Local collector

• US 8,321,860 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Andersen, David M., Richards, Philip L., Mayer, Michael J., Hobart, Eric B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEBERT, THEODORE E
• Application Number:
  US12/259,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100107156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 717/178
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1464 for networked environments
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for remotely collecting data from the local storage of a machines. For example, embodiments of the method involve deploying a collection tool to the machine via a network, automatically installing the collection tool on the machine, generating a snapshot of the data, storing the snapshot in a storage area on the machine, and transmitting the data from the storage area to a remote collection server. Because the data is transmitted from the snapshot stored in the storage area rather than from the original data stored on the local storage of the machine, the data may be transmitted to the remote collection server without substantially affecting a user'"'"'s ability to use the machine and interact with the data stored on the machine.

Claims

1. A method for collecting data stored on a computing device, the method comprising:

deploying a collection tool to the computing device via a network;

installing the collection tool on the computing device;

in response to installing the collection tool on the computing device, generating a snapshot of the data;

storing the snapshot in a storage area on the computing device;

generating a catalog that lists the data included in the snapshot and communicating the catalog to a database server;

continuously determining if the computing device is being actively used by a user throughout a transmission of data from the storage area to a collection server;

transmitting the data from the storage area to the collection server at a first rate if it is determined that the computing device is being actively used by a user;

transmitting the data from the storage area to the collection server at a second rate if it is determined that the computing device is not being actively used by a user, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate;

determining that collection of the data is complete by verifying that data in the catalog has been marked as either collected or manually excused from collection;

transmitting a collection complete message to the computing device; and

in response to receiving the collection complete message, automatically uninstalling the collection tool from the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection tool is configured to generate the snapshot, store the snapshot in the storage area, and transmit the data from the storage area to the collection server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating, storing, and transmitting operations are accomplished without substantially affecting an ability of a user to use the computing device and interact with the data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises at least one file located on a hard drive of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising compressing and hashing the data prior to transmitting the data from the storage area to the collection server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection tool is configured to be installed automatically on the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the snapshot of the data further comprises:

in response to installing the collection tool on the computing device, prompting a user of the computer device that data collection is required and requesting that the user re-boot the computing device; and

in response to re-booting the computing device, generating the snapshot of the data.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising

updating the catalog in the database server based on a file being successfully received by the collection server to reflect a collection status of the data.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

utilizing the catalog to resume transmission of the data to the collection server at a point of interruption in an event transmission is interrupted.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the collection tool is configured to determine that a user of the computing device has used a network resource, identify the network resource, and transmit an identification of the network resource to a server.

11. A system for collecting data in a computing network, the system comprising:

a computing device including a memory and a processor in communication with the memory;

a deployment server in communication with the computing device via the computing network and configured to deploy a collection tool to the computing device;

a collection server in communication with the computing device via the computing network and configured to receive data transmitted from the computing device and store the data in a network storage area;

a database server in communication with the collection server via the computing network and configured to receive a catalog of the data to be transmitted from the computing device;

the collection tool stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to;

generate a snapshot of the data,

store the snapshot on the computing device,

generate and communicate, to a database server, a catalog that lists the data included in the snapshot,

determine if the computing device is being actively used by a user throughout a transmission of data from the storage area to a collection server,

transmit the data from the storage area to the collection server at a first rate if it is determined that the computing device is being actively used by a user,

transmit the data from the storage area to the collection server at a second rate if it is determined that the computing device is not being actively used by a user, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate,

determine that collection of the data is complete by verifying that data in the catalog has been marked as either collected or manually excused from collection,

transmit a collection complete message to the computing device, and

in response to receiving the collection complete message, automatically uninstall the collection tool from the computing device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the collection tool is configured to generate a snapshot of the data, store the snapshot on the computing device, and transmit the data from the snapshot without substantially affecting an ability of a user to use the computing device and interact with the data.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a case management server providing a user interface through which identifying information about the computing device may be entered and the collection process may be observed and managed.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the deployment server and the collection server are combined into a single device.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising an Internet Protocol (IP) address lookup tool configured to run on the deployment server and determine an IP address of the computing device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the collection server is configured to transmit to the database server updated status information regarding the transmission of the data included in the snapshot.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a landing zone configured to store temporarily and stage the data as the data is received by the collection server.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the collection tool is configured to employ a security tool configured to prevent a user of the computing device from accessing or editing the snapshot.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a network storage device configured to permanently store the data.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the collection server is configured to temporarily store the data in a landing zone as the data is transmitted to the collection server, and transmit the data to a network storage device after a determination is made that the collection is complete.

21. A computer program product for collecting data stored on a computing device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program instructions stored therein, wherein said computer readable program instructions comprise:

first instructions configured for generating a snapshot of the data stored on the computing device;

second instructions configured for storing the snapshot on the computing device;

third instructions for generating a catalog that lists the data included in the snapshot and initiating communication of the catalog to a database server;

fourth instructions configured for continuously determining if the computing device is being actively used by a user throughout a transmission of the data from the computing device to a collection server, transmitting the data from the computing device to the collection server at a first rate if it is determined that the computing device is being actively used by a user and transmitting the data from the computing device to the collection server at a second rate if it is determined that the computing device is not being actively used by a user, wherein the second rate is greater than the first rate;

fifth instructions configured for determining that collection of the data is complete by verifying that data in the catalog has been marked as either collected or manually excused from collection;

sixth instructions configured for transmitting a collection complete message to the computing device; and

seventh instructions configured for, in response to receiving the collection complete message, automatically uninstalling the collection tool from the computing device.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the computer program product is configured such that the first, second and fourth instructions are capable of being executed without substantially affecting a user'"'"'s ability to use the computing device and interact with the data stored on the computing device.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

eighth instructions configured for updating the catalog as the data is transmitted to the remote collection server to reflect a status of the data.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:

ninth instructions configured for utilizing the catalog to resume transmission of the data included in the snapshot to the remote collection server at a point of interruption in an event transmission is interrupted.

25. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

eighth instructions configured for preventing a user of the computing device from accessing or editing the snapshot.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising:

eighth instructions configured for identifying a network resource used by a user of the computing device; and

ninth instructions configured for transmitting identification of the network resource to a server.