receiver has access to the older version prior to releasing a manage exclusion, and upon releasing a manage exclusion, the access receiver receiving access to the newer version, and

wherein the steps of creating, defining, and sharing are performed by a computer.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the sharing is implemented by derived access control, such that the access receiver derives access from the provider.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access sharing relationship is a first access sharing relationship further comprising creating a second access sharing relationship in the computer environment, wherein the access receiver of the first access sharing relationship is also the access provider in the second access sharing relationship.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access sharing relationship is a first access sharing relationship further comprising creating a second access sharing relationship in the computer environment, wherein the access provider of the first access sharing relationship is also the access receiver in the second access sharing relationship.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising creating another access sharing relationship that is symmetrical to the access sharing relationship, such that an access provider in the another access sharing relationship is the access receiver in the access sharing relationship and an access receiver in the another access sharing relationship is the access provider in the access sharing relationship, creating a bi-directional access sharing relationship.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step for sharing shares access to at least one of the entity and the file.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising evolving the access rights of the receiver over time in response to changes in the access rights of the provider.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access rights include access constraints.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the subset includes removing from the subset another subset of access, wherein the another subset contains access for which a manage exclusion is applied, so that the evolution is deferred by the manage exclusion for a limited or unlimited period time during serial workflow.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the subset includes adding to the subset another subset of access, wherein the another subset contains access for which a manage exclusion is released, so that access automatically evolves as a result of the completion of an iteration of serial workflow.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access sharing relationship is defined between autonomous peers in a distributed network.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the access sharing relationship is defined between one company and another company.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising deferring an iteration of access evolution for some limited or unlimited period of time by a manage exclusion, providing serial workflow.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further including executing parallel workflow if access evolution is not deferred for some limited or unlimited period of time by a manage exclusion, providing parallel workflow.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the entity comprises a tuple.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access receiver having a second set of access rights evolving as an automated function of the first set of rights by way of the shared subset, becomes a second access provider and shares at least a subset of the evolving second set of access rights with a second access receiver having a third set of access rights evolving as an automated function of the second set of access rights, wherein the access sharing relationship is at least one access sharing relationships in a network of access control.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the access receiver is one of a plurality of access receivers and the access provider is one of a plurality of access providers, any access receiver becoming one of the plurality of access providers by granting access rights to any of the plurality of access receivers.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the step of granting access rights to any of the plurality of access receivers creates a hierarchical tree of derived and evolving access.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein after the step of sharing the subset with the access receiver, any changes made by the access receiver to the entity or the file related to the subset automatically flow back to the access provider as long as the manage exclusion remains released.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the step of sharing the subset with the access receiver shares the entity or file in real-time, subject to the evolving access rights of the access receiver.

21. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable storage medium as computer executable instructions for implementing access evolution for automating the sharing of access rights in a computer environment having one or more access sharing relationships, the instructions when executed by a computer performing the steps of:

a) creating an access sharing relationship in which an access provider having a first set of access rights shares at least a subset of the first set of access rights with an access receiver having a second set of access rights, so that the second set of access rights evolves as an automated function of the first set of access rights by way of the shared subset, wherein the access sharing relationship is one of one or more access sharing relationships in a network of access control;

b) defining the subset based on constraints of the access sharing relationship; and

c) sharing the subset with the access receiver,

whereby the steps of defining and sharing comprise an iteration of access evolution,

wherein the access provider has access rights to a newer version of an entity or file and the access receiver has access rights to an older version of the entity or file and deferring the sharing of the access rights to the newer version with the access receiver for a period of time, so that the access receiver has access to the older version prior to releasing a manage exclusion, and upon releasing a manage exclusion, the access receiver receiving access to the newer version, and

wherein the steps of creating, defining, and sharing are performed by a computer.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the sharing is implemented by derived access control, such that the access receiver derives access from the provider.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access sharing relationship is a first access sharing relationship further including creating a second access sharing relationship in the computer environment, wherein the access receiver of the first access sharing relationship is also the access provider in the second access sharing relationship.

24. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access sharing relationship is a first access sharing relationship further comprising creating a second access sharing relationship in the computer environment, wherein the access provider of the first access sharing relationship is also the access receiver in the second access sharing relationship.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising the step of creating another access sharing relationship that is symmetrical to the access sharing relationship, such that an access provider in the another access sharing relationship is the access receiver in the access sharing relationship and an access receiver in the another access sharing relationship is the access provider in the access sharing relationship, creating a bi-directional access sharing relationship.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the step for sharing shares access to at least one of the entity and the file.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising the step of evolving the access rights of the receiver over time in response to changes in the access rights of the provider.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access rights include access constraints.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the step of defining the subset includes removing from the subset another subset of access, wherein the another subset contains access for which a manage exclusion is applied, so that the evolution is deferred by the manage exclusion for a limited or unlimited period time during serial workflow.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the step of defining the subset includes adding to the subset another subset of access, wherein the another subset contains access for which a manage exclusion is released, so that access automatically evolves as a result of the completion of an iteration of serial workflow.

33. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising the step of deferring an iteration of access evolution for some limited or unlimited period of time by a manage exclusion, providing serial workflow.

34. The computer program product of claim 21, further including executing parallel workflow if access evolution is not deferred for some limited or unlimited period of time by a manage exclusion, providing parallel workflow.

35. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the entity comprises a tuple.

36. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access receiver having a second set of access rights evolving as an automated function of the first set of rights by way of the shared subset, becomes a second access provider and shares at least a subset of the evolving second set of access rights with a second access receiver having a third set of access rights evolving as an automated function of the second set of access rights, wherein the access sharing relationship is at least one access sharing relationship in a network of access control.

37. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the access receiver is one of a plurality of access receivers and the access provider is one of a plurality of access providers, any access receiver becoming one of the plurality of access providers by granting access rights to any of the plurality of access receivers.

38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the step of granting access rights to any of the plurality of access receivers creates a hierarchical tree of derived and evolving access.

39. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein after the step of sharing the subset with the access receiver, any changes made by the access receiver to the entity or the file related to the subset automatically flow back to the access provider as long as the manage exclusion remains released.

40. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the step of sharing the subset with the access receiver shares the entity or file in real-time, subject to the evolving access rights of the access receiver.

31. The computer program product 21, wherein the access sharing relationship is defined between autonomous peers in a distributed network.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the access sharing relationship is defined between one company and another company.