System and method for collaboration over shared storage

• US 8,838,956 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2013
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Bettger, David D., Stone, Kevin A., Kuehn, Dennis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAIFER HARRIMAN, DANT B
• Application Number:
  US13/858,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/17331 Distributed shared memory [DSM], e.g. remote direct memory access [RDMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods disclosed herein enable synergy among a group of users by providing a real-time, secure collaboration environment that allows for cooperative interaction and decision making and provide the ability for users to simultaneously view, revise, and review a document or multimedia file that resides in a shared data storage location. Real-time, low latency, rich collaboration between producers and consumers provides organization efficiency, and this collaboration provides real-time, low latency transmission of data.

Claims

1. A method for real-time collaboration among a plurality of users over one or more networks in a shared storage system, the method comprising:

sending, by a metadata server to the plurality of users, a designated data location in the shared storage system for storing collaboration data for a collaboration session;

writing, to the designated data location in the shared storage system, to store the collaboration data from at least one of the plurality of users;

creating a metadata record with instructions for reassembling the collaboration data, wherein the writing to store the collaboration data includes disassembling the collaboration data,

storing the metadata record in a metadata database, wherein the metadata record is needed to reassemble the collaboration data;

reading from the designated data location to retrieve the collaboration data for viewing by one or more of the plurality of users;

providing the metadata record to at least one user of the plurality of users for reassembling the collaboration data; and

identifying the designated data location as non-visible until at least one user of the plurality of users is provided with the metadata record for re-assembling the collaboration data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing the writing and reading in real-time during the collaboration session; and

providing an ability for at least two of the plurality of users to simultaneously view and revise the collaboration data stored at the designated data location in the shared storage system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a real-time information stream in the shared storage system between a first user and a second user of the plurality of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the designated data location in the shared storage system is visible only to those users of the plurality of users who are participants in the collaboration session.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reserving a storage area in the shared storage system for a collaboration session, wherein the designated data location for storing the collaboration data for the collaboration session includes the storage area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the collaboration data in the collaboration session is protected by encryption.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a security classification is associated with the collaboration data in the collaboration session.

8. A shared storage system for real-time collaboration among a plurality of users over one or more networks, the shared storage system comprising:

a storage device having a designated data location;

a metadata server configured to send, to the plurality of users, the designated data location in the shared storage system for storing collaboration data for a collaboration session;

a metadata database;

a metadata record with instructions for reassembling the collaboration data, wherein;

the collaboration data is disassembled when stored in the designated data location;

the metadata record is stored in the metadata database;

the metadata record is needed to reassemble the collaboration data; and

the metadata record enables at least one user of the plurality of users to reassemble the collaboration data; and

one or more processors configured to write to the designated data location in the shared storage system to store the collaboration data from at least one of the plurality of users or to read from the designated data location to retrieve the collaboration data for viewing by one or more of the plurality of users;

wherein;

the designated data location is identified as non-visible until at least one user of the plurality of users is provided with the metadata record for re-assembling the collaboration data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the one or more processors are configured to write to or read from the designated data location in real-time during the collaboration session to enable at least two of the plurality of users to simultaneously view and revise the collaboration data stored at the designated data location in the shared storage system.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

a metadata record generated in real-time and stored in the metadata database so that a request for the metadata record enables creation of a real-time information stream in the shared storage system between a first user and a second user of the plurality of users.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the designated data location in the shared storage system is identified as visible only to those users of the plurality of users who are participants in the collaboration session.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the collaboration data in the collaboration session is protected by encryption, and wherein participation in the collaboration session is restricted by controlling access to at least one of an encryption key and a decryption key.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein:

multiple encryption keys and decryption keys are used to encrypt and decrypt, respectively, the collaboration data in the collaboration session;

access to the encryption and decryption keys is provided to one or more participants in the collaboration session; and

access to the encryption and decryption keys restricts the collaboration data each participant views or contributes.

14. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable and executable code for instructing one or more processors to perform a method for facilitating real-time collaboration among a plurality of users over one or more networks in a shared storage system, the method comprising:

sending, by a metadata server to the plurality of users, a designated data location in the shared storage system for storing collaboration data for a collaboration session;

writing, to the designated data location in the shared storage system, to store the collaboration data from at least one of the plurality of users;

creating a metadata record with instructions for reassembling the collaboration data, wherein the writing to store the collaboration data includes disassembling the collaboration data,

storing the metadata record in a metadata database, wherein the metadata record is needed to reassemble the collaboration data;

reading, from the designated data location, to retrieve the collaboration data for viewing by one or more of the plurality of users;

providing the metadata record to at least one user of the plurality of users for reassembling the collaboration data; and

identifying the designated data location as non-visible until at least one user of the plurality of users is provided with the metadata record for re-assembling the collaboration data.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

performing the writing and reading in real-time during the collaboration session; and

providing an ability for at least two of the plurality of users to simultaneously view and revise the collaboration data stored at the designated data location in the shared storage system.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

creating a real-time information stream in the shared storage system between a first user and a second user of the plurality of users.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the collaboration data in the collaboration session is protected by encryption, and wherein participation in the collaboration session is restricted by controlling access to at least one of an encryption key and a decryption key.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein a security classification is associated with the collaboration data.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the designated data location in the shared storage system is visible only to those users of the plurality of users who are participants in the collaboration session.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

reserving a storage area in the shared storage system for a collaboration session, wherein the designated data location for storing the collaboration data for the collaboration session includes the storage area.