Patents Assigned to Symantec
  • Patent number: 8266110
    Abstract: Various systems and methods can integrate archival and backup. One method involves accessing a first backup image and generating a first set of indexing information for the first backup image. The first set of indexing information identifies one or more data items included within the first backup image. The method then compares the first set of indexing information to a second set of indexing information associated with a second backup image, which is generated subsequent to a time at which the first backup image is generated. Based upon this comparison, the method can identify a first data item of the one or more data items as having been modified or deleted after the time at which the first backup image was generated. The method can then copy the first data item from the first backup image to an archival data repository, prior to deletion of the first backup image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Srineet Sridharan
  • Patent number: 8261320
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for securely managing access to data may comprise identifying a request to access data that is encrypted, the request being made within an insecure platform. The method may: determine that a requestor has a right to access the data, decrypt the data to provide decrypted data, and permit a secure platform to access the decrypted data. A computer-implemented method for securely managing access to data may comprise identifying a request to access data that is encrypted, the request being made within an insecure platform. They method may: submit the request to a policy server, receive permission from the policy server to access the data, decrypt the data to provide decrypted data, and permit a secure platform to access the decrypted data. A system for securely managing access to data may comprise: an authorization platform, an authentication module, a policy-enforcement module, and a cryptography module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Denis Serenyi, Brian Witten
  • Patent number: 8260748
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for capturing data from a backup image are described. In one example, the backup image is mounted on a volume in a host computer. The backup image includes files, a first portion of which include an operating system. A database in the backup image is mounted. The database stores configuration data for use by the operating system. The configuration data includes file paths referencing at least one of the files. The file paths are re-mapped based on the volume. The data is captured from the backup image using the database as mounted and the file paths as re-mapped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Eugene Paul Manko, Timothy Allan Wayper, Robert Edwin Stutton
  • Patent number: 8260893
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for automated management of information technology. A computer-implemented method according to the present invention includes detecting a condition in an infrastructure, automatically determining an action to be taken and automatically performing the action. The automatically determining is performed in response to the detecting, and the action is in response to the condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventors: Jagadish S. Bandhole, Thiruvillamalai K. Lakshman, Sekeran Nanja, Hsu Chih Wang Chang
  • Patent number: 8260711
    Abstract: A method for managing rights associated with data is described. A request to access encrypted data is intercepted. Credentials associated with the request are verified. The data is decrypted if the credentials are verified. The decrypted data is marked with an identifier. Predetermined operations directed to the decrypted data are monitored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Abubakar Wawda, Michael Spertus
  • Patent number: 8260752
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for change tracking with multiple backup jobs may include identifying a plurality of overlapping backup jobs to be performed on a volume. The computer-implemented method may also include identifying snapshots taken for any of the plurality of overlapping backup jobs. The computer-implemented method may further include, for each consecutive pair of identified snapshots, identifying changes made to the volume between the consecutive pair of identified snapshots and saving a list of the changes. The computer-implemented method may additionally include supplying the list of changes for each backup job in the plurality of overlapping backup jobs that requires the list of changes. The computer-implemented method may also include determining that no remaining backup job in the plurality of overlapping jobs requires the list of changes and deleting the list of changes. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Russell R. Stringham, Jason Ivey, Erik Prusse
  • Patent number: 8261122
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method is provided and a computer accessible medium comprising instructions which, when executed, implement the method is also provided. A recovery time for recovery of at least one asset is estimated responsive to at least one metric represented in metric data. The metric data is accumulated prior to the estimation. In various embodiments, data protection operations may include one or more of asset copy operations, recovery operations, etc. The estimated recovery time may be reported to a user. In other embodiments, metric data may be used to validate recoverability. In still other embodiments, recovery metrics may be calculated and displayed to the user along with corresponding recovery targets and objectives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventors: Steven Kappel, Shelley A. Schmokel, Guido Westenberg, Branka Rakic, Peter A. Barber, Julianne M. Urban, Nancy L. Bayer, Linda Cerni
  • Patent number: 8261254
    Abstract: The disclosure is directed to dynamic insertion and removal of virtual software sub-layers. In one example, a virtual layer associated with a software application is virtually installed and activated in a computing device. A virtual sub-layer associated with a component of the software application is dynamically inserted in the virtual layer. The virtual layer remains active during the dynamic insertion of the virtual sub-layer. In certain embodiments, a process is executed from the virtual layer, a determination is made as to whether the process launched before or after the insertion of the virtual sub-layer, and the inserted virtual sub-layer is selectively made visible or invisible to the process based on the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Randall R. Cook
  • Patent number: 8255517
    Abstract: A method, system and computer-readable medium for securing access between a mobile computing device and a network computer is described. The method comprises upon a connection by the mobile computing device to a network or a device, recording the connection in a history database and processing the history database to assign a risk level to the mobile computing device. The system comprises the mobile computing device comprising a connection history collection agent for collecting information about a computing environment and the host computer comprising wireless environment data derived from the collected information where the host computer uses the wireless environment data to grant or deny a connection to the mobile computing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Hernacki, Sourabh Satish
  • Patent number: 8256000
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for indentifying Icons whereby a known/clean file Icon database is created that includes Icon image data and/or .ico files associated with known icons of selected applications. The resource section of any file being transferred to, or through, a given user computing system is then stripped and scanned for .ico files and any .ico files identified are extracted. Then for each directory extracted from the identified .ico files, the relevant image data is extracted. The known/clean Icon image data is obtained from the known/clean file Icon database. The extracted relevant image data is then compared with known/clean Icon image data and, if the extracted relevant image data matches with the known/clean Icon image data to a desired level of accuracy, a status of the extracted .ico files, and/or given file, is transformed indicate a status of Icon match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Bhaskar Krishnappa
  • Patent number: 8255370
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for scanning structured data from a data repository having an arbitrary data schema and for applying a policy to the data of the data repository are described. In one embodiment, the structured data is converted to unstructured text data to allow a schema-independent policy to be applied to the text data in order to detect a policy violation in the data repository regardless of the data schema used by the data repository.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Michel Zoppas, Jeremy Hermann, Conal O'Raghallaigh, Eric Bothwell, Alexander Fontana
  • Patent number: 8255675
    Abstract: Configuration data, such as options a file system accessed by a host system, may be stored on the storage device storing the file system. File system configuration data may be stored in a file of the file system or in a private storage area configured for storing file system configuration data. A host may access the file system configuration data and subsequently may access the file system according to the file system configuration data. Additionally, different versions of file system configuration data may be stored and different hosts accessing the file system may read and use different versions of the file system configuration data based upon the type or context of the host accessing the file system. Storing file system configuration data with the file system data, or on the same storage device, may allow context dependent options to be provided to various hosts accessing the file system data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventors: Scott D. Kaiser, Ronald S. Karr, John A. Colgrove
  • Patent number: 8254143
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a communication apparatus. The communication apparatus includes one or more board and a backplane. The board includes a connector and a function processing unit circuit connected to the connector. The backplane includes at least one group of board connectors. Each group of the board connectors includes two board connectors that receive signals from different boards. The board connector includes connection terminals connected to the connector on boards. The two board connectors are distributed up and down, and the connection terminals of the two board connectors are distributed symmetrically around a center. The foregoing communication apparatus and backplane are cost-efficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Chengdu Huawei Symantec Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yumin Du
  • Patent number: 8255572
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying 419 messages in a live message stream whereby an incoming message in a live message stream is subjected to an anti-spam pipeline made up of multiple anti-spam stages or filters including a whitelist filter stage, a dynamic feedback-based heuristic filter stage, a 419 text-based heuristic filter stage, one or more metadata creating heuristic filter stages, and a metadata analysis stage. A message is removed from the live analysis of the anti-spam pipeline at any stage where the message is identified as either a potential 419 message or a potential legitimate message. Consequently, processing costs are minimized since no resources are used on messages that have already been classified as either a potential 419 message or a potential legitimate message.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Graham Coomer
  • Patent number: 8255993
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining file classifications. The method may include determining identification information of a first file stored on a first computing system. The method may also include querying a second computing system for classification information by sending the identification information of the first file to the second computing system. The first computing system may receive, in response to the query, identification information of a second file. The first computing system may also receive the classification information. The classification information may indicate that the first file and second file are trusted. The first computing system may use the identification information of the second file to determine that the second file is stored on the first computing system. The first computing system may also apply the classification information to the first and second files by excluding the first and second files from a security scan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Shaun Cooley, Petrus J. Viljoen
  • Patent number: 8255365
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for backing up data from a backup source to a central repository using deduplication, where the data comprises source data segments is disclosed. A fingerprint cache comprising fingerprints of data segments stored in the central repository is received, where the data segments were previously backed up from the backup source. Source data fingerprints comprising fingerprints (e.g., hash values) of the source data segments are generated. The source data fingerprints are compared to the fingerprints in the fingerprint cache. The source data segments corresponding to fingerprints not in the fingerprint cache may not be currently stored in the central repository. After further queries to the central repository, one or more of the source data segments are sent to the central repository for storage responsive to comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Mike Zeis, Weibao Wu
  • Patent number: 8256013
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for dynamically generating a persona is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an identity policy, determining a required identity information data set based on the policy, requesting a site reputation, receiving the site reputation, determining a set of site reputation parameters, and generating a persona based on the required identity information data set and the site reputation parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Hernacki, Sourabh Satish
  • Patent number: 8255366
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a system and method for restoring a file are described herein. A previous version of the file may be split into segments and backed up to a server computer system. In response to a subsequent request to restore the file to the previous version, the current segments of the file may be compared to the backup segments stored on the server computer system. The segments that have changed may be retrieved from the server computer system and used to restore the corresponding segments of the current version of the file to their previous states. Segments that have not changed do not need to be transferred across the network from the server computer system. In further embodiments, one or more of the segments that have changed may be obtained locally from other files, thus further reducing the amount of data transferred across the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Paul Dwayne Bagley, Robert Koeten
  • Patent number: 8255902
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining whether an application impacts the health of a system may comprise detecting an application, performing a first system-health evaluation, allowing the application to install on the system, performing a second system-health evaluation after the application is installed on the system, and comparing the second system-health evaluation with the first system-health evaluation to determine whether the application impacted the health of the system. Exemplary methods for determining the potential impact of an application on the health of a system and for calculating a system-health-impact score for an application based on information gathered from a plurality of systems are also disclosed. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Sourabh Satish
  • Publication number: 20120215744
    Abstract: Techniques for virtual archiving are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for performing virtual archiving comprising applying archiving rules to a backup catalog, generating a virtual archive catalog based at least in part on a result of applying archiving rules to the backup catalog, determining a backup image associated with the virtual archive catalog becoming expired and converting the backup image into an archive image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ynn-Pyng TSAUR, William COCHRAN