Patents Assigned to Symantec
  • Patent number: 8930762
    Abstract: The tracking of cluster-wide connectivity information is optimized. I/O errors that result from failed operations in which specific nodes attempt to access shared storage are detected. The start-times of failed operations are tracked. The tracked start-times are compared to the time at which the cluster-wide connectivity information was last updated. Responsive to the results of the comparing, the cluster-wide connectivity information is updated in response only to a single I/O error that results from a single failed operation that was initiated after the update time, wherein additional errors resulting from failed operations with start-times after the update time are also detected, thereby preventing redundant updates of the cluster-wide connectivity information. The update time is set to the time at which the cluster-wide connectivity information is updated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Prasanta Dash, Chaitanya Yalamanchili
  • Patent number: 8931061
    Abstract: Techniques for providing access to data in dynamic shared accounts are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a system for providing data in dynamic shared accounts. The system may comprise one or more processors communicatively coupled to a network. The one or more processors may be configured to identify a first user associated with an account, identify a second user to have access to the account associated with the first user in the event the first user is unavailable to access data or perform functions associated with the account, map the second user to the account, and provide the second user access to the account based on the mapping and with access privileges associated with the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Sharada Sundaram, Robert Koeten
  • Patent number: 8930423
    Abstract: Various techniques, including a method, system and computer program product for restoring encrypted files are disclosed. The method includes accessing a file table record for an encrypted file. The file table record includes an encrypted file stream and extent information identifying a location of one or more portions of the encrypted file in a virtual machine image. In response to accessing the file table record a consecutive data stream is stored. Storing the consecutive data stream includes encapsulating the encrypted file stream and the one or more portions of the encrypted file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Sridhar Surampudi, Timothy M. Naftel
  • Patent number: 8930333
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently performing simultaneous access of files in a clustered file system. A cluster of nodes is coupled to a data storage medium. A first node executes a first thread with write operations for a given file. A second node executes a second thread with read operations for the given file. The first thread is appending the given file. In response, the first node requests a write lock range between an end-of-file for the given file to a highest possible endpoint. If a prediction determines the second thread may request read locks after the range it is currently reading, then the method enables the locks to be efficiently transferred from the first node to the second node before they are required on the second node, allowing the reading second node to proceed with fewer delays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Harold B. Prince, Balemurughan Kumaresan, Kedar Patwardhan
  • Patent number: 8930539
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for optimizing resource utilization within a cluster and facilitating high availability for an application is described. In one embodiment, the method for optimizing resource utilization within a cluster and facilitating high availability for an application includes accessing configuration information regarding virtual machine nodes within the cluster to identify an active node and at least one passive node that are associated with the application and configuring the at least one passive node to be in a suspended state, wherein a passive node of the at least one passive node is to be in a running state and the active node is to be in a suspended state upon migration of the application to the passive node of the at least one passive node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Subash Rajaa
  • Patent number: 8930683
    Abstract: One method of testing multi-threaded code involves accessing a first set of instructions which are configured to be executed, in execution order, as a thread of a multi-threaded process. A memory space is modified, based upon the first set of instructions. The modified memory space represents one or more values that are generated by executing the first set of program instructions in a different order than execution order. The memory space is processed by a second set of program instructions, which is configured to be executed as a second thread of the multi-threaded process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2015
    Assignee: Symantec Operating Corporation
    Inventor: Michael P. Spertus
  • Publication number: 20150007315
    Abstract: Techniques for detecting security vulnerabilities are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for detecting security vulnerabilities including assigning a reputation to an application, distributing the reputation to a client, receiving monitored system behavior from the client related to the client executing the application, determining whether to change the reputation of the application based on the monitored system behavior, distributing the changed reputation to the client, receiving further monitored system behavior from the client, and determining whether to generate a rule for the application based on the monitored system behavior received from the client.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 1, 2015
    Applicant: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Shireen RIVERA, Peter ASHLEY
  • Patent number: 8924461
    Abstract: The present disclosure enables remote device management. A programmatic interface is associated with each application plug-in A web server included with the on-device agent provides access to the programmatic interfaces according to open standards such as HTML or XML. The present disclosure enables access to remote devices through existing infrastructure without the need for proprietary systems. An IT administrator or other administrator may remotely access and update software and hardware, track device data plan usage statistics, provide live support, and track current and historical device locations. Through the support features of the present disclosure an IT administrator or other support operator may remotely operate a device as if they were actually holding the device. This feature provides direct access to device files and software while also showing the IT administrator screen views of the remote device. Thus, the IT administrator actually sees what the remote user also sees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Gentile, Jim Sullivan, Mark Hanson, Mark Wade
  • Patent number: 8925088
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatically excluding false positives from detection as malware is described. In one embodiments, a method for using one or more processors to provide false positive reduction for heuristic-based malware detection of a plurality of files in memory includes accessing global first appearance information associated with a plurality of files, accessing global malware information comprising heuristics and an emergence date associated with each malware group of a plurality of malware groups, comparing the global malware information with the global first appearance information to identify at least one false positive amongst the plurality of files and preventing detection of the at least one false positive as malware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Jeffrey Wilhelm, Abubakar Wawda
  • Patent number: 8924957
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for simultaneously installing user-input-dependent software packages on multiple devices are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) initiating installation of a software package on each of a plurality of client devices, 2) receiving, from each client device, a visual image generated during installation of the software package that depicts an installation step that requires user input, 3) consolidating the visual images into a consolidated view, 4) displaying, via an installation-management interface, the consolidated view to a user of the computing device, 5) receiving, via the installation-management interface, user input from the user for completing the installation step, and then 6) completing the installation step by sending the user input to each client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Keith Newstadt, Shaun Cooley
  • Patent number: 8924442
    Abstract: A method for storage allocation and reclamation in a storage device. The method includes executing a distributed computer system having a plurality of file systems accessing storage on a shared storage device, creating a physical storage allocation state map that indicates whether a plurality of data blocks comprising a range of data is allocated or unallocated, and consulting a free extent state map to identify free data blocks of the shared storage device. An allocation operation is performed causing the shared storage device to allocate storage a requested range of allocation. The physical storage allocation state map is updated in accordance with the requested range of allocation. Upon a subsequent reclamation process, the physical storage allocation state map is accessed to identify free previously allocated data blocks. Reclamation processing a subsequent performed on the identified free previously allocated data blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Kedar Shrikrishna Patwardhan
  • Patent number: 8924353
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for copying database files may include (1) identifying a request to copy a database file to a target location, and in response to identifying the request to copy the database file to the target location, (2) identifying a preallocated but unused portion of the database file, (3) transmitting a used portion of the database file to the target location, and (4) transmitting a metadata representation of the unused portion of the database file to the target location, the metadata representation being smaller than the unused portion. Various other methods and systems are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Kedar Patwardhan, Sanjay Jain
  • Patent number: 8924375
    Abstract: User activity performed on an electronic data item is detected on a computing system. A record of the user activity is stored in an activity log that may be associated with the item, or in a separate file or system. The user activity is later scored, the score being based on one or more factors, including the user activity performed, characteristics of the electronic data item, and the user who performed the action. Optionally, activity logs from various computing systems may be combined into a master activity log. A request for a search is received, a search is performed, and ranked results of the search are presented to the requestor. Optionally, scores for a given user activity and electronic data item are combined with other scores, based on the activities being common, the item being common to the one or more activities, or other factors, according to user configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Terrence Bilsborough
  • Patent number: 8924700
    Abstract: Techniques for booting from an encrypted hard disk are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for booting from an encrypted virtual hard disk comprising booting a computing device from an encrypted virtual hard disk in a booting environment and authenticating an encryption password associated with the encrypted virtual hard disk. The method may comprise decrypting, via at least one computer processor, the encrypted virtual hard disk using the encryption password based at least in part on an authentication of the encryption password.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Saurabh Sitaram Karmarkar, Ganesh Prabhakar Tambat, Aditya Anil Gokhale
  • Patent number: 8924366
    Abstract: Storage systems and methods are presented. In one embodiment, a variable length segment storage method comprises: receiving a data stream; performing a tailored segment process on the data stream, wherein at least one of a plurality of tailored segments include corresponding data of at least one of a plurality of variable length segments and alignment padding to align with boundaries of a fixed length de-duplication scheme; performing a de-duplication process on the plurality of tailored segments; and storing information corresponding to the result of the de-duplication process. In one embodiment, the tailored segment process includes adjusting the alignment padding of the at least one of a plurality of tailored segments, wherein an adjustment in the alignment padding of the at least one of a plurality of tailored segments corresponds to a modification in the at least one of the plurality of variable length segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Graham Bromley
  • Patent number: 8925034
    Abstract: Computer systems and methods for protecting data. A computer system includes a processor, a policy generator, and resources. Each resource has associated data. The processor accesses a data protection requirements specification (DPRS). The DPRS uses a common, non-application specific schema to represent first and second schema for expressing data protection policies. The processor triggers the policy generator to generate a first data protection policy for protecting a resource. The processor uses the first data protection policy to protect data associated with the resource. To generate the first data protection policy, the policy generator scans the DPRS and identifies elements of the DPRS. The elements of the DPRS are pre-defined in the common schema. The policy generator translates values of the elements to corresponding attributes of the first data protection policy expressed in the first schema. A value of a first element in the common schema corresponds to the resource to be protected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Ynn-Pyng “Anker” Tsaur, Douglas J. Fletcher
  • Patent number: 8924358
    Abstract: A first write operation is intercepted. The first write operation is a write from a virtual machine to a virtual disk. The first write operation is a change to a first data location. The change to the first data location is recorded. The recording creates a first change record. The first change record is stored separately from the first data location. A first backup operation is performed. The first backup operation, the intercepting, and the recording are performed by an application executing on a host of the virtual machine. The first backup operation includes a read request for the first data location. The read request for the first data location is fulfilled based on the first change record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Russell R. Stringham
  • Patent number: 8925037
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for enforcing data-loss-prevention policies using mobile sensors may include (1) detecting an attempt by a user to access sensitive data on a mobile computing device, (2) collecting, via at least one sensor of the mobile computing device, sensor data that indicates an environment in which the user is attempting to access the sensitive data, (3) determining, based at least in part on the sensor data, a privacy level of the environment, and (4) restricting, based at least in part on the privacy level of the environment, the attempt by the user to access the sensitive data according to a DLP policy. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Marino, Darren Shou, Bruce McCorkendale
  • Patent number: 8924359
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for cooperative tiering between an application and a storage device. One method can include receiving information from the application where the information identifies a storage object and identifies a location in a storage device. The location identifies one or more tiers of a plurality of tiers included in the storage device, and the storage object is assigned to the one or more tiers. The method also involves detecting whether the storage object is stored in the one or more tiers. If not, the storage device copies the storage object to the identified location. The information can also include an instruction by the application to move the storage object from a first tier to a second tier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventors: Niranjan Pendharkar, Ashish Karnik
  • Patent number: 8918863
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for monitoring source data that is a target of a backup service is described. In one example, backup data produced by the backup service is analyzed to identify changes in the source data. At least one trend related to the changes is identified. At least one deviation in the changes from the at least one trend is identified. At least one notification may then be generated that includes information indicative of the at least one deviation. The notification(s) may be sent to a network management system as an indication of user error or malicious attacks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Symantec Corporation
    Inventor: Bhargav Pendse