Sharing artifacts in permission-protected archives

Abstract

Among other things, we describe techniques for receiving a list of artifacts that are stored in an archive and are responsive to a search query issued by an entity. A set of artifacts are identified that each have a permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is accessible to the entity when the respective artifact is responsive, above a threshold responsiveness value, to the search query issued by the entity.

1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a list of artifacts stored in an archive, the artifacts being responsive to a search query issued by an entity; and   identifying, among the list of artifacts, a set of artifacts each having a permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is accessible to the entity when the respective artifact is responsive, above a threshold responsiveness value, to the search query issued by the entity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying a set of artifacts further comprises:
 identifying, among the list of artifacts, an initial set of artifacts each having a permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is not accessible to the entity;   determining that one or more artifacts of the initial set of artifacts are responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to the search query, wherein the one or more artifacts each having the permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is accessible to the entity when the respective artifact is responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to the search query; and   in response to determining that the one or more artifacts are responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to the search query, identifying the one or more artifacts as the set of artifacts each having a permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is accessible to the entity.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the respective artifact includes an electronic message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the permission attribute includes a header field of the electronic message. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising determining whether a particular artifact of the list of artifacts meets or exceeds the threshold responsiveness value, the determination based on a responsiveness score determined by a search engine to which the search query was provided. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  comprising determining the threshold responsiveness value based on a permission value associated with the permission attribute. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising making the set of artifacts available to the entity. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , comprising making a request to a second entity to give permission to the entity to access a particular artifact of the set of artifacts, the second entity identified as an authorizing entity of the particular artifact. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising:
 receiving a response from the second entity granting the permission to the entity to access the particular artifact; and   making the particular artifact available to the entity.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , comprising:
 receiving a response from the second entity denying the permission to the entity to access the particular artifact; and   removing the particular artifact from the set of artifacts, when the response from the second entity denies the permission.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from an authorizing entity of a particular artifact, a request to modify a permission attribute of the particular artifact; and   modifying the permission attribute of the particular artifact, wherein the modified permission attribute indicates that the particular artifact is accessible to the entity when the particular artifact is responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to the search query issued by the entity.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from an authorizing entity of multiple artifacts sharing a common attribute, a request to modify a permission attribute of the multiple artifacts; and   modifying the permission attribute of the multiple artifacts, wherein the modified permission attribute indicates that one or more artifacts of the multiple artifacts are accessible to the entity when the one or more artifacts are responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to the search query issued by the entity.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the common attribute includes an artifact folder searchable by the entity. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after identifying that a first artifact is responsive, above a threshold responsiveness value, to a particular search query issued by a searching entity, the first artifact having a permission attribute that indicates the first artifact is accessible to an entity when (i) the first artifact is responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to a search query issued by the entity, and (ii) permission to access is granted by an authorizing entity of the first artifact:   receiving, by the authorizing entity, a request to grant permission to the searching entity to access the first artifact, wherein the first artifact is responsive, above the threshold responsiveness value, to the particular search query issued by the searching entity; and   sending a response, by the authorizing entity, granting the permission to the searching entity to access the first artifact.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein sending a response granting the permission to the searching entity to access the first artifact comprises sending the response granting permission to the searching entity to access one or more other artifacts of the authorizing entity having the permission attribute. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 sending a request, by the authorizing entity, specifying the threshold responsiveness value associated with the permission attribute of the first artifact.   
     
     
         18 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable medium storing software having stored thereon instructions, which, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations of:
 receiving a list of artifacts stored in an archive, the artifacts being responsive to a search query issued by an entity; and   identifying, among the list of artifacts, a set of artifacts each having a permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is accessible to the entity when the respective artifact is responsive, above a threshold responsiveness value, to the search query issued by the entity.   
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:   receiving a list of artifacts stored in an archive, the artifacts being responsive to a search query issued by an entity; and   identifying, among the list of artifacts, a set of artifacts each having a permission attribute indicating that the respective artifact is accessible to the entity when the respective artifact is responsive, above a threshold responsiveness value, to the search query issued by the entity.   
     
     
         22 - 25 . (canceled)