Selecting a repository satisfying a security level of data

• US 20060047659A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Yagiura, Yutaka
• Granted Patent: US 7,653,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database

Abstract

A device, apparatus, system, computer program and product, each capable of selecting a storage repository for storing data from a plurality of repositories, by applying a repository rule indicating which of the plurality of repositories can satisfy a security level of the data.

Claims

1. A repository management device connected to a plurality of repositories, comprising:

means for receiving a request command for selecting a storage repository for storing data having an associated security level; and

means for selecting the selected storage repository from the plurality of repositories by applying a repository rule, the repository rule indicating which of the plurality of repositories can satisfy the security level of the data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the repository rule comprises:

a repository security level of each of the plurality of repositories.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the selecting means comprises:

means for obtaining the repository security level of each of the plurality of repositories from the repository rule; and

means for selecting one or more repositories as candidate repositories from the plurality of repositories, each having a security level equal to or higher than the security level of the data,

wherein the selected storage repository is selected from the candidate repositories.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the selecting means further comprises:

means for selecting a repository having a lowest repository security level from the candidate repositories as the storage repository.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the selecting means further comprises:

means for obtaining availability information indicating an available data space of each of the candidate repositories; and

means for selecting a repository having a largest available data space from the candidate repositories as the storage repository.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the selecting means further comprises:

means for obtaining availability information indicating an available data space of each of the candidate repositories;

means for obtaining a size of the data; and

means for selecting a repository having a largest available data space as the storage repository, when the largest available data space is equal to or larger than the size of the data.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the selecting means further comprises:

means for obtaining user preference information indicating preference of a user; and

means for selecting a repository according to the user preference information from the candidate repositories as the storage repository.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for obtaining the security level of the data.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the obtaining means further comprises:

means for inputting the security level of the data.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the obtaining means comprises:

means for inputting user information; and

means for assigning the security level of the data according to the user information.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for sending information regarding the storage repository as a response to the request command.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for sending an error message when none of the plurality of repositories is selected by the selecting means.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for managing the repository rule using repository features information and security level information.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising:

means for storing the security level information.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

means for storing the repository features information.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for obtaining the repository features information from each of the repositories to store the obtained repository features information in the storing means.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the security level information includes plural kinds of security level information.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the managing means comprises:

means for combining the plural kinds of security level information,

wherein the combined security level information is used to manage the repository rule.

19. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for obtaining the stored data.

20. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for sending a request command for storing the data to the storage repository to cause the storage repository to store the data.

21. The device of claim 20, further comprising:

means for outputting the data to the storage repository.

22. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving repository information from the storage repository; and

means for notifying a user of the repository information.

23. The device of claim 1, wherein the security level of the data is classified into a plurality of levels.

24. A method for managing storage of data to one or more of a plurality of repositories in an information processing system, each repository having a set of features capable of improving and maintaining security of the information processing system, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining a security level of data to be stored; and

(b) selecting a storage repository for storing the data from the plurality of repositories by applying a repository rule, the repository rule indicating which of the plurality of repositories can satisfy the security level of the data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein step (a) comprises:

inputting the security level of the data.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

inputting user information; and

assigning the security level of the data according to the user information.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request command for selecting the storage repository; and

sending information regarding the storage repository as a response to the request command.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining the data; and

sending a request command to the storage repository for storing the data.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

receiving repository information from the storage repository; and

notifying a user of the repository information.

30. A computer readable medium tangibly embodying a program of computer instructions for performing the method of claim 24.

31. A repository management device connected to a plurality of repositories, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform the method of claim 24.

32. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of repositories each having a set of features capable of improving and maintaining security of the information processing system;

a processor; and

a storage device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform the method of claim 24.