Systems and methods for automatically categorizing digital assets

1. A computer-implemented method of categorizing digital assets of a computer system, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a filter manager, system input-output requests generated by an operating system executed by the computer system, the filter manager executing in a system space of the operating system;

(b) outputting the system input-output requests to a mini-filter that passes a portion of the system input-output requests to an agent, wherein the portion of the system input-output requests identify a digital asset, and wherein the mini-filter and the agent both execute in a user space of the operating system;

(c) receiving, by the agent, the portion of the system input-output requests identifying the digital asset;

(d) applying, by the agent without intervention by an end-user of the computer system, categorization information to the identified digital asset, the categorization information based on the portion of the system input-output requests; and

(e) storing the categorization information as part of an asset identification tag associated with the digital asset,

wherein the computer system is a client computer system coupled to a central computing system by a network, and wherein the filter manager, the operating system, the mini-filter and the agent are software components all operating within the client computer system, and further comprising transmitting, by the client computer system, the asset identification tag to the central computing system for storage,

and wherein the applying the categorization information comprises determining the categorization information based on an evaluating, by the mini-filter, of a hierarchical rule set,

and further comprising resolving a conflict among rules of the hierarchical rule set in favor of either a highest ordered rule or a lowest ordered rule.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the applying the categorization information comprises inheriting categorization information assigned to a file system folder.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein (1) the system input-output requests include requests for new or updated files resulting from an update being applied to the operating system, (2) the agent would, in the absence of operation of the mini-filter, automatically apply categorization information for each of the new or updated files, and (3) the mini-filter is operative based on the evaluating of the hierarchical rule set to refrain from passing the requests for the new or updated files to the agent thereby preventing the agent from operating on the requests.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the mini-filter is one of a set of mini-filters residing within the system space;

wherein the filter manager is constructed and arranged to operate as an interface between the set of mini-filters and the agent; and

wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises (i) operating the set of mini-filters to apply a hierarchical rule set to each system input-output request received by the filter manager and (ii) forwarding, as the portion of the system input-output requests, less than all of the system input output requests received by the filter manager based on application of the hierarchical rule set.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein the digital asset includes an electronic file containing data, and wherein operating the set of mini-filters includes:

preventing a particular system input-output request associated with accessing the data contained in the electronic file from reaching the agent in response to application, by a mini-filter, of an exclusion filtering rule of the hierarchical rule set to the particular system input-output request, and

conveying another system input-output request, which is associated with accessing the data contained in the electronic file, to the agent in response to application, by a mini-filter, of an inclusion filtering rule of the hierarchical rule set to the another system input-output request.

6. A computer system comprising a memory and a processor collectively operative to store and execute:

(a) a filter manager executing in a system space of an operating system executed by the computer system, the filter manager receiving system input-output requests generated by the operating system;

(b) a mini-filter executing in a user space of the operating system, the mini-filter receiving the system input-output requests from the filter manager and outputting a portion of the system input-output requests, the portion of the systems input-output requests identifying a digital asset; and

(c) an agent operating in a user space of the operating system, the agent (i) receiving the portion of the system input-output requests from the mini-filter, and (ii) applying, without intervention by an end-user of the computer system, categorization information to the identified digital asset based on the portion of the system input-output requests,

wherein the computer system is a client computer system for coupling to a central computing system by a network, and wherein the filter manager, the operating system, the mini-filter and the agent are software components all operating within the client computer system, and wherein the computer system is operative to store the categorization information as part of an asset identification tag associated with the digital asset,

and wherein the memory and the processor are further operative to store and execute a transmitter in communication with the agent, the transmitter transmitting the asset identification tag to the central computing system for storage,

and wherein the agent applies the categorization information based on an evaluating, by the mini-filter, of a hierarchical rule set,

and wherein the mini-filter resolves a conflict among rules of the hierarchical rule set in favor of either a highest ordered rule or a lowest ordered rule.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the agent applies the categorization information by inheriting categorization information assigned to a file system folder.

8. The computer system of claim 6 wherein (1) the system input-output requests include requests for new or updated files resulting from an update being applied to the operating system, (2) the agent would, in the absence of operation of the mini-filter, automatically apply categorization information for each of the new or updated files, and (3) the mini-filter is operative based on the evaluating of the hierarchical rule set to refrain from passing the requests for the new or updated files to the agent thereby preventing the agent from operating on the requests.

9. The computer system of claim 6 wherein the mini-filter is one of a set of mini-filters residing within the system space;

wherein the filter manager is constructed and arranged to operate as an interface between the set of mini-filters and the agent; and

the set of mini-filters is operative to (i) apply a hierarchical rule set to each system input-output request received by the filter manager and (ii) forward, as the portion of the system input-output requests, less than all of the system input output requests received by the filter manager based on application of the hierarchical rule set.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein the digital asset includes an electronic file containing data; and wherein the set of mini-filters is operative to:

prevent a particular system input-output request associated with accessing the data contained in the electronic file from reaching the agent in response to application, by a mini-filter, of an exclusion filtering rule of the hierarchical rule set to the particular system input-output request, and

convey another system input-output request, which is associated with accessing the data contained in the electronic file, to the agent in response to application, by a mini-filter, of an inclusion filtering rule of the hierarchical rule set to the another system input-output request.

11. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having executable instructions thereon to categorize digital assets of a computer system, the instructions being operative, when performed by the computer system, to cause the computer system to:

(a) receive, by a filter manager, system input-output requests generated by an operating system executed by the computer system, the filter manager executing in a system space of the operating system;

(b) output the system input-output requests to a mini-filter that passes a portion of the system input-output requests to an agent, wherein the portion of the system input-output requests identify a digital asset, and wherein the mini-filter and the agent both execute in a user space of the operating system;

(c) receive, by the agent, the portion of the system input-output requests identifying the digital asset;

(d) apply, by the agent without intervention by an end-user of the computer system, categorization information to the identified digital asset based on the portion of the system input-output requests; and

(e) store the categorization information as part of an asset identification tag associated with the digital asset,

wherein the computer system is a client computer system coupled to a central computing system by a network, and wherein the filter manager, the operating system, the mini-filter and the agent are software components all operating within the client computer system, and wherein the instructions are further operative when performed by the client computer system to cause the client computer system to transmit the asset identification tag to the central computing system for storage,

and wherein the instructions are further operative, when performed by the computer system, to cause the computer system to determine the categorization information based on an evaluating, by the mini-filter, of a hierarchical rule set,

and wherein the instructions are further operative, when performed by the computer system, to cause the computer system to resolve a conflict among rules of the hierarchical rule set in favor of either a highest ordered rule or a lowest ordered rule.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the instructions are further operative, when performed by the computer system, to cause the computer system to inherit categorization information assigned to a file system folder.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein (1) the system input-output requests include requests for new or updated files resulting from an update being applied to the operating system, (2) the agent would, in the absence of operation of the mini-filter, automatically apply categorization information for each of the new or updated files, and (3) the mini-filter is operative based on the evaluating of the hierarchical rule set to refrain from passing the requests for the new or updated files to the agent thereby preventing the agent from operating on the requests.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the mini-filter is one of a set of mini-filters residing within the system space;

wherein the filter manager is constructed and arranged to operate as an interface between the set of mini-filters and the agent; and

wherein the instructions are further operative, when performed by the computer system, to cause the computer system to (i) operate the set of mini-filters to apply a hierarchical rule set to each system input-output request received by the filter manager and (ii) forward, as the portion of the system input-output requests, less than all of the system input output requests received by the filter manager based on application of the hierarchical rule set.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the digital asset includes an electronic file containing data; and wherein the instructions are further operative, when operating the set of mini-filters, to cause the computer system to:

prevent a particular system input-output request associated with accessing the data contained in the electronic file from reaching the agent in response to application, by a mini-filter, of an exclusion filtering rule of the hierarchical rule set to the particular system input-output request, and

convey another system input-output request, which is associated with accessing the data contained in the electronic file, to the agent in response to application, by a mini-filter, of an inclusion filtering rule of the hierarchical rule set to the another system input-output request.