Method and logic for capturing and analyzing conduit data

Abstract

A method of locking data and a program that analyzes the data commences with a generation of a first key. This first key is associated with both the data and a specific, compiled copy of the program. A gatekeeper logic is generated. The gatekeeper logic utilizes at least the first key to prevent the specific, compiled copy of the program from analyzing data other than the specific data. In this way, the specific copy of the program is locked to specific data, and is accordingly limited to performing analysis operations utilizing the specific data.

1 . A method of locking data obtained with a logging device and an analyzer program that analyzes the data, the method including: 
 generating a first key;    associating the first key with both specific data obtained with the logging device and a specific copy of the analyzer program; and    generating gatekeeper logic that enables the specific copy of the analyzer program to analyze the specific data only if the first key associated with the specific copy of the analyzer program corresponds with a second key associated with the specific data obtained with the logging device.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating of the first key includes generating a random character sequence.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the random character sequence is a random number sequence.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the associating of the first key with the specific copy of the analyzer program includes compiling the specific copy of the analyzer program to incorporate the first key.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating of the gatekeeper logic includes associating the gatekeeper logic with the specific copy of the analyzer program.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the associating of the gatekeeper logic with the specific copy of the analyzer program includes compiling the specific copy of the analyzer program to incorporate the gatekeeper logic.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the generating of the gatekeeper logic comprises generating a Java-programming language application that is incorporated within the specific copy of the analyzer program.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a user of the analyzer program supplies the specific data obtained with the logging device to a supplier of the analyzer program, and a locking of the specific data obtained with the logging device to the specific copy of the analyzer program occurs on a computer system of the supplier.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the supplier provides the locked specific data obtained with the logging device and the specific copy of the analyzer program to the user.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein a supplier of the analyzer program supplies locking logic and the analyzer program to a user of the analyzer program, and a locking of the specific data, obtained with the logging device, to the specific copy of the analyzer program occurs on a computer system of the user utilizing the supplied locking logic and the supplied analyzer program.  
   
   
       11 . A method of distributing data obtained with a logging device and an analyzer program that analyzes the data, the method including: 
 providing a user of the analyzer program with a specific copy of the analyzer program and specific data, obtained with the logging device, that are locked utilizing at least a first key; and    providing the user of the analyzer program with gatekeeper logic that enables the specific copy of the analyzer program to analyze data obtained with the logging device only if the first key associated with the analyzer program corresponds with a second key associated with the specific data obtained with the logging device.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the providing of the gatekeeper logic includes compiling the specific copy of the analyzer program to include the gatekeeper logic, and providing the user with the compiled specific copy of the analyzer program.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the providing of the specific copy of the analyzer program and the specific data obtained with the logging device includes associating the first key with both the specific copy of analyzer program and the specific data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the associating of the first key with the specific copy of the analyzer program includes compiling the specific copy of the analyzer program to include the first key.  
   
   
       15 . A method of distributing data obtained with the logging device and an application program that accesses the data, the method including: 
 locking a specific copy of the application program to specific data obtained with the logging device so that the specific copy of the application program is able to access only the specific data, obtained with the logging device, having an associated key that corresponds with a second key associated with the specific copy of the application program; and    distributing the locked specific copy of the application program and specific data obtained with the logging device to a user.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the locking of the specific copy of the application program to the specific data obtained with the logging device includes generating a first key that is associated with both the specific copy of the application program and the specific data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the generating of the first key comprises generating a random key utilizing a random character generator.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the generating of the first key comprises generating a random number using a random number generator.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the locking of the specific copy of the application program to the specific data obtained with the logging device includes generating a gatekeeper application that allows utilization of the specific copy of the application program when accessing the specific data obtained with the logging device, and disallows utilization of the application program when accessing other data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the locking of the specific copy of the application program to the specific data obtained with the logging device includes compiling source code for the application program, together with the first key and the gatekeeper application, into compiled object code for the specific copy of the application program.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  including distributing the gatekeeper application to the user, the gatekeeper application accessing at least the first key for the purposes of allowing or disallowing utilization of the specific copy of the application program.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the locking is performed by locking logic, and the method includes sending the specific data obtained with the logging device from the user to a software supplier, the software supplier executing the locking logic to lock the specific copy of the application program to the specific data obtained with the logging device so that the specific copy of the application program is able to access only the specific data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 15  including sending the locked specific copy of the application program and specific data obtained with the logging device from the user to the software supplier.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the sending comprises propagating the specific data obtained with the logging device over a communications network.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the sending comprises supplying the software supplier with a physical storage medium that stores the specific data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the locking is performed by locking logic, the method includes sending the locking logic and the application program from a software supplier to the user, the user executing the locking logic to lock the specific copy of the application program to the specific data obtained with the logging device so that the specific copy of the application program is able to access only the specific data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26  including purging the locking logic from a computer system of the user subsequent to the locking of the specific copy of the application program to the specific data obtained with the logging device.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the sending comprises propagating the locking logic and the application program over a communications network.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 27  wherein the sending comprises supplying the user with a physical storage medium that stores the locking logic and the application program.  
   
   
       30 . A logic set for locking data obtained with a logging device and an analyzer program that analyzes the data, the logic set including: 
 first logic to generate a first key;    second logic to associate the first key with both specific data obtained with the logging device and a specific copy of the analyzer program; and    third logic to generate gatekeeper logic that enables the specific copy of the analyzer program to analyze data obtained with the logging device only if the first key associated with the specific copy of the analyzer program corresponds with a second key associated with the data obtained with the logging device.    
   
   
       31 . The logic set of  claim 30  wherein the first logic comprises a random number generator.  
   
   
       32 . The logic set of  claim 30  wherein the second logic comprises a compiler that compiles the specific copy of the analyzer program to incorporate the gatekeeper logic  
   
   
       33 . The logic set of  claim 30  wherein the second logic comprises a compiler that compiles the specific copy of the analyzer program to incorporate the first key.  
   
   
       34 . The logic set of  claim 30  wherein the third logic comprises a locking routine.  
   
   
       35 . Apparatus for locking data obtained with a logging device and an analyzer program that analyzes the data, the apparatus including: 
 first means for generating a first key;    second means for associating the first key with both specific data obtained with the logging device and a specific copy of the analyzer program; and    third means for generating gatekeeper logic that enables the specific copy of the analyzer program to analyze data obtained with the logging device only if the first key associated with the analyzer program corresponds with a second key associated with the data obtained with the logging device.    
   
   
       36 . A machine-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform the steps of: 
 generating a first key;    associating the first key with both specific data obtained with a logging device and a specific copy of an analyzer program; and    generating gatekeeper logic that enables the specific copy of the analyzer program to analyze the specific data obtained with the logging device only if the first key associated with the analyzer program corresponds with a second key associated with the specific data obtained with the logging device.    
   
   
       37 . A machine-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine, in response to a user request received over a communications network, to perform the steps of: 
 automatically providing, over the communications network, a user of the analyzer program with a specific copy of the analyzer program and specific data obtained with a logging device that are locked utilizing at least a first key; and    automatically providing, over the communications network, the user of the analyzer program with gatekeeper logic that enables the specific copy of the analyzer program to analyze data obtained with the logging device only if the first key associated with the analyzer program corresponds with a second key associated with the specific data obtained with the logging device.    
   
   
       38 . A machine-readable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine, in response to a user request received over a communications network, to perform the steps of: 
 automatically locking a specific copy of an application program to specific data obtained with a logging device so that the specific copy of the application program is able to access only the specific data obtained with the logging device having an associated key that corresponds with a key associated with the specific copy of the application program; and    automatically distributing the locked specific copy of the application program and specific data obtained with the logging device to a user.