Patent Publication Number: US-2018054438-A1

Title: Proxy service for uploading data from a source to a destination

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     In modern computing systems, large amounts of data are generated and stored on one or more computers in association with databases, electronic mail systems, web services systems, online software provision systems, document management systems, and the like. In some cases, large data centers house hundreds or even thousands of computers on which are run various software applications and on which are stored data of many types for one or more computing system users. For example, a large data center may be used for processing and storing data of various types for hundreds, thousands or more individual users, companies, educational entities, or any other entity for which data may be processed and stored. 
     There is often a need to upload data of various types from one or many of such computers to various destination storage repositories at which the data may be stored, analyzed, or otherwise utilized by recipients. In some cases, such data is uploaded to a large data center where the data is partitioned and stored according to data type. In order to secure such data storage locations/repositories, uploads of data and/or data downloads from unauthorized sources/requesters may be rejected even though such uploads or downloads may be needed for one or more authorized users. There is a need for methods and systems for authenticating data uploads and data downloads/read requests from sources/requesters not previously designated as trustworthy sources/requesters. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     The above and other problems are solved by automatically ensuring that data uploads to a secure destination storage repository and data read/download requests are processed from trustworthy sources/requesters. When data uploads are attempted to secure destination storage repositories from sources not previously identified as trustworthy, or when data requests are received for downloading or reading data from such secure storage repositories are received from such sources, the uploads or data requests as passed through a proxy service for authentication. According to aspects of the invention, various authentication steps are performed by the proxy service to ensure that data coming from a data uploader directed to a secure storage repository is associated with a source that may be designated as trustworthy. Similarly, requests to read or download data from a secure storage repository are authenticated to ensure that the requester is associated with a device or system that may be designated as trustworthy. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below. Other features and advantages will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that the following detailed description is explanatory only and is not restrictive of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate various aspects of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1  is a simplified block diagram of one example of a system architecture for ensuring that data uploads to a secure destination storage repository and data read/download requests are processed from trustworthy sources/requesters. 
         FIG. 2A  is a simplified block diagram of one example of a data uploader module for uploading data from a source location to a destination location. 
         FIG. 2B  is a simplified block diagram of one example of a proxy service for ensuring that data uploads to a secure destination storage repository and data read/download requests are processed from trustworthy sources/requesters. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an example method for ensuring that data uploads to a secure destination storage repository and data read/download requests are processed from trustworthy sources/requesters. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating example physical components of a computing device with which aspects of the present invention may be practiced. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  are simplified block diagrams of a mobile computing device with which aspects of the present invention may be practiced. 
         FIG. 6  is a simplified block diagram of a distributed computing system in which aspects of the present invention may be practiced. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or similar elements. While embodiments of the invention may be described, modifications, adaptations, and other implementations are possible. For example, substitutions, additions, or modifications may be made to the elements illustrated in the drawings, and the methods described herein may be modified by substituting, reordering, or adding stages to the disclosed methods. Accordingly, the following detailed description does not limit the invention, but instead, the proper scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims. 
     As briefly described above, aspects of the present invention are directed to automatically ensuring that data uploads to a secure destination storage repository and data read/download requests are processed from trustworthy sources/requesters. According to aspects of the invention, when data uploads are attempted to secure destination storage repositories from sources not previously identified as trustworthy, or when data requests are received for downloading or reading data from such secure storage repositories are received from such sources, the uploads or data requests as passed through a proxy service for authentication. According to aspects of the invention, the proxy service compares an IP address associated with the data source/requester against a list of IP addresses known to be associated with trustworthy sources/requesters. If an IP address associated with the data source/requester does not match IP addresses known to be associated with trustworthy sources/requesters, the attempted data upload or data request may be rejected, and additional authentication information may be requested from the data source/requester. As an additional authentication step, the proxy service may compare an authentication certificate associated with a data uploader module through which a data upload is attempted or through which a data request is attempted with a list of certificates know to be associated with trustworthy sources. If the certificate of the data uploader module matches a trustworthy certificate, then the data upload or data read/download request is processed as requested. If the secure data storage repository attempts to pass a return signal back to the data uploader module in response to a data upload attempt or data download/read request, the return traffic from the secure storage repository similarly is passed through the proxy service for authentication before it may be forwarded to the data upload/data download/read requester. 
       FIG. 1  is a simplified block diagram of one example of a system architecture for monitoring and reporting of the uploading and uploading completeness of data from a source location to a destination location. The system architecture  100  is comprised of various example computing components for uploading data from a variety of source computing systems (or individual computers) to a variety of destination storage repositories. On the left side of  FIG. 1 , a data center  105  is illustrative of a data center in which may be housed hundreds, thousands or more individual computers or computing systems  110   a,    110   b,    110   n  on which may be stored data of a variety of data types that may be processed using a variety of different computing processes, for example, a variety of software applications. For example, each of the computing devices  110   a,    110   b,    110   n  may include computers of various types, for example, server computers, for storing user data in databases, electronic mail systems, document management systems, and the like, and the computing systems  110   a,    110   b  and  110   n  may be used for running a variety of computing system software applications, for example, database applications, electronic mail systems applications, web services applications, online software provision applications, productivity applications, data management system applications, telecommunications applications, and the like. 
     As should be appreciated, the data center  105  is also illustrative of one of many data centers that may be co-located, or that may be located at different locations and that may be associated with each other via various transmission systems for passing data between disparate data centers. In addition, while the data center  105  is illustrated as a data center in which numerous computer systems  110   a - n  may be located for provision of data and services, as described above, the data center  105  is equally illustrative of a single computing device, for example, a desktop, laptop, tablet, handheld, or other computing device operated by an individual user from which user data and/or computer system data may be extracted, transformed (if required) and exported to a destination storage repository for analysis and further use, as desired. 
     Referring still to the data center  105 , each computing device  110   a - n  is associated with an uploader module  115   a,    115   b,    115   n,  respectively, that is operative for uploading user and/or system data from each associated computer/computing system  110   a - n  and for transforming, if required, and exporting the extracted data to a designated destination storage repository. The uploader module  115   a - n  is described in further detail below with respect to  FIG. 2 . According to one aspect of the invention, an uploader module  115   a - n  may be installed on each associated computer/computing system  110   a - n.    
     Alternatively, a single uploader module  115   a  may be operated as a standalone module that may be associated with a plurality of computing systems  110   a - n . In such a case, the uploader module may operate as a remote uploader module  130  that may access one or more associated computing systems  110   a - n  through a distributed computing network, for example, the Internet or an intranet. That is, according to aspects of the invention, the uploader module  115   a - n  may be installed on an associated computing device  110   a - n , or the uploader module may operate remotely of a computing device from which data may be extracted for transformation of the data, if required, and for exporting the data to a destination storage repository, as described herein. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 1 , an edge router  120  is illustrative of a typical router device for passing extracted data from a given uploader module to systems external to the data center  105 . As should be appreciated, the edge router  120  may be responsible for ensuring that data passed from a given data center  105  is properly passed to a desired destination system component, for example, that packetized data passing from the uploader module is properly routed to a correct destination component of the system  100 . 
     The distributed computing network  125  is illustrative of any network such as the Internet or an intranet through which data may be passed from the data center to components external to the data center such as destination storage repositories  145   a - n , described below. 
     The edge router  135  is illustrative or a receiving edge router through which data may be passed to a proxy service  140  responsible for ensuring received data is properly authenticated prior to allowing received data to be passed to one or more destination storage repositories  145   a - n . The proxy service  140  is described in further detail below with reference to  FIGS. 2B and 3 . 
     The storage repositories  145   a - n  are illustrative of any data storage repository that may be authorized to receive data uploaded via the uploader modules  115   a - n . For example, the destination storage repositories  145   a - n  may be associated with a services provider for storing and analyzing data associated with computing systems and software services provided for customers of the services provider. For example, the storage repository  145   a  may be designated for receiving user data and computing system data associated with electronic mail services provided by a given services provider. The storage repository  145   b  may be designated for receiving and analyzing user data and systems data associated with web services of a given services provider. Similarly, the destination storage repository  145   n  may be associated with online software provision, for example, provision of word processing services, slide presentation application services, database application services, spreadsheet application services, telecommunications application services, and the like provided to various users via one or more online software application services systems. 
     As should be appreciated, each of the destination storage repositories  145   a - n  may be associated with different services providers or with different requesters of user and/or computing system data. For example, the repository  145   a  may be associated with a first telecommunications or software application services provider, the repository  145   b  may be associated with a second services provider, and so on. 
     As will be understood by those skilled in the art, providers of computing system services, data management services, online software application services, web services, and the like often need to examine, analyze and otherwise manage computing systems data and user data to ensure that data and computing systems services are operating and being maintained as required. For example, a provider of online software services may need to periodically audit the operating functionalities and capabilities of hundreds or thousands of server computers  110   a - n  maintained at a large data center  105 . Likewise, a provider of online software services may need to monitor user data stored on such data center systems to ensure that user data is being properly processed as required by services agreements between the services provider and various customers. In such a case, operating data and/or used data from a given computer may be extracted by an associated uploader module  115   a  according to any data type associated with the extracted data and may be passed to and stored at a desired storage repository  145   a - n  for analysis by a requesting services provider or user. 
     Before the data is passed to the destination storage repository, the data may require transformation for a variety of reasons. For example, if the data contains sensitive confidential and/or personal information associated with a given user, for example, the user&#39;s name, social security number, driver&#39;s license number, financial data, and the like, such personally identifiable information (PII) may be scrubbed from the data by the uploader module before the data is passed to the destination storage repository to prevent such personally identifiable information from being passed to an unauthorized person or entity. Similarly, if the data extracted from a given computer of computing system at the data center  105  is stored according to a first format, but the data will be stored at the desired destination storage repository according to a second format, the uploader module  115  may transform the data from the first format to the second format so that it may be properly stored and utilized at the destination storage repository. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 1 , according to aspects of the present invention, each destination storage repository  145   a - n  may be equipped with or associated with uploader modules  150   a,    150   b,    150   n  that may be used for extracting, transforming, and storing user data and/or computing system data from computing systems  110   a,    110   b,    110   n  at the data center  105  remotely from the data center  105 . That is, the uploader modules  150   a  through  150   n  may be operated from each requesting destination storage repository  145   a,    145   b,    145   n  for requesting, reading, transforming, and storing required user or computing system data. Thus, as described above, the uploader modules  115   a,    115   b,    115   n  may be installed on or associated with individual computing systems  110   a  through  110   n,  a remote uploader  130  may be used for reading, transforming, and exporting data via a distributing computing network that may be used for accessing desired computing systems  110   a  through  110   n,  or the uploader modules  150   a,    150   b,    150   n  may access required data remotely from individual destination storage repositories. Alternatively, the uploader modules  150   a - n  may be used from extracting, transforming and exporting data from the storage repositories  145   a - n  in the same manner as described for exporting data from the computing systems  110   a - n.    
     The analysis modules  155   a,    155   b,    155   n  are illustrative of software applications or other executable modules at the storage repositories  145   a - n  that may be utilized for analyzing, reporting, and exporting received data, as desired. For example, an analysis module  155   a  may be operative to analyze documents generated by provided online software services to ensure that such documents were properly saved at respective computing devices  110   a - n , as required. An analysis module  155   b  may be illustrative of a software application or other executable module for analyzing electronic mail traffic for ensuring that electronic mail messages were generated and processed at an associated data center computing device  110   a - n  according to required electronic mail services processing. That is, any analysis module  155   a - n  may be utilized at a given destination storage repository for analyzing received data as required by the recipient of the data from the uploader modules  115   a - n ,  130 ,  150   a - 150   n.    
     According to aspects of the invention, data that is stored at analyzed and otherwise utilized at any of the destination storage repositories  145   a - 145   n  may be subsequently exported to other destinations, as desired. For example, such data may be analyzed and reported to customers of one or more services providers for reporting periodically on processing performed by the services provider for the requesting customers. In addition, data stored at any of the destination storage repositories  145   a - n  may be passed back through the system  100  illustrated in  FIG. 1  for storage back at the computing devices  110   a - n  from which the data was originally extracted. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2A , the data uploader  115   a - n  is illustrated and described. As briefly described above, the uploader  115   a - n  is a software application or software module containing sufficient computer executable instructions for reading, transforming (if required) and exporting data of a variety of data types from one or many data sources  110   a - n  to one or many data storage  145   a - n . The data uploader  115   a - n  includes an operation module  205  for receiving data upload instructions and for directing the processing of components of the data uploader module  115   a - n . A configuration file reader  210  is a module with which the data uploader  115   a - n  reads a configuration file  215  for data uploading instructions, as described below. A data reader module  225  is operative to read data of a variety of data types via a data reader plug-in module  227   a - n . A data transformation module  230  is a module operative for transforming data in response to data transformation information read from the configuration file  215  via a data transformation plug-in  232   a - n . A data export module  235  is operative to export data from memory to a designated destination storage repository  145   a - n  as designated by instructions received from the configuration file  215  via the data export plug-in  237   a - n.    
     That is, the data reader module  225 , data transformation module  230 , data export module  235  are modules of the data uploader module  115   a - n  operative to read, transform and export data of a variety of types as designated by information contained in the configuration file  215 . And, each of the modules  225 ,  230 ,  235  may be enabled to read, transform and export data as instructed based on a variety of plug-ins  227 ,  232 ,  237  accessed by the data uploader operation module  205  or installed on the data uploader  115   a - n  to allow the uploader  115   a - n  to read, transform and export data according to a variety of data types  220  that are designated for uploading to a given destination storage repository  145   a - n.    
     Various data reader, data transformation and data export plug-in modules  227 ,  232 ,  237  may be provided to the data uploaders  115   a - n  or may be accessed by the data loader modules  115   a - n  as required for different types of data reading transformation and export. For example, a services provider which needs to receive transformed data from various computing devices operated at a data center  105  may provide data reader plug-ins, data transformation plug-ins, and data export plug-ins for use by data uploader modules  115   a - n  for reading, transforming and exporting data according to their individual needs. 
     Data that may be read, transformed, and exported, as described herein, may be of an almost limitless number of different data types. Such data may be in the form of operating systems events, text files, XML files, HTML files, contents of data bases (e.g., SQL databases), electronic mail files, calendaring information, word processing documents, spreadsheet documents, slide presentation documents, tasks documents and files, and the like. 
     As should be appreciated, a given data uploader  115   a - n  may be installed on a given computing device  110   a - n  or may be otherwise associated with or provided access to a given computing device  110   a - n , and the data uploader  115   a - n  may be enabled for reading data of many different types by associating a data reader plug-in  227   a - n  to allow the uploader  115   a - n  to read data of a designated type. Similarly, the uploader  115   a - n  may be enabled to transform data as desired by associating the uploader with a data transformation plug-in required for the desired transformation. Similarly, the uploader module  115   a - n  may be enabled to export data as desired by associating the uploader with an appropriate data export plug-in  237   a - n.    
     The configuration file  215   a  is illustrative of a file that may be accessed by the uploader module  115   a - n  for receiving data uploading instructions for a given set or type of data. Data uploading instructions contained in the configuration file may provide information including the data types associated with data to be uploaded, data reading instructions, as well as, security information for allowing the uploader module to access desired data. In addition, the configuration file may provide instructions on how desired data is to be transformed, if required, and instructions on where uploaded data is to be stored and in what file type exported data is to be stored. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 2A , a connectivity and completeness module  240  is illustrative of a software module operated in or associated with the uploader module  115   a - n  containing sufficient computer executable instructions for monitoring and reporting upload success and completeness of data uploaded from a source computing system  110   a - n  to a destination storage repository  145   a - n , as described above. According to aspects of the invention, the connectivity and completeness module  240  is operated by the uploader module  115   a - n  at the direction of the operation module  205  to perform connectivity diagnostics for testing the reliability of data transmission between a given source system  110   a - n  and a designated destination storage repository  145   a - n.    
     Referring now to  FIG. 2B , the proxy service  140  is a system or software module operative to authenticate requests for uploading data to a secure destination storage repository  145   a - n  and/or for authenticating data download/read requests from a secure destination storage repository  145   a - n . Consider for example that data, whether user data or system data, is to be uploaded from a computing device/system  110   a - n  via an uploader module  115   a - n  to a secure storage repository  145   a - n , or where a request to download data or read data stored at a secure destination storage repository is received from a computing device/system  110   a - n . Consider further for example that the computing device/system  110   a - n  from which the data upload is requested or from which the data download/read request is received is a computing device/system that operates external to the storage repository to which the request is passed. For example, the storage repository may be part of an internal corporate entity data storage system and the computing device from which the upload/download/read request is received may be operated by a third party entity operating outside a secure network or data center in which the storage repository is maintained. In such a case, it may be possible for harmful or other undesired data to be uploaded to the secure storage repository, or it may be possible for sensitive data and other information to be downloaded or read from the secure storage repository by unauthorized persons or entities. 
     According to aspects of the present invention, the proxy service  140  is a system component and/or software module operative for authenticating data upload or data download/read requests made to secure destination storage locations/repositories to prevent unauthorized uploading or access to secure data. Referring still to  FIG. 2B , the proxy service  140  includes a data transmission module  250  which is a software module and/or system component operative to receive data transmissions from an uploader module  115   a - n ,  130  for passing uploaded data from a computing device  110   a - n  onto which the uploader module  115   a - n ,  130  is installed or with which the uploader is associated to a destination storage repository  145   a - n . The data transmission module  250  is also operative to pass downloaded data or data responsive to read requests from the destination storage repository to a requesting computing device  110   a - n  via the uploader  115   a - n ,  130 . The authentication module  255  is a device or software module operative to authenticate the source of a data upload/download/read request to ensure that the source is trustworthy for either uploading data to a secure repository or for downloading or reading data from a secure repository. 
     The memory  260  is illustrative of a memory location housed either in the proxy service  140  or accessible by the proxy service  140  in which may be stored information required for authenticating upload/download/read requests. According to aspects of the invention, the Internet protocol (IP) address list  265  is illustrative of a list of IP addresses that may be used for comparing against an IP address associated with a data upload/download/read requester. The certificate list  270  is illustrative of a list of authentication certificates that may be used to compare with an authentication certificate associated with a data upload/download/read requester. A transmission approved list  275  is illustrative of a list of approved sources from which upload/download/read requests previously have been authenticated and approved. 
     Having described an example architecture for various aspects of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an example method for ensuring that data uploads to a secure destination storage repository and data read/download requests are processed from trustworthy sources/requesters. The method  300  begins at start operation  305  and proceeds to operation  310  where a data upload request is received at the proxy service  140 . As illustrated and described above with reference with  FIGS. 1 and 2 , consider for example that a request to upload data from a computing device/system  110   a - n  is passed through an installed or associated data uploader  115   a - n  for storage at a designated destination storage repository  145   a - n . At operation  310 , the data upload is passed from the sending data uploader  115   a - n  to the proxy service  140  for authentication of the data upload source. 
     According to aspects of the invention, every data upload passed to a designated storage location repository  145   a - n  from any data uploader  115   a - n  may be passed through the proxy service  140  for authentication. On the other hand, if the data upload is coming from a computing device/system  110   a - n  that is a component of a network of systems in which the designated storage repository is located or if the sending device is part of the same corporate or other operating entity in which the designated destination storage repository is operated, then authentication of the source of the data upload may be bypassed. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a determination of whether a data upload request is passed through the proxy service  140  may be based on the data export plug-in  237   a - n  utilized by the data upload  115   a - n  for exporting the uploaded data to the designated destination storage repository. That is, when the data uploader  115   a - n  reads the configuration file  215 , as described above with reference to  FIG. 2A , if the data uploader is installed on or is associated with a computing device/system  110   a - n  from which data uploads/downloads/read requests do not require authentication, then the configuration file  215  may be used to direct the data uploader  115   a - n  to utilize a data export plug-in that may send the data upload/download/read request directly to the designated destination storage location repository without passing the request through the proxy service  140 . Likewise, data uploaders installed on computing devices/systems  110   a - n  that may not bypass the proxy service  140  (that is, requiring authentication) may be provided with an export plug-in  237   a - n  that automatically causes data uploads/downloads/read requests transmitted from the data uploader to travel first to the proxy service  140 . As should be appreciated, the data uploader  115  will be unaware that the request is being passed to the proxy service as opposed to the data storage repository. That is, the uploader module will simply pass the request through the data export plug-in  237   a - n  to which it is directed by the configuration file  215 , and the outgoing request will go either to the proxy service  140  or to the designated data storage repository as required. 
     At operation  315 , when a data upload/download/read request is received at the proxy service  140 , an IP address for the computing device/system  110   a - n  from which the request is received is compared against a list of IP addresses  265  maintained by or accessed by the proxy service  140  for determining whether the IP address associated with the requesting device matches an IP address that previously has been authenticated successfully by the proxy service  140  from which valid upload/download/read requests may be received. At operation  320 , if it is determined that the IP address associated with the requesting device does not match an IP address associated with a previously authenticated device, the method  300  may proceed to operation  330  where the transmission may be rejected meaning that the transmission and data upload/download/read request will not be passed to the designated storage location repository. According to one aspect, if the transmission is rejected at operation  330 , signaling may be passed back to the sending data uploader requesting additional authentication information from the sending device. As should be appreciated, additional authentication information may include a variety of information types, including but not limited to, usernames, passwords, authentication certificates, encrypted keys, identification codes/numbers for the requesting device, and the like. 
     Referring back to operation  320 , if it is determined that the IP address associated with the sending device does match an IP address previously authenticated by the proxy service  140 , the method  300  may proceed to operation  325 . At operation  325 , an authentication certificate associated with the requesting device  110   a - n  may be compared against a list of authorized certificates  270  by the proxy service  140  for determining whether the requesting device  110   a - n  previously has been authenticated via certificate as a valid data upload/download/read requesting source. At operation  335  if it is determined that the certificate received from the requesting device does not match a previously authenticated requesting device certificate, then the method may proceed to operation  330  where the transmission may be rejected, and the method may proceed back to operation  310  where a request for additional authentication information may be requested from the proxy service  140 , as described above. At operation  335 , if the certificate comparison results in a valid certificate, then the method may proceed to operation  340  where transmission of the data upload may be approved. 
     As should be appreciated, the IP address comparison at operation  320  and the certificate comparison at operation  335  may operate as a two-step authentication process, as illustrated and described with reference to  FIG. 3 . Alternatively, either the IP address validation or the certificate validation may operate as independent authentication steps wherein, if either step is passed (that is, valid IP address or valid certificate), then the requesting device may be passed as an authenticated device for uploading/downloading or reading data to/from the designated destination storage repository. That is, as should be appreciated, in some cases, it may be determined that only one of the two authentication steps may be required to provide acceptable security reliability for allowing data to be uploaded, downloaded or read from a given storage repository. In some cases, security levels associated with a storage repository and data maintained therein may require only a one step authentication process while other security levels may require both steps as required by owners/maintainers of the data. 
     As should be appreciated, other types of authentication processing may similarly be used by the proxy service  140 . For example, an encrypted key received from the requesting device via its installed or associated data uploader may be compared against a list of approved encrypted keys maintained by the proxy service  140 . Thus, a number of different identification/authentication codes/keys/alpha numeric designators, and the like may be used for comparing a requesting source to a list of previously authenticated requesting sources for providing access to a designated storage repository. 
     As should be appreciated, after the transmission of a data upload is allowed, the receiving storage location repository may pass a return signal back to the source device/system  110   a - n  for verifying storage of the uploaded data. In such a case, the return signaling from the receiving storage repository may pass back through the proxy service  140  to the source device, or the source device may be designated for allowing the return signal to automatically bypass the proxy service  140  owing to the previous authentication performed for the source device. In addition, if the original request from the source device was in the form of a download/read request from the source device, a responsive download or read access from the storage repository may be passed back through the proxy service  140  for authentication of the source device, as described above. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 3 , in some cases, a data download may be attempted from a secure data storage repository  145   a - n  in the form of a data download or read access to data stored at a given data storage repository directed to a possibly unsecure device/system  110   a - n . That is, a data download or read access to stored data may originate from a secure data storage repository directed to a potentially unsecure device/system  110   a - n  as a reverse cycle to the cycle described above with reference to operations  310  through  340 . At operation  345 , the cycle described above with reference to operations  310  through  340  may be processed wherein the data download/read request passed from the storage location repository  145   a - n  is passed through respective uploaders  150   a - n  through the proxy service  140  for determining whether the intended recipient of the data from a secure repository  145   a - n  may be authenticated for receiving data from the storage repository  145   a - n . At operation  350 , if the destination device/system is not approved by the proxy service  140 , then the method  300  may proceed to operation  330  and the transmission may be rejected, as described above. If at operation  350  the requested transmission is approved, then at operation  355  the transmission of data from the secure storage repository may be allowed to the destination computing device/system via the proxy service  140 . The method  300  ends at operation  395 . 
     While the invention has been described in the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction with an application program that runs on an operating system on a computer, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention may also be implemented in combination with other program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. 
     The embodiments and functionalities described herein may operate via a multitude of computing systems including, without limitation, desktop computer systems, wired and wireless computing systems, mobile computing systems (e.g., mobile telephones, netbooks, tablet or slate type computers, notebook computers, and laptop computers), hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, and mainframe computers. 
     In addition, the embodiments and functionalities described herein may operate over distributed systems (e.g., cloud-based computing systems), where application functionality, memory, data storage and retrieval and various processing functions may be operated remotely from each other over a distributed computing network, such as the Internet or an intranet. User interfaces and information of various types may be displayed via on-board computing device displays or via remote display units associated with one or more computing devices. For example user interfaces and information of various types may be displayed and interacted with on a wall surface onto which user interfaces and information of various types are projected. Interaction with the multitude of computing systems with which embodiments of the invention may be practiced include, keystroke entry, touch screen entry, voice or other audio entry, gesture entry where an associated computing device is equipped with detection (e.g., camera) functionality for capturing and interpreting user gestures for controlling the functionality of the computing device, and the like. 
       FIGS. 4-6  and the associated descriptions provide a discussion of a variety of operating environments in which embodiments of the invention may be practiced. However, the devices and systems illustrated and discussed with respect to  FIGS. 4-6  are for purposes of example and illustration and are not limiting of a vast number of computing device configurations that may be utilized for practicing embodiments of the invention, described herein. 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram illustrating physical components (i.e., hardware) of a computing device  400  with which embodiments of the invention may be practiced. The computing device components described below may be suitable for the computing devices  110 ,  115 ,  145 , described above. In a basic configuration, the computing device  400  may include at least one processing unit  402  and a system memory  404 . Depending on the configuration and type of computing device, the system memory  404  may comprise, but is not limited to, volatile storage (e.g., random access memory), non-volatile storage (e.g., read-only memory), flash memory, or any combination of such memories. The system memory  404  may include an operating system  405  and one or more program modules  406  suitable for running software applications  450 . The operating system  405 , for example, may be suitable for controlling the operation of the computing device  400 . Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in conjunction with a graphics library, other operating systems, or any other application program and is not limited to any particular application or system. This basic configuration is illustrated in  FIG. 4  by those components within a dashed line  408 . The computing device  400  may have additional features or functionality. For example, the computing device  400  may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, for example, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in  FIG. 4  by a removable storage device  409  and a non-removable storage device  410 . 
     As stated above, a number of program modules and data files may be stored in the system memory  404 . While executing on the processing unit  402 , the program modules  406  may perform processes including, but not limited to, one or more of the stages of the method  300  illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Other program modules that may be used in accordance with embodiments of the present invention and may include applications such as electronic mail and contacts applications, word processing applications, spreadsheet applications, database applications, slide presentation applications, drawing or computer-aided application programs, etc. 
     Furthermore, embodiments of the invention may be practiced in an electrical circuit comprising discrete electronic elements, packaged or integrated electronic chips containing logic gates, a circuit utilizing a microprocessor, or on a single chip containing electronic elements or microprocessors. For example, embodiments of the invention may be practiced via a system-on-a-chip (SOC) where each or many of the components illustrated in  FIG. 4  may be integrated onto a single integrated circuit. Such an SOC device may include one or more processing units, graphics units, communications units, system virtualization units and various application functionality all of which are integrated (or “burned”) onto the chip substrate as a single integrated circuit. When operating via an SOC, the functionality, described herein, with respect to providing an activity stream across multiple workloads may be operated via application-specific logic integrated with other components of the computing device  400  on the single integrated circuit (chip). Embodiments of the invention may also be practiced using other technologies capable of performing logical operations such as, for example, AND, OR, and NOT, including but not limited to mechanical, optical, fluidic, and quantum technologies. In addition, embodiments of the invention may be practiced within a general purpose computer or in any other circuits or systems. 
     The computing device  400  may also have one or more input device(s)  412  such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a sound input device, a touch input device, etc. The output device(s)  414  such as a display, speakers, a printer, etc. may also be included. The aforementioned devices are examples and others may be used. The computing device  400  may include one or more communication connections  416  allowing communications with other computing devices  418 . Examples of suitable communication connections  416  include, but are not limited to, RF transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver circuitry; universal serial bus (USB), parallel, and/or serial ports. 
     The term computer readable media as used herein may include computer storage media. Computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, or program modules. The system memory  404 , the removable storage device  409 , and the non-removable storage device  410  are all computer storage media examples (i.e., memory storage.) Computer storage media may include RAM, ROM, electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other article of manufacture which can be used to store information and which can be accessed by the computing device  400 . Any such computer storage media may be part of the computing device  400 . Computer storage media does not include a carrier wave or other propagated or modulated data signal. 
     Communication media may be embodied by computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” may describe a signal that has one or more characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), infrared, and other wireless media. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  illustrate a mobile computing device  500 , for example, a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, a laptop computer, and the like, with which embodiments of the invention may be practiced. With reference to  FIG. 5A , one embodiment of a mobile computing device  500  for implementing the embodiments is illustrated. In a basic configuration, the mobile computing device  500  is a handheld computer having both input elements and output elements. The mobile computing device  500  typically includes a display  505  and one or more input buttons  510  that allow the user to enter information into the mobile computing device  500 . The display  505  of the mobile computing device  500  may also function as an input device (e.g., a touch screen display). If included, an optional side input element  515  allows further user input. The side input element  515  may be a rotary switch, a button, or any other type of manual input element. In alternative embodiments, mobile computing device  500  may incorporate more or less input elements. For example, the display  505  may not be a touch screen in some embodiments. In yet another alternative embodiment, the mobile computing device  500  is a portable phone system, such as a cellular phone. The mobile computing device  500  may also include an optional keypad  535 . Optional keypad  535  may be a physical keypad or a “soft” keypad generated on the touch screen display. In various embodiments, the output elements include the display  505  for showing a graphical user interface (GUI), a visual indicator  520  (e.g., a light emitting diode), and/or an audio transducer  525  (e.g., a speaker). In some embodiments, the mobile computing device  500  incorporates a vibration transducer for providing the user with tactile feedback. In yet another embodiment, the mobile computing device  500  incorporates peripheral device port  540 , such as an audio input (e.g., a microphone jack), an audio output (e.g., a headphone jack), and a video output (e.g., a HDMI port) for sending signals to or receiving signals from an external device. 
       FIG. 5B  is a block diagram illustrating the architecture of one embodiment of a mobile computing device. That is, the mobile computing device  500  can incorporate a system (i.e., an architecture)  502  to implement some embodiments. In one embodiment, the system  502  is implemented as a “smart phone” capable of running one or more applications (e.g., browser, e-mail, calendaring, contact managers, messaging clients, games, and media clients/players). In some embodiments, the system  502  is integrated as a computing device, such as an integrated personal digital assistant (PDA) and wireless phone. 
     One or more application programs  550  may be loaded into the memory  562  and run on or in association with the operating system  564 . Examples of the application programs include phone dialer programs, electronic communication applications, personal information management (PIM) programs, word processing programs, spreadsheet programs, Internet browser programs, messaging programs, and so forth. The system  502  also includes a non-volatile storage area  568  within the memory  562 . The non-volatile storage area  568  may be used to store persistent information that should not be lost if the system  502  is powered down. The application programs  550  may use and store information in the non-volatile storage area  568 , such as e-mail or other messages used by an e-mail application, and the like. A synchronization application (not shown) also resides on the system  502  and is programmed to interact with a corresponding synchronization application resident on a host computer to keep the information stored in the non-volatile storage area  568  synchronized with corresponding information stored at the host computer. As should be appreciated, other applications may be loaded into the memory  562  and run on the mobile computing device  500 . 
     The system  502  has a power supply  570 , which may be implemented as one or more batteries. The power supply  570  might further include an external power source, such as an AC adapter or a powered docking cradle that supplements or recharges the batteries. 
     The system  502  may also include a radio  572  that performs the function of transmitting and receiving radio frequency communications. The radio  572  facilitates wireless connectivity between the system  502  and the “outside world,” via a communications carrier or service provider. Transmissions to and from the radio  572  are conducted under control of the operating system  564 . In other words, communications received by the radio  572  may be disseminated to the application programs  550  via the operating system  564 , and vice versa. 
     The visual indicator  520  may be used to provide visual notifications and/or an audio interface  574  may be used for producing audible notifications via the audio transducer  525 . In the illustrated embodiment, the visual indicator  520  is a light emitting diode (LED) and the audio transducer  525  is a speaker. These devices may be directly coupled to the power supply  570  so that when activated, they remain on for a duration dictated by the notification mechanism even though the processor  560  and other components might shut down for conserving battery power. The LED may be programmed to remain on indefinitely until the user takes action to indicate the powered-on status of the device. The audio interface  574  is used to provide audible signals to and receive audible signals from the user. For example, in addition to being coupled to the audio transducer  525 , the audio interface  574  may also be coupled to a microphone to receive audible input, such as to facilitate a telephone conversation. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the microphone may also serve as an audio sensor to facilitate control of notifications, as will be described below. The system  502  may further include a video interface  576  that enables an operation of an on-board camera  530  to record still images, video stream, and the like. 
     A mobile computing device  500  implementing the system  502  may have additional features or functionality. For example, the mobile computing device  500  may also include additional data storage devices (removable and/or non-removable) such as, magnetic disks, optical disks, or tape. Such additional storage is illustrated in  FIG. 5B  by the non-volatile storage area  568 . 
     Data/information generated or captured by the mobile computing device  500  and stored via the system  502  may be stored locally on the mobile computing device  500 , as described above, or the data may be stored on any number of storage media that may be accessed by the device via the radio  572  or via a wired connection between the mobile computing device  500  and a separate computing device associated with the mobile computing device  500 , for example, a server computer in a distributed computing network, such as the Internet. As should be appreciated such data/information may be accessed via the mobile computing device  500  via the radio  572  or via a distributed computing network. Similarly, such data/information may be readily transferred between computing devices for storage and use according to well-known data/information transfer and storage means, including electronic mail and collaborative data/information sharing systems. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates one embodiment of the architecture of a system for providing the functionality described herein across components of a distributed computing environment. Content developed, interacted with, or edited in association with the applications described above may be stored in different communication channels or other storage types. For example, various documents may be stored using a directory service  622 , a web portal  624 , a mailbox service  626 , an instant messaging store  628 , or a social networking site  630 . The application  450  (e.g., an electronic communication application) may use any of these types of systems or the like for providing the functionalities described herein across multiple workloads, as described herein. A server  615  may provide the functionality to clients  605 A-C and  110   a - n . As one example, the server  615  may be a web server providing the application functionality described herein over the web. The server  615  may provide the application functionality over the web to clients  605 A-C and  110   a - n  through a network  125 ,  610 . By way of example, a computing devices  110   a - n  may be implemented and embodied in a personal computer  605 A, a tablet computing device  605 B and/or a mobile computing device  605 C (e.g., a smart phone), or other computing device. Any of these embodiments of the client computing device may obtain content from the store  616 . 
     Embodiments of the present invention, for example, are described above with reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations of methods, systems, and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. The functions/acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved. 
     The description and illustration of one or more embodiments provided in this application are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of the invention as claimed in any way. The embodiments, examples, and details provided in this application are considered sufficient to convey possession and enable others to make and use the best mode of claimed invention. The claimed invention should not be construed as being limited to any embodiment, example, or detail provided in this application. Regardless of whether shown and described in combination or separately, the various features (both structural and methodological) are intended to be selectively included or omitted to produce an embodiment with a particular set of features. Having been provided with the description and illustration of the present application, one skilled in the art may envision variations, modifications, and alternate embodiments falling within the spirit of the broader aspects of the general inventive concept embodied in this application that do not depart from the broader scope of the claimed invention.