Method, system, and computer program product for locating network files

• US 8,977,713 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Salesforce.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Dayon, Alexandre
• Primary Examiner(s): Rashid, Harunur
• Application Number:
  US13/291,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20120054210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/802, 715/234, 715/738, 709217-218
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for accessing web pages on a network are provided. In use, different users are provided access to a plurality of sections of a file selected by the different users based on a community value for at least one community dimension assigned to each section of the file selected by the different users. In particular, a user is conditionally provided access to a section of a the selected by the user, based on a comparison of a user value indicating a community with which the user is associated to the community value for the at least one community dimension assigned to the section of the file selected by the user.

Claims

1. A method, the method comprising:

defining, through a database system, a plurality of content dimensions, and for each of the plurality of content dimensions defining one or more content dimension values, wherein one or more of the dimension values are assigned to each of a plurality of files;

indicating, through the database system, the plurality of content dimensions to a user of a computer;

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying one or more of the content dimension values defined for one or more of the content dimensions;

identifying, by the database system, one or more of the files that meet one or more of the content dimension values specified by the user of the computer, utilizing a processor, wherein the one or more of the files meet the one or more of the content dimension values specified by the user of the computer when the one or more files are predetermined to be associated with the one or more content dimension values specified by the user of the computer;

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying one of the files selected by the user from the one or more identified files; and

identifying, through the database system, to the user of the computer the one of the files selected by the user, including for the selected file;

identifying, by the database system, at least one user value for at least one community dimension to which the user of the computer is associated, the at least one user value indicating at least one community with which the user of the computer is associated,

identifying, by the database system for each section of the file, at least one community dimension assigned to the section of the file, the at least one community dimension indicating at least one community of users permitted to access the section of the file, and

for each section of the file, responsive to the at least one user value not matching the identified at least one community dimension, evaluating, by the database system, one or more predefined rules determining membership of a group permitted to access the section of the file, and providing, through the database system to the user of the computer access to the section of the file based on the at least one user value determined to have membership to the group permitted to access the section of the file, and denying the user of the computer access to the section of the file based on the at least one user value determined to not have membership to the group permitted to access the section of the file;

wherein the community to which each section of the file is assigned and the community to which the user is associated each include a group of people;

wherein when a second user publishes a file for storage with the plurality of files, the file published by the second user is assigned a community dimension that matches a user value of at least one community dimension to which the second user is associated.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using a plurality of instances of a software program.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying at least one theme; and

filtering the one or more files identified according to the at least one theme specified by the user of the computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the one or more files further comprises grouping the files by theme.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the community to which the user is associated is a community to which the user is assigned.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein for each section of the file, a file creator selects a community value for the at least one community dimension, such that the selection creates the assignment of the community value for the at least one community dimension to the section of the file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein for each section of the file, a community value for the at least one community dimension assigned to the section of the file is specified for granting access to the section of the file to users associated with the community value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the community dimensions include a geographic location category, a department category and a time period category.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a community to which each section of the file is assigned categorizes the section of the file according to a corporate structure using the geographic location category and the department category, and further categorizes the section of the file according to a timeframe using the time period category.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a community to which each section of the file is assigned and the at least one community with which the user is associated are within a corporate structure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a community to which each section of the file is assigned and the at least one community with which the user is associated includes a geographic location and a department.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the department includes a department of a corporate structure to which each section of the file concerns.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a community value for the at least one community dimension assigned to each section of the file defines a publication date associated with the section of the file.

14. A system, comprising:

a processor and memory of a database system for;

defining a plurality of content dimensions in the memory of the database system, each of the plurality of content dimensions defining one or more content dimension values, wherein one or more of the dimension values are assigned to each of a plurality of files;

indicating the plurality of content dimensions to a user of a computer;

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying one or more of the content dimension values defined for one or more of the content dimensions;

identifying one or more of the files that meet one or more of the content dimension values specified by the user of the computer, wherein the one or more of the files meet the one or more of the content dimension values specified by the user of the computer when the one or more files are predetermined to be associated with the one or more content dimension values specified by the user of the computer;

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying one of the files selected by the user from the one or more identified files; and

identifying to the user of the computer the one of the files selected by the user, including for the selected file;

identifying at least one user value for at least one community dimension to which the user of the computer is associated, the at least one user value indicating at least one community with which the user of the computer is associated, identifying, for each section of the file, at least one community dimension assigned to the section of the file, the at least one community dimension indicating at least one community of users permitted to access the section of the file, and

for each section of the file, responsive to the at least one user value not matching the identified at least one community dimension, evaluating one or more predefined rules determining membership of a group permitted to access the section of the file, and providing to the user of the computer access to the section of the file based on the at least one user value determined to have membership to the group permitted to access the section of the file, and denying the user of the computer access to the section of the file based on the at least one user value determined to not have membership to the group permitted to access the section of the file;

wherein the community to which each section of the file is assigned and the community to which the user is associated each include a group of people;

wherein when a second user publishes a file for storage with the plurality of files, the file published by the second user is assigned a community dimension that matches a user value of at least one community dimension to which the second user is associated.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is implemented using a plurality of instances of a software program.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying at least one theme; and

filtering the one or more files identified according to the at least one theme specified by the user of the computer.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is operable such that the identifying the one or more files further comprises grouping the files by theme.

18. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product including computer readable program code adapted to be executed by a computer to implement a method comprising:

defining, through a database system, a plurality of content dimensions, each of the plurality of content dimensions defining one or more content dimension values, wherein one or more of the dimension values are assigned to each of a plurality of files;

indicating, through the database system, the plurality of content dimensions to a user of a computer;

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying one or more of the content dimension values defined for one or more of the content dimensions;

identifying, by the database system, one or more of the files that meet one or more of the content dimension values specified by the user of the computer, wherein the one or more of the files meet the one or more of the content dimension values specified by the user of the computer when the one or more files are predetermined to be associated with the one or more content dimension values specified by the user of the computer;

accepting input from the user of the computer specifying one of the files selected by the user from the one or more identified files; and

identifying, through the database system, to the user of the computer the one of the files selected by the user, including for the selected file;

identifying, by the database system, at least one user value for at least one community dimension to which the user of the computer is associated, the at least one user value indicating at least one community with which the user of the computer is associated,

identifying, by the database system for each section of the file, at least one community dimension assigned to the section of the file, the at least one community dimension indicating at least one community of users permitted to access the section of the file, and

for each section of the file, responsive to the at least one user value not matching the identified at least one community dimension, evaluating, by the database system, one or more predefined rules determining membership of a group permitted to access the section of the file, and providing, through the database system, to the user of the computer access to the section of the file based on the at least one user value determined to have membership to the group permitted to access the section of the file, and denying the user of the computer access to the section of the file based on the at least one user value determined to not have membership to the group permitted to access the section of the file;

wherein the community to which each section of the file is assigned and the community to which the user is associated each include a group of people;

wherein when a second user publishes a file for storage with the plurality of files, the file published by the second user is assigned a community dimension that matches a user value of at least one community dimension to which the second user is associated.

19. The computer program product claim 18, wherein the computer program product is implemented using a plurality of instances of a software program.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising:

computer code for accepting input from the user of the computer specifying at least one theme; and

computer code for filtering the one or more files identified according to the at least one theme specified by the user of the computer.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product is operable such that the identifying the one or more files further comprises grouping the files by theme.