Peer to peer enterprise file sharing

• US 9,998,463 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AirWatch LLC (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Panchapakesan, Ramani
• Primary Examiner(s): Potratz, Daniel B
• Application Number:
  US14/686,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for facilitating the distribution of files from a file repository. Files from a file repository can be distributed via peer to peer transmissions where the peer devices can perform authentication functions. The authentication can be performed based upon metadata associated with the files as well as based upon authentication requests submitted to an authentication server.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a client device, the program, when executed by the client device, being configured to cause the client device to at least:

broadcast a request to obtain a plurality of status parameters associated with a second client device accessible through the network to which the client device is coupled, the second client device storing a copy of a file in addition to a secondary copy of the file stored in a file repository;

obtain at least one interrogator response to the request to obtain a plurality of status parameters associated with the second client device, the at least one interrogator response comprising at least the plurality of status parameters associated with the second client device;

select a sender client device based at least in part upon the at least one interrogator response to the request to obtain the plurality of status parameters associated with the second client device; and

authenticate the sender client device based at least upon a one-time password generated from a file hash associated with the file, wherein the one-time password is generated by generating the file hash from metadata associated with the file.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogator response comprises a plurality of device status properties of the at least one second client device and the program is configured to select the sender client device based at least in part upon whether at least one compliance rule is satisfied by the plurality of device status properties.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program causes the client device to at least establish a file transfer session with the sender client device in response to the authentication of the sender client device.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogator response comprises a plurality of device status properties of the second client device, and wherein the program is configured to select the sender client device based at least in part upon a priority associated with respective ones of the plurality of device status properties.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogator response comprises an operating system associated with the second client device, and wherein the program is configured to select the sender client device based at least in part upon whether the operating system of the client device matches the operating system of the second client device.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogator response comprises at least one supported file transfer protocol of the second client device, and wherein the program is configured to select the sender client device based at least in part upon whether the client device supports the at least one supported file transfer protocol.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogator response comprises a battery life parameter associated with the second client device, and wherein the program is configured to select the sender client device based at least in part upon the battery life parameter.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one interrogator response comprises a manufacturer associated with the at least one second client device, and wherein the program is configured to select the sender client device based at least in part upon whether the manufacturer of the client device matches the manufacturer of the second client device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the sender client device is authenticated based at least in part upon metadata associated with the file, and wherein the program is configured to obtain the metadata associated with the file from at least one of an authentication server or the file repository.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one sender client device is further authenticated based at least in part upon an authentication token provided to the client device, and wherein the program is configured to generate a request to authenticate the authentication token that is transmitted to the authentication server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the request to obtain the plurality of status parameters associated with the second client device comprises a plurality of status parameters associated with the client device, and wherein the second client device generates the at least one interrogator response based at least in part upon the request to obtain the plurality of status parameters associated with the second client device.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a client device, the program, when executed by the client device, being configured to cause the client device to at least:

receive a request to obtain a file stored on the client device from a second client device;

determine whether to transmit an interrogator response based at least in part upon the request to obtain the file, the interrogator response comprising a plurality of status parameters associated with the client device;

generate, in response to a determination to transmit the interrogator response, the interrogator response;

authenticate the second client device based upon a one-time password generated from a file hash associated with the file and generated from a plurality of metadata associated with the file; and

establish a file transfer session with the second client device in response to the authentication of the second client device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the program determines whether to transmit the interrogator response by:

determining whether a battery life parameter associated with the client device meets a threshold; and

determining to transmit the interrogator response when the battery life parameter meets the threshold.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the program determines whether to transmit the interrogator response by:

identifying an operating system associated with the second client device based at least in part upon the request to obtain the file stored on the client device; and

determining to transmit the interrogator response when the operating system associated with the second client device matches an operating system of the client device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the program is further configured to cause the client device to transmit a portion of the file from the client device to the second client device through the file transfer session.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request comprises an indication of a particular portion of the file to transmit to the second client device through the file transfer session, and wherein the portion of the file caused to be transmitted from the client device to the second client device through the file transfer session corresponds to the particular portion of the file.

17. A method, comprising:

broadcasting, from a client device, a request to obtain a file, the request broadcasted to at least one second client device accessible through a network;

obtaining, in the client device, a plurality of interrogator responses to the request to obtain the file from the at least one second client device, the plurality of interrogator responses comprising a plurality of status parameters associated with the at least one second client device;

selecting, in the client device, a plurality of sender client devices based upon the plurality of interrogator responses to the request to obtain the file;

authenticating, in the client device, the plurality of sender client devices based at least upon a one-time password generated from a file hash associated with the file, wherein the one-time password is generated by generating the file hash from metadata associated with the file; and

establishing, in the client device, a respective file transfer session with the plurality of sender client devices in response to the authentication of the plurality of sender client devices, wherein each of the plurality of sender client devices transmits a respective portion of the file to the client device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the respective portions of the file are encrypted by each of the plurality of sender client devices.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising assembling, via the client device, the file from the respective portions of the file from each of the plurality of sender client devices.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein broadcasting the request further comprises generating a multicast request to the at least one second client device or transmitting the request to a broadcast internet protocol address.