Ensuring access to long-term stored electronic documents

• US 9,390,088 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Belfoure, Vincent A., Boss, Gregory J., Moore, John E. Jr., Veser, Harald
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kabir, Mohammad
• Application Number:
  US13/867,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20140317610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/62 Uninstallation

Abstract

Mechanisms are provided for ensuring access to long-term stored electronic documents. In one example, one or more systems may provide for automatically ensuring access to long-term stored electronic documents. In another example, one or more algorithms may provide for automatically ensuring access to long-term stored electronic documents.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage device, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer for ensuring access to long- term stored electronic documents, the program of instructions, when executing, performing the following steps:

tracking, for each of a plurality of file types, a count of a number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types;

storing data indicative of the tracked number of installed software programs, the stored data including for each of the plurality of file types the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types;

determining when a user attempts to uninstall one of the tracked installed software programs; and

informing the user, based at least in part upon the stored data including for each of the plurality of file types the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types and the determination of the attempt to uninstall, of at least one consequence of the attempted uninstall;

wherein the program of instructions, when executing, further performs the step of providing to the user an indication of a source of assistance in accessing a given file type; and

wherein the program of instructions, when executing, further performs the step of recording historical data regarding assistance provided; and

wherein the program of instructions, when executing, further performs the step of providing to the user a GUI dashboard;

wherein the GUI dashboard is based at least in part upon the stored data including for each of the plurality of file types the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types; and

wherein the GUI dashboard indicates into which one of a plurality of zones each of the plurality of file types belongs based upon the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types; and

the plurality of zones comprises a first zone, a second zone and a third zone;

the first zone is a comfort zone having, relative to the second and third zones, a highest count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing a given file type;

the second zone is a risk zone having, relative to the first and third zones, a middle count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing the given file type; and

the third zone is a danger zone having, relative to the first and second zones, a lowest count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing the given file type.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the tracking is carried out over a user population comprising one of:

(a) all of a plurality of users associated with a given organization; and

(b) a subset of a plurality of users associated with a given organization.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the accessing each of the file types comprises at least one of:

(a) reading a document of a given file type;

(b) writing a document of a given file type; and

(c) creating a document of a given file type.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the determination is made via use of at least one software agent.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the informing the user of the at least one consequence of the attempted uninstall comprises indicating to the user that the user will no longer have the capability to access a given file type.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the program of instructions, when executing, further performs the step of prohibiting the user from completing the attempted uninstall.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein the first zone is separated from the second zone by a first threshold;

and wherein the second zone is separated from the third zone by a second threshold.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 1, wherein each of the zones is indicated by a graphic indicium.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage device of claim 8, wherein:

the graphic indicium of the first zone is the color green;

the graphic indicium of the second zone is the color yellow; and

the graphic indicium of the third zone is the color red.

10. A computer-implemented system for ensuring access to long-term stored electronic documents, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement;

a tracking element configured to track, for each of a plurality of file types, a count of a number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types;

a storing element configured to store data indicative of the tracked number of installed software programs, the stored data including for each of the plurality of file types the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types;

a determining element configured to determine when a user attempts to uninstall one of the tracked installed software programs; and

an informing element configured to inform the user, based at least in part upon the stored data including for each of the plurality of file types the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types and the determination of the attempt to uninstall, of at least one consequence of the attempted uninstall;

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement a providing element configured to provide to the user an indication of a source of assistance in accessing a given file type;

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement a recording element configured to record historical data regarding assistance provided;

wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement a providing element configured to provide to the user a GUI dashboard;

wherein the GUI dashboard is based at least in part upon the stored data including for each of the plurality of file types the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types; and

wherein the GUI dashboard indicates into which one of a plurality of zones each of the plurality of file types belongs based upon the count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing each of the file types; and

the plurality of zones comprises a first zone, a second zone and a third zone;

the first zone is a comfort zone having, relative to the second and third zones, a highest count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing a given file type;

the second zone is a risk zone having, relative to the first and third zones, a middle count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing the given file type; and

the third zone is a danger zone having, relative to the first and second zones, a lowest count of the number of installed software programs that are capable of accessing the given file type.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the tracking is carried out over a user population comprising one of:

(a) all of a plurality of users associated with a given organization; and

(b) a subset of a plurality of users associated with a given organization.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the accessing each of the file types comprises at least one of:

(a) reading a document of a given file type;

(b) writing a document of a given file type; and

(c) creating a document of a given file type.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the determination is made via use of at least one software agent.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the informing the user of the at least one consequence of the attempted uninstall comprises indicating to the user that the user will no longer have the capability to access a given file type.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further implement a prohibiting element configured to prohibit the user from completing the attempted uninstall.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the first zone is separated from the second zone by a first threshold;

and wherein the second zone is separated from the third zone by a second threshold.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the zones is indicated by a graphic indicium.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the graphic indicium of the first zone is the color green;

the graphic indicium of the second zone is the color yellow; and

the graphic indicium of the third zone is the color red.