System and method for a desktop agent for use in managing file systems

A method for desktop computer file management in a network, the method comprising:

• installing a desktop agent of an appliance on a desktop computer communicatively coupled to the appliance over the network, wherein the desktop agent comprises instructions translatable by the desktop computer;
• automatically implementing, by the desktop agent, the following on the desktop computer without communicating with the appliance over the network:
• a task queue for storing a set of tasks, wherein each task in the set of tasks is associated with:
• a classification defining files to which the each task applies;
• a directory scope defining areas of a local filesystem on the desktop computer on which the each task is to be performed;
• and
• a policy action associated with the each task;
• a harvest module configured to access one or more locations in the local filesystem of the desktop computer to obtain or determine metadata on one or more files in the local filesystem according to the directory scope associated with the each task;
• a classification module configured to determine if each of the one or more files in the local filesystem meets the classification associated with the each task by evaluating at least a portion of the metadata obtained or determined by the harvest module;
• and
• a policy module configured to apply the policy action associated with the each task to the one or more files based on the classification determined by the classification module;
• processing, by the desktop agent, the set of tasks in the task queue;
• and
• uninstalling the desktop agent from the desktop computer after the set of tasks in the task queue has been completed.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions translatable by a processor for:

• installing a desktop agent of an appliance on a desktop computer communicatively coupled to the appliance over a network;
• automatically implementing the following on the desktop computer without communicating with the appliance over a network:
• a task queue for storing a set of tasks, wherein each task in the set of tasks is associated with:
• a classification defining files to which the each task applies;
• a directory scope defining areas of a local filesystem on the desktop computer on which the each task is to be performed;
• and
• a policy action associated with the each task;
• a harvest module configured to access one or more locations in the local filesystem of the desktop computer to obtain or determine metadata on one or more files in the local filesystem according to the directory scope associated with the each task;
• a classification module configured to determine if each of the one or more files in the local filesystem meets the classification associated with the each task by evaluating at least a portion of the metadata obtained or determined by the harvest module;
• and
• a policy module configured to apply the policy action associated with the each task to the one or more files based on the classification determined by the classification module;
• processing the set of tasks in the task queue;
• and
• uninstalling the desktop agent from the desktop computer after the set of tasks in the task queue has been completed.