Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Andrew Keith Glover

Steven James Bailey

John David Rodrigues

Jose Araujo Barreto

Filip Chelarescu

Meir Elie Abergel

Long Zhou

Ronakkumar N Desai

Andrew Sean Watson

Steven James Rayson

Kevin Andrew Chan

Gregory Powell Young

Jyotsana Rathore

Clement Basile Fauchere

Jackson Stuart Cowan

Samuel D Clement

Anthony G Thane

Filip C Lazar

Jonathan J Bruso

Jacob C Schieber

Michael Dabrowski

Shaun W Kimber

Jiashan Song

A system is provided for controlling access to data stored in a cloud-based storage service. Data associated with a user account is stored at the cloud-based storage service. A first request to cause a portion of the data to be associated with a heightened authentication protocol is received. In response, the portion of the data is caused to require the heightened authentication protocol for access. A second request for a file that is stored in the area that is associated with the heightened authentication protocol is received. The second request is authenticated based on the heightened authentication protocol. In response to authenticating the second request, permission is granted to access the file. In response to a failure to authenticate the second request, access to the file is denied, while access to files stored in other areas associated with the user account is allowed.

Secure area in a file storage system

A system and method for detection and management of atypical synchronization sessions of electronic content. The system is configured to determine whether a pending or ongoing synchronization session between a client device and cloud storage service is associated with a condition that will delay the synchronization process. The proposed system and method can significantly improve the ability of users to safeguard their documents as well as reduce the likelihood of data loss.

Long upload time detection and management

Systems and methods for restoring a file system to a point-in-time without relying on a backup. One system includes an electronic processor configured to automatically restore a file system to a specified point-in-time by (a) automatically restoring, from a recycle bin, items deleted from the file system after the point-in-time, (b) automatically deleting, from the file system, items created within the file system after the point-in-time, (c) automatically moving items moved within the file system after the point-in-time to a location within the file system associated with the point-in-time, (d) automatically deleting, from the file system, items copied within the file system after the point-in-time, (e) automatically renaming items renamed within the file system after the point-in-time to a name associated with the point-in-time, and (f) automatically restoring, from a version history, a version associated with the point-in-time for items with content modified after the point-in-time.

File system point-in-time restore using recycle bin and version history

In some embodiments, disclosed subject matter involves proactive monitoring and detection of anomalies in user data hosted by a cloud storage server and user interaction with data to trigger quarantine of user data stored in the cloud storage. In at least one embodiment, data recovery from one or more quarantine states is available to a user after authentication. Quarantine levels may permit or prohibit various actions on the user data by the user who owns the data, an asynchronous process for data cleanup, and access by other authorized users, etc. In an embodiment, quarantine levels are associated with the user and affect the user data space rather than merely individual files. The proactive monitoring may include collection of telemetry based on the API calls to the cloud server, scanning of user file system and hierarchy, and other file or data space corruption. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Data quarantine and recovery

Variety of approaches to provide partial storage of large files in distinct storage systems are described. A storage service initiates operations to provide storage of large files by determining a rapid access portion and a slow access portion of a file. The rapid access portion of the file is stored in a rapid access storage system and the slow access portion of the file (or an entirety of the file) is stored in a slow access storage system. In response to an access request to the file, the rapid access portion of the file is provided from the rapid access storage system. Next, the slow access portion of the file is retrieved from the slow access storage system to be provided while providing the rapid access portion of the file.

Partial storage of large files in distinct storage systems

Cloud-based storage services are provided for storing and/or sharing content across multiple devices, where the content is periodically synchronized between the devices and the storage service. Embodiments are directed to detection of bulk operations associated with content stored at a storage service to protect users both proactively and remedially from accidental and/or nefarious content alterations propagating to the storage service and/or other devices. A model may be created based on a usage pattern associated with the content, an attempted operation performed on the content may be detected, and the attempted operation may be compared to the model to determine whether the operation deviates from the usage pattern. If the attempted operation deviates from the usage pattern, a preservation policy for the content at the storage service may be modified and a notification of the attempted operation may be provided to obtain user approval.

Detection of bulk operations associated with remotely stored content

Cloud-based storage services are provided for storing and/or sharing content across multiple devices, where the content is periodically synchronized between the devices and the storage service. Embodiments are directed to detection of bulk operations associated with content stored at a storage service to protect users both proactively and remedially from accidental and/or nefarious content alterations propagating to the storage service and/or other devices. A model based on a usage pattern monitored and provided by a client device may be received at the client device from the storage service. An attempted operation performed on the content may be detected, and the attempted operation may be compared to the model to determine whether the operation deviates from the usage pattern. If the attempted operation deviates from the usage pattern, execution of the attempted operation and synchronization of the content with the storage service may be prevented until the attempted operation is approved.

Detection of bulk operations associated with remotely stored content by client device

Techniques described herein allow applications that are separate from a mail client to provide conditions and actions for rules to be run upon messages received by or sent from the mail client. That is, these techniques allow a user to create a rule that includes an action and/or a condition that is provided by an application that is separate from the mail client. This created rule may then be run upon either or both of messages received by or sent from the mail client. When a rule includes a condition or an action that is provided by a separate application, the mail client exposes the message to the separate application to allow the application to test the condition and/or perform the action. As such, these techniques allow applications to seamlessly create and provide conditions and actions that are tailored to each particular application.

Rules extensibility engine

Functionality is described for sending updated engine logic to a user device. The engine logic is expressed in a description language, such as the extensible markup language (XML). The user device uses the updated engine logic to update a parse tree. The user device then uses the parse tree to process various events. By virtue of the formation of the engine logic in a description language, a network-accessible service can disseminate the engine in an efficient manner. In one illustrative application, the user device can use the parse tree to process electronic messages (e.g., Email messages) that have been received by the user device.

Updating an engine using a description language

A system and related techniques and data structures present a Web based or other client application or service with a relational node structure to access, store and manipulate XML-based or XML-compliant data. Unlike unmodified XML information for instance stored in document object model (DOM) format, the inventive platform may load a relational node structure encapsulating XML-compliant information in an organized structure having pointers to next peer, parent, child and other links to related or unrelated information. Searching, querying and other operations may therefore be made more efficient since an entire tree structure need not be exhaustively traversed to locate desired data, but instead sorted via those relational linkages. Client applications such as Web browsing, email, contacts managers, calendars and others may therefore operate on XML or XML-compliant data without the loading or performance disadvantages which conventional XML platforms may incur. The data populating the relational node structure may be obtained from XML or structured sources, and for instance be loaded from storage in response to a query generated via the query engine.

Growing community of inventors

Duvall, WA, United States of America

Andrew Keith Glover