Bidirectional Content Sync Through a Secure Cloud Event Intermediary
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing EIM systems face challenges in securely sharing and synchronizing content between an on-premises enterprise environment and external cloud systems, as external users cannot access the enterprise's content server, leading to unmanaged copies and lack of tracking or updating of changes made to shared files.
Innovation Solution
A method for bidirectional content synchronization and collaboration using an API call to a cloud system, with an event service monitoring changes and communicating them to the content server, allowing secure sharing and tracking of modifications through a cloud-hosted external system like OpenText Core, while maintaining the enterprise's content server as the system of record.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the content server is located on-premises behind the enterprise firewall, then security and control over managed objects are improved, but external users cannot access the content server to view or edit files
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external system as an intermediary between the on-premises content server and external users. The content server shares items with the external system, which then provides access to external users. This mediator enables external access without exposing the content server directly to external networks, maintaining security while achieving accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If a copy of the file is shared with external users through email or cloud-based storage, then external users can access and edit the file, but the content server loses tracking and control over the shared copy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the external system notifies the content server of any changes made to shared items. When external users modify files through the external system, the system generates notifications that are sent back to the content server, enabling the content server to track and monitor all changes while maintaining security and control.
Solution Approach 2:
The external system acts as a mediator that enables file sharing while maintaining the content server's awareness of all activities. Instead of direct sharing that breaks tracking, the intermediary external system facilitates access while continuously reporting back to the content server, preserving both accessibility and tracking capability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the content server allows direct access to external users, then collaboration is improved, but security risks and unauthorized access increase
Solution Approach 1:
The external system serves as a secure intermediary that enables collaboration between enterprise users and external users without direct exposure of the content server to external networks. All collaborative activities occur through this trusted mediator, which authenticates and authorizes access, thereby enabling versatility while mitigating security risks.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A content server can function as the master record keeper even if a file or folder that it manages in an enterprise computing environment is shared externally, for instance, through a cloud system. To mitigate network security risks, the content server polls, from behind a firewall, an event service of the cloud system. The event service, in response, can communicate events indicating changes to the shared content to the content server. The content server can interpret the events and determine whether to take any appropriate action, for example, updating an audit log to include an event and/or updating the managed content to reflect the changes. Likewise, the content server can communicate any change to the managed content to the cloud system through the event service. In this way, the managed content in the enterprise computing environment and the shared content in the cloud system are bidirectionally synced.