SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DEPOPULATION OF USER DATA FROM NETWORK

• US 20100223369A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Likins, Adrian Karstan, Vidal, Seth Kelby, DeHaan, Michael Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,558,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/162 Delete operations erasing in storage systems G06F3/0652

Abstract

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for depopulation of user data from a network. A network management platform can communicate with a set of managed machines in a network, and generally manage user accounts including user lDs, associated network processes, services, application files, data files, and/or other user data. In embodiments, a user may have a change in status, such as departing from the organization operating the network, changing their name or user name, or other updates. In such cases, a systems administrator may need to update or delete files, processes, services, and/or other user data associated with the user from the network. The network management platform can interrogate the network for files, processes, or other resources associated with the user ID of interest. The search can exhaustively interrogate every available node in the network, to update or purge all files associated with the subject user ID(s).

Claims

1. A method of managing user information on a network, comprising:

identifying a least one user ID associated with at least one user having a changed status in a network;

automatically scanning a set of user processes, set of files, and a set of user profiles in the network to identify user data associated with the at least one user ID; and

modifying the set of user data in the network based on the changed status of the at least one user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises migrating the user data from the at least one user ID to at least a second user ID.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises deleting the user data associated with the at least one user ID from the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically scanning comprises automatically communicating with all available nodes in the network via a secure channel to identify the user data associated with the at least one user ID.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the changed status of the at least one user comprises at least one of a change in user name, a change in network user ID, a change in employment status, a change in level of security access level, and a change in network subscription status.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically scanning comprises an automatic interrogation process performed by a network management platform.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically scanning comprises multiple scanning of the network repeated until termination criteria are met.

8. A network management system, comprising:

an interface to a network; and

at least one network management engine, communicating via the interface with the network, the at least one network management engine being configured to—

identify a least one user ID associated with at least one user having a changed status in the network,

automatically scan a set of user processes, set of files, and a set of user profiles in the network to identify user data associated with the at least one user ID, and

modify the set of user data in the network based on the changed status of the at least one user.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one network management engine is further configured to migrate the user data from the at least one user ID to at least a second user ID.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the network management engine is further configured to delete the user data associated with the at least one user ID from the network.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the network management engine is further configured to automatically communicate with all available nodes in the network via a secure channel to identify the user data associated with the at least one user ID.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the changed status of the at least one user comprises at least one of a change in user name, a change in network user ID, a change in employment status, a change in level of security access level, and a change in network subscription status.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the network management engine is further configured to automatically repeat the scanning of the network until termination criteria are met.

14. A network, the network hosting a set of user data managed by a method comprising:

identifying a least one user ID associated with at least one user having a changed status in a network;

automatically scanning a set of user processes, set of files, and a set of user profiles in the network to identify user data associated with the at least one user ID; and

modifying the set of user data in the network based on the changed status of the at least one user.

15. The network of claim 14, wherein the modifying comprises migrating the user data from the at least one user ID to at least a second user ID.

16. The network of claim 14, wherein the modifying comprises deleting the user data associated with the at least one user ID from the network.

17. The network of claim 14, wherein the automatically scanning comprises automatically communicating with all available nodes in the network via a secure channel to identify the user data associated with the at least one user ID.

18. The network of claim 14, wherein the changed status of the at least one user comprises at least one of a change in user name, a change in network user ID, a change in employment status, a change in level of security access level, and a change in network subscription status.

19. The network of claim 14, wherein the automatically scanning comprises an automatic interrogation process performed by a network management platform.

20. The network of claim 14, wherein the automatically scanning comprises multiple scanning of the network repeated until termination criteria are met.