Patent ID: 6553378
Filing Date: 2003-04-22
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A system for reporting network events using hierarchically-structured event databases in a distributed computing environment, comprising:a centralized broker executing on a designated system within the distributed computing environment; at least one security application provided as a plug-in component on a client system interfaced remotely to the centralized broker; a local event database maintained on the client system and comprising a set of entries in which network events generated by the at least one security application are transitorily stored; a communications server service receiving network events forwarded from the local event database and exposing a set of communication interfaces implementing a plurality of event methods which each define an event management function which can be invoked by the centralized broker; a database engine accessing network entries in a centralized event database responsive to calls on the event management functions by the centralized broker; the centralized event database maintained on the designated system and comprising a set of entries in which network events received via the communications server service are stored; a local security application interfaced with the centralized broker as a snap-in component comprising at least one of an antivirus scanner and a firewall, the local security application providing controls for viewing the network events; at least one intermediate security application executing as a plug-in component on an intermediate client system remotely interfaced to the centralized broker and logically situated within the distributed computing environment between the client system and the designated system; and a local intermediate event database maintained on the intermediate client system and comprising a set of entries in which network events forwarded from the local event database are transitorily staged.