Computer networks for providing peer to peer remote data storage and collaboration
Computer networks for brokering the transmission of data between remote computers for purposes of redundancy or collaboration. A service brokers the transfer of data between an initiating computer and a destination device, thereby establishing a peer-to-peer architecture by which data of the initiating computer can be stored remotely on the destination device. The process begins as the initiating computer issues a request for permission to store the data remotely on an identified destination device. The permission is granted if the initiating computer properly identifies the destination device using information, such as a network address or a password, that is privately communicated between the users of the destination device and the initiating computer. Accordingly, substantially any computer user having access to the Internet can achieve remote backup of data and remote collaboration of data with the assistance of a trusted third party who also is registered with the service.
1. A computer network enabling the remote storage of data, comprising:
a plurality of computers, wherein a requesting computer in a first group of the plurality of computers is remotely located from a remote computer in a second group of the plurality of computers, wherein the remote computer is identified by the requesting computer as a particular location for storage of data;
a plurality of appliances, wherein each appliance is operably connected to a respective group of the plurality of computers and acts as a local broker for the respective group of the plurality of computers; and
a service that is operably connected via the computer network to the plurality of appliances, wherein the service is configured to
broker requests from the requesting computer transmitted via a respective one of the plurality of appliances to store data of the requesting computer on the remote computer; and
broker data transmissions in which the data is transferred from the requesting computer to the remote computer.
2. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of appliances has a wireless connection with one or more local computers of the plurality of computers so as to form a local group.
3. The computer network of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of appliances is operably connected to the service via a wired connection.
4. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein the each of the plurality of computers includes a software module that is configured to provide an interface between each of the plurality of computers and an associated one of the plurality of appliances.
5. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein the service brokers requests from the requesting computer to store data of the requesting computer on the remote computer by:
receiving a request from the requesting computer for permission to store a segment of the data at the remote computer, the request identifying the remote computer;
transmitting the request to the remote computer; and
receiving data representing the permission from the remote computer, the data representing the permission indicating that the remote computer has granted the permission.
6. The computer network of claim 5 , wherein the service brokers data transmissions in which the data is transferred from the requesting computer to the remote computer by:
receiving the segment of data from the requesting computer; and
transmitting the segment of the data to the remote computer for storage thereon only after receiving the data representing the permission.
7. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein the data is encrypted before the data is transferred from the requesting computer to the remote computer, such that the data is inaccessible by a user of the remote computer.
8. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein:
the data represents a backup version of specified data; and
the computer network permits the requesting computer to access the backup version of the specified data after the backup version has been transferred from the requesting computer to the remote computer.
9. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein:
the service transfers data between the requesting computer and the remote computer so as to permit data collaboration between users of the requesting computer and the remote computer; and
wherein data collaboration includes the service transmitting a modified version of the data from the remote computer to the requesting computer.
10. The computer network of claim 1 , wherein the service further:
brokers requests from the remote computer to store data of the remote computer at the requesting computer; and
brokers data transmissions in which data is transferred from the remote computer to the requesting computer.