Scanning computer files for specified content
AssigneeMcAfee, Inc.
InventorRobert Grupe
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Scanning for computer viruses or E-mail and data content filtering is performed using a distributed programming approach. A master computer 4 serves to divide the scanning operation into a plurality of tasks that are allocated to further computers 8, 10, 12, 14, 20. These further computers then separately perform the tasks and return the results to the master computer 4. The master computer 4 can check the update status of the further computers prior to them starting operation in order to check that they have the latest data defining the scanning to be performed.
Claims20
A computer program product, embodied on a non-transitory, machine readable medium, that, when executed, causes a processor to perform a method comprising:
- transmitting definition or filtering data;
- processing at least one of a plurality of computer files, based, at least in part, on the definition or filtering data, wherein the processing is divided into a plurality of tasks;
- issuing to one or more further computers a scanning task of the plurality of tasks of the processing of the at least one of the plurality of computer files, in response to a receipt of an availability indication from the one or more further computers;
- performing at least one of the plurality of tasks, wherein the at least one of the plurality of tasks scans for unwanted content that is more common than unwanted content for which the scanning task scans;
- receiving from the one or more further computers a result of the scanning task of the plurality of tasks;
- and
- responsive to a detection of a computer file with one or more characteristics indicating the unwanted content for which the at least one of the plurality of tasks and the scanning task scan, taking a responsive action.
A method implemented by an apparatus, the method comprising:
- transmitting definition or filtering data;
- processing at least one of a plurality of computer files, based, at least in part, on the definition or filtering data, wherein the processing is divided into a plurality of tasks;
- issuing to one or more further computers a scanning task of the plurality of tasks of the processing of the at least one of the plurality of computer files, in response to a receipt of an availability indication from the one or more further computers;
- performing, with a processing unit of the apparatus, at least one of the plurality of tasks, wherein the at least one of the plurality of tasks scans for unwanted content that is more common than unwanted content for which the scanning task scans;
- receiving from the one or more further computers a result of the scanning task of the plurality of tasks;
- and
- responsive to a detection of a computer file with one or more characteristics indicating the unwanted content for which the at least one of the plurality of tasks and the scanning task scan, taking a responsive action.
An apparatus, comprising:
- a network interface that transmits definition or filtering data;
- and
- a processing unit configured to perform a processing of at least one of a plurality of computer files, based, at least in part, on the definition or filtering data, wherein the processing is divided into a plurality of tasks, and
- the network interface issues to one or more further computers a scanning task of the plurality of tasks of the processing of the at least one of the plurality of computer files, in response to a receipt of an availability indication from the one or more further computers,
- the processing unit performs at least one of the plurality of tasks, wherein the at least one of the plurality of tasks scans for unwanted content that is more common than unwanted content for which the scanning task scans,
- the network interface receives from the one or more further computers a result of the scanning task of the plurality of tasks, and
- the processing unit, responsive to a detection of a computer file with one or more characteristics indicating the unwanted content for which the at least one of the plurality of tasks and the scanning task scan, takes a responsive action.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.