IP Library Granted Patent US 10,146,954
Granted Patent B1
US 10,146,954 · App. 15/664,849 · Granted Dec 4, 2018

System and method for data aggregation and analysis

Inventors: Michel Albert Brisebois (Renfrew, CA); Jason Aylesworth (Nepean, CA); Curtis T. Johnstone (Ottawa, CA); Andrew John Leach (Ottawa, CA); Elena V. Vinogradov (Kanata, CA); Joel Stacy Blaiberg (Teaneck, NJ); Stephen Pope (Ashton, CA); Shawn Donald Holmesdale (Ottawa, CA); GuangNing Hu (Kanata, CA)
Assignee: Quest Software Inc.
G06F21/6218G06F17/30563G06F17/30569G06F21/62G06F21/6227G06F2216/01G06F2216/03
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,146,954
App. No.
15/664,849
Filed
Jul 31, 2017
Granted
Dec 4, 2018
Kind
B1
Art Unit
2494
USPC
726/1
Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes managing and controlling a plurality of data-access credentials. The method further includes accessing data from a plurality, of sources in a plurality of data formats. The accessing includes using one or more data-access credentials of the plurality of data-access credentials. The one or more data-access credentials are associated with at least a portion of the plurality of data sources. The method also includes abstracting the data into a standardized format for further analysis. The abstracting includes selecting the standardized format based on a type of the data. In addition, the method includes applying a security policy to the data. The applying includes identifying at least a portion of the data for exclusion from storage based on the security policy. Additionally, the method includes filtering from storage any data identified for exclusion. Further, the method includes storing the data in the standardized format.

Claims (63)

1. A method comprising:

on a computer system comprising at least one server computer, managing and controlling a plurality of data-access credentials;

accessing, by the computer system, data from a plurality of sources in a plurality of data formats, the plurality of sources comprising sources that are internal to the computer system and sources that are external to the computer system;

wherein the accessing comprises using one or more data-access credentials of the plurality of data-access credentials, the one or more data-access credentials being associated with at least a portion of the plurality of data sources;

abstracting, by the computer system, the data into a standardized format for further analysis, the abstracting comprising selecting the standardized format based on a type of the data;

applying, by the computer the system, a security policy to the data;

wherein the applying comprises identifying at least a portion of the data for exclusion from storage based on the security policy;

the computer system filtering from storage any data identified for exclusion;

classifying the data based on one or more characteristics of metadata associated with the data;

wherein the classifying comprises performing one or more probabilistic algorithms to determine a probability that a set of data comprises a particular classification based on a combination of probabilistic determinations associated with subsets of the set of data, parameters and metadata associated with the set of data;

storing, by the computer system, the filtered data in the standardized format;

modifying the one or more probabilistic algorithms based, at least in part, on a determined accuracy of previously classified data; and

responsive to the modification, reclassifying the classified data using the modified one or more probabilistic algorithms.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the using comprises using the one or more data-access credentials to access an account for each of the at least a portion of the plurality of data sources.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the accessing comprises accessing metadata associated with the data.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the abstracting comprises extracting metadata from the data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying comprises preventing the computer system from accessing the at least a portion of the data for exclusion.

6. The method of claim 1 , comprising, prior to the storing:

formatting the data for storage.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the storing comprises dynamically expanding a database responsive to the data including a new type of data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sources are selected from the group consisting of: cloud services, social-media services, hosted applications, and email servers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the data comprises messaging data; and

the standardized format comprises a standardized format for messages.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the accessing comprises accessing email from an email server to obtain metadata.

11. An information handling system comprising:

a computer processor and memory, wherein the computer processor and memory is operable to implement a method comprising:

managing and controlling a plurality of data-access credentials;

accessing data from a plurality of sources in a plurality of data formats, the plurality of sources comprising sources that are internal to the information handling system and sources that are external to the information handling system;

wherein the accessing comprises using one or more data-access credentials of the plurality of data-access credentials, the one or more data-access credentials being associated with at least a portion of the plurality of data sources;

abstracting the data into a standardized format for further analysis, the abstracting comprising selecting the standardized format based on a type of the data;

applying a security policy to the data;

wherein the applying comprises identifying at least a portion of the data for exclusion from storage based on the security policy;

filtering from storage any data identified for exclusion;

classifying the data based on one or more characteristics of metadata associated with the data;

wherein the classifying comprises performing one or more probabilistic algorithms to determine a probability that a set of data comprises a particular classification based on a combination of probabilistic determinations associated with subsets of the set of data, parameters and metadata associated with the set of data;

storing the filtered data in the standardized format;

modifying the one or more probabilistic algorithms based, at least in part, on a determined accuracy of previously classified data; and

responsive to the modification, reclassifying the classified data using the modified one or more probabilistic algorithms.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the using comprises using the one or more data-access credentials to access an account for each of the at least a portion of the plurality of data sources.

13. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the accessing comprises accessing metadata associated with the data.

14. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the abstracting comprises extracting metadata from the data.

15. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the applying comprises preventing the computer system from accessing the at least a portion of the data for exclusion.

16. The information handling system of claim 11 , comprising, prior to the storing:

formatting the data for storage.

17. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the storing comprises dynamically expanding a database responsive to the data including a new type of data.

18. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sources are selected from the group consisting of: cloud services, social-media services, hosted applications, and email servers.

19. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein:

the data comprises messaging data; and

the standardized format comprises a standardized format for messages.

20. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

on a computer system comprising at least one server computer, managing and controlling a plurality of data-access credentials;

accessing, by the computer system, data from a plurality of sources in a plurality of data formats, the plurality of sources comprising sources that are internal to the computer system and sources that are external to the computer system;

wherein the accessing comprises using one or more data-access credentials of the plurality of data-access credentials, the one or more data-access credentials being associated with at least a portion of the plurality of data sources;

abstracting, by the computer system, the data into a standardized format for further analysis, the abstracting comprising selecting the standardized format based on a type of the data;

applying, by the computer the system, a security policy to the data;

wherein the applying comprises identifying at least a portion of the data for exclusion from storage based on the security policy;

the computer system filtering from storage any data identified for exclusion;

classifying the data based on one or more characteristics of metadata associated with the data;

wherein the classifying comprises performing one or more probabilistic algorithms to determine a probability that a set of data comprises a particular classification based on a combination of probabilistic determinations associated with subsets of the set of data, parameters and metadata associated with the set of data;

storing, by the computer system, the filtered data in the standardized format;

modifying the one or more probabilistic algorithms based, at least in part, on a determined accuracy of previously classified data; and

responsive to the modification, reclassifying the classified data using the modified one or more probabilistic algorithms.

Assignments (13)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2025
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.; ANALYTIX DATA SERVICES INC.; BINARYTREE.COM LLC; ERWIN, INC.
Reel/Frame 073606/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 18, 2025
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.; ANALYTIX DATA SERVICES INC.; BINARYTREE.COM LLC; ERWIN, INC.
Reel/Frame 073613/0326 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2025
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.; ANALYTIX DATA SERVICES INC.; ERWIN, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 071527/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 8, 2025
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.; ANALYTIX DATA SERVICES INC.; ERWIN, INC.
To: ALTER DOMUS (US) LLC
Reel/Frame 071527/0649 →
SECOND LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.; ANALYTIX DATA SERVICES INC.; BINARYTREE.COM LLC; ERWIN, INC.; ONE IDENTITY LLC; ONELOGIN, INC.; ONE IDENTITY SOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL DESIGNATED ACTIVITY COMPANY
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 058952/0279 →
FIRST LIEN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.; ANALYTIX DATA SERVICES INC.; BINARYTREE.COM LLC; ERWIN, INC.; ONE IDENTITY LLC; ONELOGIN, INC.; ONE IDENTITY SOFTWARE INTERNATIONAL DESIGNATED ACTIVITY COMPANY
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
Reel/Frame 058945/0778 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 059096/0683 →
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 059105/0479 →
SECOND LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 7, 2018
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046327/0486 →
FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 7, 2018
From: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046327/0347 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 4, 2017
From: QUEST SOFTWARE, INC.
To: DELL SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 044134/0746 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 4, 2017
From: DELL SOFTWARE INC.
To: QUEST SOFTWARE INC.
Reel/Frame 044135/0200 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2017
From: BRISEBOIS, MICHEL; AYLESWORTH, JASON; JOHNSTONE, CURTIS; LEACH, ANDREW JOHN; VINOGRADOV, ELENA; BLAIBERG, JOEL STACY; POPE, STEPHEN; HOLMESDALE, SHAWN DONALD; HU, GUANGNING
To: QUEST SOFTWARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 043747/0410 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 13906241 · May 30, 2013
Provisional Application 61658034 · Jun 11, 2012
Cited By (1)
US 12,368,542