Methods and apparatus for dynamically classifying objects

• US 8,380,696 B1
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Rogers, Kenneth Allen, Hadden, Allen D., Bruce, John W., Giroux, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Thanh-Ha
• Application Number:
  US11/642,803
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5, 707/7, 707/694, 707/752, 707/708, 707/740, 707/705, 707/726, 707/737, 707/738, 707/754, 707/771
• US Class Current: 707/708
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

An object classification system is provided that receives, from a user, at least one piece of information relating to the object, wherein the information does not directly specify a classification for the object, and that applies at least one rule that classifies the object based, at least in part, on the at least one piece of information received from the user. The techniques described herein also enable classifying an object by, in response to a request from at least one application to access the object, applying at least one rule that dynamically classifies the object.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of classifying an object in an object classification system, the method comprising:

(A) storing a first value that indicates the object is to be dynamically classified;

(B) in response to a request from at least one application to access the object, and prior to granting the request to access the object, applying at least one security classification rule, via at least one computer, that dynamically classifies the object based on at least one piece of information received from a user or at least one piece of information automatically gathered without being received from the user;

(C) change the first value to a second value that indicates the object is not to be dynamically classified; and

(D) in response to a second request to access the object and after the first value has been changed to the second value, grant or deny the second request based on a classification of the object, wherein the classification of the object is made before the second request, and the second request is granted or denied without reapplying the at least one security classification rule because of the second value that indicates the object is not to be dynamically classified.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one security classification rule classifies the object based, at least in part, on at least one piece of information received from a user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

(E) maintaining the at least one piece of information after applying the at least one security classification rule in (B).

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein (B) is performed at a first point in time, and wherein the method further comprises:

(F) modifying the at least one security classification rule subsequent to the first point in time; and

(G) applying the modified at least one security classification rule to re-classify the object based, at least in part, on the at least one piece of information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein (B) is performed in response to a first request from at least one application to access the object, and wherein (G) is performed in response to a second request from at least one application to access the object.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the at least one security classification rule classifies the object based, at least in part, on at least one piece of information received from a user when the object is registered with the classification system.

7. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with a plurality of instructions that, when executed on a computer system, perform a method for classifying an object in an object classification system, the method comprising:

in response to a request from at least one application to access the object, and prior to granting the request to access the object, applying at least one security classification rule that dynamically classifies the object into a first class object based on at least one piece of information received from a user or at least one piece of information automatically gathered without being received from the user; and

after the applying the at least one security classification rule, in response to a second request to access the object, reapplying the at least one security classification rule that dynamically classifies the object into the first class.

8. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one security classification rule classifies the object based, at least in part, on at least one piece of information received from a user.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the at least one piece of information after applying the at least one security classification rule.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the applying at least one security classification rule is performed at a first point in time, and wherein the method further comprises:

modifying the at least one security classification rule subsequent to the first point in time; and

applying the modified at least one security classification rule to re-classify the object based, at least in part, on the at least one piece of information.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the applying the modified at least one security classification rule is performed in response to a third request from at least one application to access the object.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7, wherein the at least one security classification rule classifies the object based, at least in part, on at least one piece of information received from a user when the object is registered with the classification system.

13. At least one computer comprising:

at least one processor programmed to implement an object classification system that classifies objects, the at least one processor programmed to;

store a first value that indicates the object is to be dynamically classified;

in response to a first request from at least one application to access an object, based on the first value, and prior to granting the first request to access the object, apply at least one security classification rule that dynamically classifies the object based on at least one piece of information received from a user or at least one piece of information automatically gathered without being received from the user;

change the first value to a second value that indicates the object is not to be dynamically classified; and

in response to a second request to access the object and after the first value has been changed to the second value, grant or deny the second request based on a classification of the object, wherein the classification of the object is made before the second request, and the second request is granted or denied without reapplying the at least one security classification rule because of the second value that indicates the object is not to be dynamically classified.

14. The at least one computer of claim 13, wherein the at least one security classification rule classifies the object based, at least in part, on at least one piece of information received from a user.

15. The at least one computer of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to maintain the at least one piece of information after applying the at least one security classification rule.

16. The at least one computer system of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to apply the at least one security classification rule that dynamically classifies the object at a first point in time, to modify the at least one security classification rule subsequent to the first point in time, and apply the modified at least one security classification rule to re-classify the object based, at least in part, on the at least one piece of information.

17. The at least one computer system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is programmed to:

register the object in the object classification system; and

determine that the object should not be classified upon registration because the first value indicates that the object is to be dynamically classified.

18. A computer-implemented method of classifying an object in an object classification system, the method comprising:

in response to a request from at least one application to access the object, and prior to granting the request to access the object, applying at least one security classification rule, via at least one computer, that dynamically classifies the object into a first class object based on at least one piece of information received from a user or at least one piece of information automatically gathered without being received from the user; and

after the applying the at least one security classification rule, in response to a second request to access the object, reapplying the at least one security classification rule that dynamically classifies the object into the first class.