Patent ID: 7698346

Claim:
A computer implemented method of access evolution for automating the sharing of access rights in a computer environment having one or more access sharing relationships, comprising the steps of: a) creating an access sharing relationship in which an access provider having a first set of access rights shares at least a subset of the first set of access rights with an access receiver having a second set of access rights, so that the second set of access rights evolves as an automated function of the first set of access rights by way of the shared subset, wherein the access sharing relationship is one of one or more access sharing relationships in a network of access control; b) defining the subset based on constraints of the access sharing relationship; and c) sharing the subset with the access receiver, whereby the steps of defining and sharing comprise an iteration of access evolution, wherein the access provider has access rights to a newer version of an entity or file and the access receiver has access rights to an older version of the entity or file and deferring the sharing of the access rights to the newer version with the access receiver for a period of time, so that the access receiver has access to the older version prior to releasing a manage exclusion, and upon releasing a manage exclusion, the access receiver receiving access to the newer version, and wherein the steps of creating, defining, and sharing are performed by a computer.