Method and system for managing data in a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9277009-B2
Application number	US-201414568901-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Feb 2, 2009
Publication date	Mar 1, 2016
Grant date	Mar 1, 2016

Abstract

A method for managing a plurality of files in a communication network having a plurality of clients includes a server receiving ( 502 ) metadata associated with a secured file stored in a virtual data drive of a first client. The server also receives ( 504 ) data segments associated with the file from the virtual data drive of the first client. The server stores the metadata and data segments associated with the file at the server. The server generates ( 506 ) a first representation of the file based on the received metadata and data segments associated with the file and sends ( 508 ) the first representation of the file to the plurality of clients. Next, the server receives ( 510 ) a request from a second client for at least one data segment of the file. The server authenticates the request based on a plurality of access rights of a user of the second client and sends ( 512 ) the at least one data segment of the file to the second client when the request is authenticated.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for managing a plurality of files in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of clients and at least one file of the plurality of files comprising one or more data segments, the method comprising:
a. receiving metadata associated with a file, by a server, wherein the file is stored in a virtual data drive of a first client of the plurality of clients;
b. receiving, by the server, data segments associated with the file from the virtual data drive of the first client;
c. storing the metadata and data segments associated with the file at the server;
d. generating, by the server, a first representation of the file based on the received metadata and data segments associated with the file;
e. sending, by the server, the first representation of the file to the plurality of clients; and
f. sending, by the server, at least one data segment of the file to a second client of the plurality of clients based on a request received at the server from the second client for the at least one data segment of the file.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, by the server, inputs to define a plurality of access rights to at least one user of a plurality of users corresponding to the plurality of clients for accessing the file.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving, by the server, a change to the at least one data segment of the file from the second client.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 further comprising:
updating, by the server, the first representation of the file based on the received change to the at least one data segment of the file.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprising:
sending, by the server, the updated first representation of the file to the plurality of clients.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:
authenticating, by the server, the request based on a plurality of access rights of a user of the second client when the file is a secured file.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the at least one data segment of the file sent to the second client is not cached by the second client when the file is a secured file.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein one or more data segments of the sent at least one data segments of the file are cached by the second client when the file is not a secured file.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the number of the one or more data segments of the sent at least one data segments cached by the second client is based on one or more parameters of the communication network.

10. A method for managing a plurality of files in a communication network, the communication network comprising a plurality of clients and at least one file of the plurality of files comprising one or more data segments, the method comprising:
a. receiving metadata associated with a file, by a server, wherein the file is a secured file stored in a virtual data drive of a first client of the plurality of clients;
b. receiving, by the server, data segments associated with the file from the virtual data drive of the first client;
c. storing the metadata and data segments associated with the file at the server;
d. generating, by the server, a first representation of the file based on the received metadata and data segments associated with the file;
e. sending, by the server, the first representation of the file to the plurality of clients;
f. receiving, by the server, a request from a second client of the plurality of clients for at least one data segment of the file;
g. authenticating, by the server, the request based on a plurality of access rights of a user of the second client; and
h. sending, by the server, the at least one data segment of the file to the second client when the request is authenticated.

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Zhao David Long
• West Kevin John
• Mani Vijay Krishnan

Classifications

• H04L63/10

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title

• H04L67/1095 Primary

  Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• G06F17/30094

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/60

  Protecting data · CPC title