IP Library Granted Patent US 8,676,984
Granted Patent B2
US 8,676,984 · App. 13/479,055 · Granted Mar 18, 2014

Live directory of cloud tenants to enable inter-tenant interaction via cloud

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,676,984
App. No.
13/479,055
Granted
Mar 18, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for enabling communication between multiple cloud-based services operating on a common cloud infrastructure includes a cloud infrastructure providing cloud-based services. The cloud-based services include a first service of a first tenant and a second service of a second tenant. A live directory is located within the cloud infrastructure and aggregates and distributing sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the cloud-based services. A back-end network is within the cloud infrastructure and enables communication between the cloud-based services and the live directory. A wide area network enables communication between the cloud-based services and one or more remote clients. The sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the cloud-based services aggregated and distributed by the live directory is used to establish a back-end connection between the first service of the first tenant and the second service of a second tenant.

Claims (41)

1. A system for enabling communication between multiple cloud-based services operating on a common cloud infrastructure, comprising:

a cloud infrastructure providing a plurality of cloud-based services, the plurality of cloud-based services including a first service of a first tenant and a second service of a second tenant;

a live directory located within the cloud infrastructure for aggregating and distributing sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the plurality of cloud-based services;

a back-end network within the cloud infrastructure enabling communication between the plurality of cloud-based services and the live directory; and

a wide area network enabling communication between the plurality of cloud-based services and one or more remote clients,

wherein the sharing and availability information pertaining to one or more of the plurality of cloud-based services aggregated and distributed by the live directory is used to establish a back-end connection between the first service of the first tenant and the second service of a second tenant.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cloud infrastructure includes a plurality of physical computer systems for hosting the plurality of cloud-based services thereon.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of cloud-based services are hosted by one or more virtual machines executing on the plurality of physical computers.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of physical computers are connected to each other and to the live directory along a local area network which forms the back-end network.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the cloud infrastructure includes a datacenter housing the plurality of physical computer systems.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the live directory includes a presence server.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the live directory includes a database for storing the sharing and availability information.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sharing and availability information includes information pertaining to the availability of resources offered for sharing between each of the plurality of cloud-based services within the cloud infrastructure.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sharing and availability information includes information pertaining to establishing a back-end connection between each of the plurality of cloud-based services within the cloud infrastructure.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the live directory aggregates the sharing and availability information by periodically polling each of the plurality of cloud-based services.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the live directory aggregates the sharing and availability information by receiving the information from each of the plurality of cloud-based services as the information is generated.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the live directory distributes the sharing and availability information by publishing the information to the plurality of cloud-based services.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the established back-end connection between the first service of the first tenant and the second service of a second tenant is a connection transmitting sound or video signals.

14. A method for enabling communication between multiple cloud-based services operating on a common cloud infrastructure, comprising:

aggregating sharing and availability information pertaining to a first cloud-based service of a plurality of cloud-based services within a cloud infrastructure;

accessing a second cloud-based service of the plurality of cloud-based services remotely via a front-end wide area network;

storing the aggregated sharing and availability information in a live directory within the cloud infrastructure;

retrieving the stored sharing and availability information from the live directory;

requesting communication or collaboration between the first cloud-based service and the second cloud-based service using the retrieved sharing and availability information; and

providing communication or collaboration between the first cloud-based service and a second cloud-based service along a back-end local area network using the retrieved sharing and availability information.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the provided communication or collaboration between the first cloud-based service and a second cloud-based service along a back-end local area network includes transmitting sound or video signals.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the aggregating of the sharing and availability information is performed by the live directory.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sharing and availability information includes information pertaining to the availability of resources offered for sharing between each of the plurality of cloud-based services within the cloud infrastructure.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the sharing and availability information includes information pertaining to establishing a back-end connection between each of the plurality of cloud-based services within the cloud infrastructure.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the cloud infrastructure includes a plurality of physical computer systems for hosting the plurality of cloud-based services thereon and the plurality of cloud-based services are hosted by one or more virtual machines executing on the plurality of physical computers.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein aggregating the sharing and availability information includes periodically polling each of the plurality of cloud-based services.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein aggregating the sharing and availability information includes receiving the information from each of the plurality of cloud-based services as the information is generated.

22. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory, tangible, program storage medium, readable by the computer system, embodying a program of instructions executable by the processor to perform method steps for enabling communication between multiple cloud-based services operating on a common cloud infrastructure, the method comprising:

aggregating sharing and availability information pertaining to a first cloud-based service of a plurality of cloud-based services within a cloud infrastructure;

accessing a second cloud-based service of the plurality of cloud-based services remotely via a front-end wide area network;

storing the aggregated sharing and availability information in a live directory within the cloud infrastructure;

retrieving the stored sharing and availability information from the live directory;

requesting communication or collaboration between the first cloud-based service and the second cloud-based service using the retrieved sharing and availability information; and

providing communication or collaboration between the first cloud-based service and a second cloud-based service along a back-end local area network using the retrieved sharing and availability information.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069635/0332 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 069604/0611 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 069613/0744 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 10, 2021
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055670/0219 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 25, 2017
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: DROPBOX, INC.
Reel/Frame 043938/0489 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2017
From: DROPBOX, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 042254/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2012
From: ACHARYA, ARUP; BANERJEE, NILANJAN; MOHINDRA, AJAY; SHARMA, SHACHI
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028259/0621 →