Systems and methods for exception handling

• US 7,757,270 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Focus LLC (Open Text Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Iron Mountain Incorporated
• Inventors: Blumenau, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Poltorak; Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/555,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20080256354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/907 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering

Abstract

Systems and methods for managing digital assets in a distributed computing environment are described. Meta-data for the digital assets is stored separately from the digital assets. Meta-data for some of the digital assets is copied and stored at a central location. Meta-data for the digital assets is generated by clients of the system. A method for overriding a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible includes: selecting, by a management computing device, a first digital asset likely to exist on a client; digitally signing, by the management computing device information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset; receiving, by the client, the digitally signed information; and implementing, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset.

Claims

1. A method for overriding a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible, the method comprising:

(a) selecting, by a management computing device, a first digital asset likely to exist on a client;

(b) digitally signing, by the management computing device, information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

(c) receiving, by the client, the digitally signed information;

(d) determining, by the client, that the information corresponding to the first digital asset matches information on the client corresponding to the first digital asset, and the digital signature matches the management computing device; and

(e) implementing, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

wherein step (a) comprises randomly selecting, by a management computing device, a digital asset from a set of digital assets known to have existed on a client at a given time in the past.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises encrypting information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset using a digital signature corresponding to the first digital asset.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises receiving, by the client from a user typing into the client, the encrypted information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises modifying, by the client, an existing policy corresponding to the second digital asset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after a given time period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after the client reconnects to a designated network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset comprises a permission to modify the second digital asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset comprises a permission to copy the second digital asset.

9. A computer implemented system for overriding a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible, the system comprising:

a management computing device which selects a first digital asset likely to exist on a client; and

digitally signs information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

a client which receives the digitally signed information;

determines that the information corresponding to the first digital asset matches information on the client corresponding to the first digital asset, and the digital signature matches the management computing device; and

implements, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

wherein the management computing device randomly selects a digital asset from a set of digital assets known to have existed on a client at a given time in the past.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the management computing device encrypts information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset using a digital signature corresponding to the first digital asset.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the client receives, from a user typing into the client, the encrypted information.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the client modifies an existing policy corresponding to the second digital asset.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after a given time period.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after the client reconnects to a designated network.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset comprises a permission to modify the second digital asset.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset comprises a permission to copy the second digital asset.

17. A non-transitory computer storage readable medium having executable instructions thereon to override a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to select, by a management computing device, a first digital asset likely to exist on a client;

(b) instructions to digitally sign, by the management computing device, information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

(c) instructions to receive, by the client, the digitally signed information;

(d) instructions to determine, by the client, that the information corresponding to the first digital asset matches information on the client corresponding to the first digital asset, and the digital signature matches the management computing device; and

(e) instructions to implement, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

wherein the instructions to select comprise instructions to randomly select, by a management computing device, a digital asset from a set of digital assets known to have existed on a client at a given time in the past.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions to encrypt comprise instructions to encrypt information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset using a digital signature corresponding to the first digital asset.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions to receive comprise instructions to receive, by the client from a user typing into the client, the encrypted information.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions to modify comprise instructions to modify, by the client, an existing policy corresponding to the second digital asset.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after a given time period.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after the client reconnects to a designated network.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset comprises a permission to modify the second digital asset.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset comprises a permission to copy the second digital asset.

25. A method for overriding a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible, the method comprising:

(a) selecting, by a management computing device, a first digital asset likely to exist on a client;

(b) digitally signing, by the management computing device, information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

(c) receiving, by the client, the digitally signed information;

(d) determining, by the client, that the information corresponding to the first digital asset matches information on the client corresponding to the first digital asset, and the digital signature matches the management computing device; and

(e) implementing, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after the client reconnects to a designated network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein step (a) comprises selecting, by a management computing device, a digital asset known to have existed on a client at a given time in the past.

27. A computer implemented system for overriding a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible, the system comprising:

a management computing device which selects a first digital asset likely to exist on a client; and

digitally signs information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

a client which receives the digitally signed information;

determines that the information corresponding to the first digital asset matches information on the client corresponding to the first digital asset, and the digital signature matches the management computing device; and

implements, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after the client reconnects to a designated network.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the management computing device selects a digital asset known to have existed on a client at a given time in the past.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having executable instructions thereon to override a policy associated with a digital asset on a client computer after determining a centralized policy database is inaccessible, the computer readable medium comprising:

(a) instructions to select, by a management computing device, a first digital asset likely to exist on a client;

(b) instructions to digitally sign, by the management computing device, information corresponding to the first digital asset and information identifying a second digital asset and a policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

(c) instructions to receive, by the client, the digitally signed information;

(d) instructions to determine, by the client, that the information corresponding to the first digital asset matches information on the client corresponding to the first digital asset, and the digital signature matches the management computing device; and

(e) instructions to implement, by the client, the policy corresponding to the second digital asset;

wherein the policy corresponding to the second digital asset is configured to expire after the client reconnects to a designated network.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions to select comprise instructions to select, by a management computing device, a digital asset known to have existed on a client at a given time in the past.