Patent ID: 7546359
Filing Date: 2009-06-09
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for managing a peer-to-peer collaboration system, the method comprising: (a) using client software operating in a first device and client software operating in a second device to connect a first user of the first device to a second user of the second device in a peer-to-peer collaboration session including the first user and second user, the first user having a first collaboration identity in a shared space and the second user having a second collaboration identity in the shared space; (b) downloading from a management server to the client software operating in the first device a definition file containing a definition of a managed entity; (c) associating a management identity in the definition file with the first collaboration identity or first device information in the client software operating in the first device in order to create the managed entity, the management identity associated with the managed entity being different than the first collaboration identity, the management identity allowing the first user or the first device to be identified by the management server, wherein said associating comprises incorporating information from the definition file into another file stored on the first device, wherein the definition file is an operating system registry file, and the another file is a portion of a system registry on the first device; (d) interacting, between the management server and the client software operating in the first device using the management identity, to exchange management information associated with operation of the managed entity in the peer-to-peer collaboration session separately from collaborative information exchanged between the first user and the second user, wherein the management information exchanged comprises at least a policy restriction file, wherein said interacting further comprises steps: (e) in response to information in the policy restriction file, restricting at least one function in the client software.