SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING VIRTUAL COMPUTING CLOUDS

• US 20150058399A1
• Filed: 11/03/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Admiemobile LLC
• Original Assignee: Admiemobile LLC
• Inventors: Simmons, David, Conrad, Jonathan M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,596,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/188 Virtual file systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

Networking systems and methods for establishing and maintaining virtual computing clouds are disclosed. A networking system can comprise a server and various instances of a software agent, each agent being installed on a computing device participating in a virtual computing cloud. The server can maintain account setting for a user, wherein the settings can indicate which files on indicated computing devices are included in the virtual computing cloud. The networking system can selectively synchronize data between the computing devices automatically and in a secure manner, and can transmit data in real time to simulate local storage when synchronization of certain files is inappropriate in light of file incompatibility. As a result, the networking system can provide the user with a seamless, automatic system and method for accessing a total computing environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving indications of a plurality of files;

receiving indications of two or more computing devices;

transmitting, to each respective computing device from the two or more computing devices, a respective software agent;

receiving, from the software agents transmitted to the two or more computing devices, updates relating to a status, at the two or more computing devices, of files from the plurality of files, including an indication, from a first software agent, of a first edit to a first file from the plurality of files, and an indication, from a second software agent, of a second edit to the first file from the plurality of files;

receiving a request, from the respective software agent at a first computing device from the two or more computing devices, to access the first file from the plurality of files;

responsive to the request from the respective software agent at the first computing device to access the first file, identifying, by a processor, based on comparing a timestamp associated with the first edit and a timestamp associated with the second edit, a preferred version of the first file stored at a second computing device from among the two or more computing devices, wherein the preferred version is a version of the first file associated with a more recent timestamp; and

providing the first computing device with access to the preferred version of the first file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing each of the two or more computing devices with access to each of the plurality of files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first computing device with access to the preferred version of the first file comprises automatically transmitting the preferred version of the first file to the respective software agent at the first computing device responsive to the request to access the first file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein there is a second version of the first file at the first computing device, and the preferred version of the first file replaces the second version of the first file at the first computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein there is a second version of the first file at the first computing device, and the respective software agent at the first computing device is configured to send the request to access the first file based on a local request for access to the first file at the first computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the software agents, the updates relating to the status, at the two or more computing devices, of files from the plurality of files, comprises receiving information related to a new file to be added to the plurality of files.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising posting an indication of the new file to a social network.

8. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising an algorithm adapted to effectuate a method, the method comprising:

receiving indications of a plurality of files;

receiving indications of two or more computing devices;

transmitting, to each respective computing device from the two or more computing devices, a respective software agent;

receiving, from the software agents transmitted to the two or more computing devices, updates relating to a status, at the two or more computing devices, of files from the plurality of files, including an indication, from a first software agent, of a first edit to a first file from the plurality of files, and an indication, from a second software agent, of a second edit to the first file from the plurality of files;

receiving a request, from the respective software agent at a first computing device from the two or more computing devices, to access the first file from the plurality of files;

responsive to the request from the respective software agent at the first computing device to access the first file, identifying, by a processor, based on comparing a timestamp associated with the first edit and a timestamp associated with the second edit, a preferred version of the first file stored at a second computing device from among the two or more computing devices, wherein the preferred version is a version of the first file associated with a more recent timestamp; and

providing the first computing device with access to the preferred version of the first file.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, the method further comprising providing each of the two or more computing devices with access to each of the plurality of files.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein providing the first computing device with access to the preferred version of the first file comprises automatically transmitting the preferred version of the first file to the respective software agent at the first computing device responsive to the request to access the first file.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein there is a second version of the first file at the first computing device, and the preferred version of the first file replaces the second version of the first file at the first computing device.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein there is a second version of the first file at the first computing device, and the respective software agent at the first computing device is configured to send the request to access the first file based on a local request for access to the first file at the first computing device.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein receiving, from the software agents, the updates relating to the status, at the two or more computing devices, of files from the plurality of files, comprises receiving information related to a new file to be added to the plurality of files.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, the method further comprising posting an indication of the new file to a social network.

15. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured for storing data and instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform a method comprising;

receiving indications of a plurality of files;

receiving indications of two or more computing devices;

transmitting, to each respective computing device from the two or more computing devices, a respective software agent;

receiving, from the software agents transmitted to the two or more computing devices, updates relating to a status, at the two or more computing devices, of files from the plurality of files, including an indication, from a first software agent, of a first edit to a first file from the plurality of files, and an indication, from a second software agent, of a second edit to the first file from the plurality of files;

receiving a request, from the respective software agent at a first computing device from the two or more computing devices, to access the first file from the plurality of files;

responsive to the request from the respective software agent at the first computing device to access the first file, identifying, by the at least one processor, based on comparing a timestamp associated with the first edit and a timestamp associated with the second edit, a preferred version of the first file stored at a second computing device from among the two or more computing devices, wherein the preferred version is a version of the first file associated with a more recent timestamp; and

providing the first computing device with access to the preferred version of the first file.

16. The system of claim 15, the method further comprising providing each of the two or more computing devices with access to each of the plurality of files.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein providing the first computing device with access to the preferred version of the first file comprises automatically transmitting the preferred version of the first file to the respective software agent at the first computing device responsive to the request to access the first file.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein there is a second version of the first file at the first computing device, and the preferred version of the first file replaces the second version of the first file at the first computing device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein there is a second version of the first file at the first computing device, and the respective software agent at the first computing device is configured to send the request to access the first file based on a local request for access to the first file at the first computing device.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein receiving, from the software agents, the updates relating to the status, at the two or more computing devices, of files from the plurality of files, comprises receiving information related to a new file to be added to the plurality of files.