Account synchronization for common identity in an unmanaged network

• US 7,958,543 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: van der Bogert, Giles Edward, Samji, Mohammed, Guzak, Chris, Tomacelli, Nicholas John, Brezak, John, Yadav, Anil Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Stace; Brent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rahman; Sabana
• Application Number:
  US11/179,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,156 Days
• Field of Search: 707/204
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A platform supports an unmanaged secured workgroup, without a server, for common user access and secure resource sharing among the computers in the group. User accounts are synchronized by replicating and modifying the accounts at each computer of the unmanaged secured workgroup. A computer advertises a change in account information to other computers in an unmanaged secured workgroup. If one of computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup determines that the change is not reflected in the current account information, the computer requests the updated account information from the advertising computer. Any conflicts between user accounts at different computers are resolved before synchronizing the user account in the unmanaged secured workgroup. Also, an application program interface (API) enables an application to query properties of a networked computer system and an unmanaged secured workgroup and to join the unmanaged secured workgroup.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon in a first computer, said instructions configured to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) joining the first computer to an unmanaged secured workgroup by coordinating with one or more members of the unmanaged secured workgroup to acquire membership in the unmanaged secured workgroup,

wherein the unmanaged secured workgroup comprises a plurality of computers in communication with one another,

wherein each of the plurality of computers has account information comprising (1) one or more user accounts, each user account comprising a user name, a password, and an account version and (2) a user profile associated with each user account, the user profile comprising at least one of settings, configurations, and files, and

wherein each of the plurality of computers has stored therein a copy of the account information of at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(b) providing first account information that is associated with the first computer to at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup for storage;

(c) obtaining associated account information from at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(d) storing the associated account information of the at least two other computers; and

(e) upon determining that a change in the first account information has occurred, providing the change to other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup that were previously provided the first account information of the first computer by;

(e)(1) advertising the change to said other computers;

(e)(2) receiving a first request from a second computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup, the first request for a list of user accounts stored on the first computer, the list including an account version for each user account;

(e)(3) in response to (e)(2), sending the list of user accounts to the second computer;

(e)(4) receiving a second request from the second computer, the second request for one or more specific user accounts and associated user profiles that the second computer has identified as updated or new based on the account version of each of the specific user accounts; and

(e)(5) in response to (e)(4), sending the specific user accounts and associated user profiles to the second computer.

2. The computer storage media of claim 1, wherein at least one property of at least one of the specific user accounts or associated user profiles has been modified.

3. The computer storage media of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more specific user accounts is a new user account added to the first account information.

4. The computer storage media of claim 1, having further computer-executable instructions to perform:

(f) upon determining that a change in account information has occurred at a computer other than the first computer that is a member of the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(f)(1) obtaining specific account information relating to the change from the computer other than the first computer; and

(f)(2) automatically synchronizing the specific account information between the first computer and the computer other than the first computer.

5. The computer storage media of claim 4, wherein (f)(2) includes computer-executable instructions to perform:

(f)(2)(i) detecting whether there is a conflict between the specific account information relating to the change obtained from the computer other than the first computer and account information relating to the change stored on the first computer;

(f)(2)(ii) resolving a detected conflict;

(f)(2)(iii) updating a user account data structure with the specific specific account information; and

(f)(2)(iv) publishing a resolved conflict to other members of the unmanaged secured workgroup.

6. The computer storage media of claim 4, wherein the change in account information at the computer other than the first computer is determined in (f) based on

receiving an advertisement from the computer other than the first computer.

7. The computer storage media of claim 4, wherein (f)(1) includes computer-executable instructions to perform:

(f)(1)(i) requesting the computer other than the first computer to provide a list of user accounts including an account version for each user account.

8. The computer storage media of claim 7, wherein (f)(1) includes computer-executable instructions to perform:

(f)(1)(ii) receiving the requested list of user accounts including account versions;

(f)(1)(iii) determining that one or more accounts are updated or new based on the account version;

(f)(1)(iv) requesting account information for the one or more updated or new accounts; and

(f)(1)(v) in response to (f)(1)(iv), receiving the account information for the one or more updated or new accounts.

9. The computer storage media of claim 8, wherein the first account information is deleted.

10. The computer storage media of claim 1, wherein each computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup has stored therein a copy of the account information of every other computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup.

11. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon in a first computer, said instructions configured to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) sending a self-signed certificate to a second computer to establish a computer account for the first computer on the second computer,

wherein the second computer is a member of an unmanaged secured workgroup comprising a plurality of computers in communication with one another, and wherein the first computer is a nonmember of the unmanaged secured workgroup,

wherein each of the plurality of computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup has an associated computer account having a computer account version, each of the plurality of computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup also having user account information comprising (1) one or more user accounts, each user account comprising a user name, a password, and an account version and (2) a user profile associated with each user account, the user profile comprising at least one of settings, configurations, and files, and

wherein each computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup has stored therein a copy of the computer account and user account information of at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(b) storing on the first computer an associated certificate of the second computer, a shared secret, and a copied certificate of the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(c) creating a computer account for the second computer on the first computer;

(d) broadcasting that the first computer is a workgroup member of the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(e) synchronizing the computer account and user account information stored on the first computer with the computer accounts and user account information stored on the second computer;

(f) upon determining that a change in the first computer'"'"'s user account information has occurred, providing the change to other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup that were previously provided the first computer'"'"'s user account information by;

(f)(1) advertising the change to said other computers;

(f)(2) receiving a first request from a requesting computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup, the first request for a list of user accounts stored on the first computer, the list including an account version for each user account;

(f)(3) in response to (f)(2), sending the list of user accounts to the requesting computer;

(f)(4) receiving, a second request from the requesting computer, the second request for one or more specific user accounts and associated user profiles that the requesting computer has identified as updated or new based on the account version of each of the specific accounts; and

(f)(5) in response to (f)(4), sending the specific user accounts and associated user profiles to the requesting computer.

12. The computer storage media of claim 11, wherein each computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup has stored therein a copy of the account information of every other computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup.

13. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon in a first computer, said instructions configured to perform a method comprising the steps of:

(a) joining the first computer to an unmanaged secured workgroup by coordinating with one or more members of the unmanaged secured workgroup to acquire membership in the unmanaged secured workgroup,

wherein the unmanaged secured workgroup comprises a plurality of computers in communication with one another,

wherein each of the plurality of computers has account information comprising (1) one or more user accounts, each user account comprising a user name, a password, and an account version and (2) a user profile associated with each user account, the user profile comprising at least one of settings, configurations, and files, and

wherein each of the plurality of computers has stored therein a copy of the account information of at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(b) providing first account information that is associated with the first computer to at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup for storage;

(c) obtaining associated account information from at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup;

(d) storing the associated account information of the at least two other computers; and

(e) upon determining that a change in the first account information has occurred, providing the change to other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup that were previously provided the first account information of the first computer by;

(e)(1) advertising the change to said other computers;

(e)(2) receiving, from a second computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup, an account version for each account stored on the second computer; and

(e)(3) in response to (e)(2), sending a list of newer user accounts.

14. The computer storage media of claim 13, wherein each computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup has stored therein a copy of the account information of every other computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup.