File Set Identification via Key File Hash Extraction

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for identifying known-good files in security scans are inefficient, leading to increased client-server communications and network bandwidth consumption, which negatively impact performance and user experience.

Innovation Solution

A security module identifies key files with different property field values, transmitting their identifiers to a server to determine a set of known-good-file identifiers, reducing the need for unnecessary client-server interactions and optimizing security scan times.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the client machine transmits hashes of all files to the server for identification, then the server can accurately determine known-good files, but network bandwidth consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefile identification accuracyVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifying characteristics (hashes of key files with different property values) from the complete file set, transmitting only these minimal necessary data elements to the server rather than all file hashes, thereby reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining identification accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the file identification process by dividing files into groups based on property field values and selecting representative key files from each segment, allowing the server to identify the entire file set through identifiers of fewer representative files rather than processing all files individually

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If the client machine maintains a database of hashes of known-good files, then scan speed improves by skipping known-good files, but the database becomes large and requires frequent updates increasing network traffic

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescan speedVSAvoiddatabase size

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifying characteristics (hashes of key files with different property values) from the complete file set, transmitting only these minimal necessary data elements to the server rather than all file hashes, thereby reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining identification accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the file identification process by dividing files into groups based on property field values and selecting representative key files from each segment, allowing the server to identify the entire file set through identifiers of fewer representative files rather than processing all files individually

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If the client machine sends file hashes to the server for determination, then known-good files can be identified, but unnecessary client-server communications increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity scan accuracyVSAvoidclient-server communication overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential identifying characteristics (hashes of key files with different property values) from the complete file set, transmitting only these minimal necessary data elements to the server rather than all file hashes, thereby reducing network bandwidth consumption while maintaining identification accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary filtering of files by property field values before transmission, pre-identifying and selecting only the representative key files that are necessary for server-side identification, thereby reducing the number of communication rounds and data transmission required

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8364705B1Methods and systems for determining a file set

Publication Date: 2013.01.29 GEN DIGITAL INC

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for determining a file set. The method may include identifying a file set. The method may also include identifying a first file in the file set. The first file may comprise a first value in a first property field. The method may further comprise identifying a second file in the file set. The second file may comprise a second value in the first property field. The first value may be different than the second value. The method may include transmitting a first file identifier of the first file and a second file identifier of the second file from a first computing device to a second computing device. The second computing device may identify a set of known-good-file identifiers. The second computing device may transmit the set of known-good-file identifiers to the first computing device. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.