Information asset placer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9336400-B2
Application number	US-201414479490-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2014
Priority date	Apr 21, 2014
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for the placing of information assets, including: discovering information about a new or changed information asset; determining one or more characteristics of an ideal location for the information asset; determining one or more characteristics of one or more locations in an information technology environment; determining the compatibility of the information asset with the location(s) by comparing the characteristic(s) of the ideal location to the characteristic(s) of the actual location(s); reporting the compatibility to a user; and optionally suggesting alternative placement locations. The locations may be part of one or more locational schemas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for placement of information assets within an information technology (IT) environment, the method comprising:
discovering, via a networked IT infrastructure of the IT environment, a first piece of information about an information asset within the IT environment;
determining, based at least in part on the first piece of information, a first characteristic of an ideal location for the information asset;
determining, using a first locational schema for IT environment locations, a first characteristic of a first location in the IT environment;
determining compatibility of the information asset with the first location by comparing the first characteristic of the ideal location to the first characteristic of the first location;
reporting the compatibility to a user;
determining, using the first locational schema, compatibility of the information asset with a second location in the IT environment; and
suggesting, based at least in part on the determined compatibilities, a placement of the information asset as between the first and second locations;
wherein:
at least the determination of the compatibility between the information asset and the first location is performed by computer software running on computer hardware.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first characteristic of the ideal location is physical location and is derived from government regulations.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first characteristic of the first location is a network security zone.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein alternative locations are displayed with a graphical indication of their respective compatibility with the information asset.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
importing a plurality of information assets from a configuration database in an initial registration operation;
wherein:
the configuration database contains configuration data on information assets and applicable policies.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
maintaining current and historic information about placement of the information asset for audit purposes.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Milman Ivan M
• Oberhofer Martin
• Pandit Sushain
• Powers Calvin S
• Tackabury Wayne

Classifications

• H04L41/046 Primary

  comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor · CPC title

• G06F21/60 Primary

  Protecting data · CPC title

• H04L41/0823

  characterised by the purposes of a change of settings, e.g. optimising configuration for enhancing reliability (for optimising operational conditions of wireless networks H04W24/02) · CPC title

• H04L63/20

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• H04L63/0209

  Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones · CPC title