Method and system for policy driven data distribution

• US 9,043,342 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Milman, Ivan M., Wolfson, Charles D., Schunter, Matthias, Hinton, Heather M., Waidner, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Application Number:
  US12/648,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,974 Days
• Field of Search: 707/706, 707/713, 707/722, 707/736, 707/754, 707/752, 707/755, 707/756, 707/757, 707/758, 707/781, 707/999.005, 726/1
• US Class Current: 707/754
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes

Abstract

A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for controlling the distribution of data. Data stored in a datastore is filtered according to a data release policy to generate filtered data. A data release policy agreement, corresponding to the data release policy, is generated. The filtered data and the data release policy agreement are then provided to an information consumer. The data release policy agreement is then used to enforce the data release policy.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a data bus coupled to the processor; and

a computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer-usable medium being coupled to the data bus, the computer program code controlling the distribution of data and comprising instructions executable by the processor and configured for;

filtering a set of data stored in a first datastore to generate a first set of filtered data, wherein the filtering is performed according to a first data release policy;

generating a first data release policy agreement corresponding to the first data release policy;

providing the first set of filtered data and the first data release policy agreement to a first information consumer;

enforcing the first data release policy with the first data release policy agreement;

providing the first set of filtered data to a second datastore;

filtering the first set of filtered data according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

generating a second data release policy agreement;

providing the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement to a second information consumer; and

using the second data release policy agreement to enforce the second data release policy; and

wherein

the first data release policy is enforced by the first data release policy agreement upon the acceptance of the first data release policy agreement by the first information consumer;

the filtered data is masked according to the first data release policy; and

,

the filtering is performed according to metadata associated with the set of data and according to attributes associated with the set of data;

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

,

the second data release policy agreement in based upon a level of trust of a consumer of the second set of filtered data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the set of data stored in the first datastore is filtered according to a third data release policy to generate a third set of filtered data;

a third data release policy agreement corresponding to the third data release policy is generated;

the third set of filtered data and the third data release policy agreement are provided to a third information consumer; and

the third data release policy agreement is used to enforce the third data release policy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

the first data release policy is used to update the second data release policy.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second data release policy is used as a proxy by the second information consumer to access the first set of filtered data.

5. A non-transitory computer-usable medium embodying computer program code, the computer program code comprising computer executable instructions configured for:

filtering a set of data stored in a first datastore to generate a first set of filtered data, wherein the filtering is performed according to a first data release policy;

generating a first data release policy agreement corresponding to the first data release policy;

providing the first set of filtered data and the first data release policy agreement to a first information consumer; and

enforcing the first data release policy with the first data release policy agreement;

providing the first set of filtered data to a second datastore;

filtering the first set of filtered data according to a second data release policy to generate a second set of filtered data;

generating a second data release policy agreement;

providing the second set of filtered data and the second data release policy agreement to a second information consumer; and

using the second data release policy agreement to enforce the second data release policy; and

wherein

the first data release policy is enforced by the first data release policy agreement upon the acceptance of the first data release policy agreement by the first information consumer;

the filtered data is masked according to the first data release policy; and

,

the filtering is performed according to metadata associated with the set of data and according to attributes associated with the set of data;

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

the second data release policy agreement in based upon a level of trust of a consumer of the second set of filtered data.

6. The computer usable medium of claim 5, wherein:

the set of data stored in the first datastore is filtered according to a third second data release policy to generate a third set of filtered data;

a third data release policy agreement corresponding to the third data release policy is generated;

the third set of filtered data and the third data release policy agreement are provided to a third information consumer; and

the third data release policy agreement is used to enforce the third data release policy.

7. The computer usable medium of claim 5, wherein:

the first data release policy is centralized and the second data release policy is distributed; and

the first data release policy is used to update the second data release policy.

8. The computer usable medium of claim 5, wherein:

the second data release policy is used as a proxy by the second information consumer to access the first set of filtered data.

9. The computer usable medium of claim 5, wherein the computer executable instructions are deployable to a client computer from a server at a remote location.

10. The computer usable medium of claim 5, wherein the computer executable instructions are provided by a service provider to a customer on an on-demand basis.