Patent ID: 7809780
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. An information management device, comprising: a memory that stores actual information and reference information referring to the actual information; a setting unit that sets restriction information to inhibit creation of reference information regarding actual information for which creation of reference information is to be inhibited; a receiving unit that receives a request for creation of reference information for referring to actual information; and a control unit that controls to inhibit the requested creation of the reference information regarding the actual information for which the creation of the reference information is set to be inhibited, wherein the restriction information is set to inhibit the creation of the reference information at a reference information location according to a hierarchical distance between the reference information location and a storage location for the actual information related to the request for creation, wherein the hierarchical distance is a distance in a hierarchical structure of the memory between the reference information location and the storage location for the actual information, and wherein: the memory stores the actual information and the reference information referring to the actual information in association with each storage having its hierarchical structure, the setting unit sets a hierarchical distance which is a distance in the hierarchical structure for permitting the creation of the reference information based on the actual information stored in the memory, and the control unit calculates the hierarchical distance between a location for creating the reference information to be created which is indicated in the request for creation received in the receiving unit and a storage location for the actual information to which the reference information refers, and controls to permit or inhibit the creation of the reference information according to a result of comparison between a calculated hierarchical distance and the hierarchical distance set by the setting unit.