Management model for managing compliance policies

Abstract

A common set of compliance policy definition user interface displays are displayed and include a common set of user input mechanisms. The user input mechanisms receive user inputs to define a plurality of different types of compliance policies for deployment to a plurality of different workloads. A given compliance policy, defined by the user inputs, is generated for distribution to a given workload.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A compliance policy management system, comprising:
 a user interface component that generates a common set of compliance policy definition user interface displays with a common set of user input mechanisms that receive user inputs to define a plurality of different types of compliance policies for deployment to a plurality of different workloads; and   a policy definition system that receives the user inputs through the set of user input mechanisms and, in response, generates a given compliance policy defined by the user inputs, for distribution to a given workload.   
     
     
         2 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 1  wherein the user interface component generates the common set of compliance policy definition user interface displays with the common set of user input mechanisms regardless of which type, of the plurality of different types of compliance policies, is being defined. 
     
     
         3 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 2  wherein the user interface component generates the common set of compliance policy definition user interface displays with the common set of user input mechanisms regardless of, to which workload, of the plurality of different workloads, the given compliance policy is to be deployed. 
     
     
         4 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 3  wherein the user interface component generates, as one of the common set of user interface displays, a policy identification user interface display, the policy identification user interface display having a common set of policy identification user input mechanisms that receive user inputs identifying the compliance policy. 
     
     
         5 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 3  wherein the user interface component generates, as one of the common set of user interface displays, a policy conditions user interface display, the policy conditions user interface display having a common set of policy condition user input mechanisms that receive user inputs identifying conditions under which the compliance policy applies to the given workload. 
     
     
         6 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 3  wherein the user interface component generates, as one of the common set of user interface displays, a policy binding user interface display, the policy binding user interface display having a common set of policy binding user input mechanisms that receive user inputs identifying content at the given workload against which the compliance policy is evaluated. 
     
     
         7 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 3  wherein the user interface component further generates a set of action user interface displays with action user input mechanisms that receive user inputs to define actions to be taken when the compliance policy applies at the workload. 
     
     
         8 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 1  wherein the common set of user interface displays comprise:
 user interface displays with a common set of functionality used in defining the compliance policy, regardless of a particular workload where the compliance policy will be deployed. 
 
     
     
         9 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 8  wherein the common set of user interface displays comprise:
 user interface displays with a common set of functionality used in defining the compliance policy, regardless of a particular type of compliance policy. 
 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a user input to access a compliance policy management system to define a compliance policy for deployment to a given workload of a plurality of different workloads;   displaying a compliance policy identification user interface display with identification user input mechanisms that receive identification user inputs to identify the compliance policy, the compliance policy user interface display being common regardless of which of the plurality of different workloads comprises the given workload;   after receiving the identification user inputs, displaying a condition user interface display that has condition user input mechanisms that receive condition user inputs to define conditions under which the compliance policy applies at the given workload, the condition user interface displays being common regardless of which of the plurality of different workloads comprises the given workload; and   displaying a binding user interface display that has binding user input mechanisms that receive user inputs to define bindings indicative of content at the given workload that the compliance policy applies to, the binding user interface displays being common regardless of which of the plurality of different workloads comprises the given workload.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein displaying a condition user interface display comprises:
 displaying a content user input mechanism that receives user inputs identifying specific content words that are to be present in an item under analysis at the given workload for the compliance policy to apply to the item. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein displaying a condition user interface display comprises:
 displaying a date definition user input mechanism that receives user inputs defining a date or date range that is to correspond to an item under analysis at the given workload for the compliance policy to apply to the item. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein displaying a binding user interface display comprises:
 displaying a content location identifier that identifies a location of content items that to which the compliance policy is to be applied. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the plurality of different workloads includes an electronic mail workload and a document management workload and wherein displaying a content location identifier comprises:
 displaying an electronic mail account selector that receives user inputs selecting electronic mail accounts in the electronic mail workload; and 
 displaying a site identifier that receives user inputs identifying a site in the document management workload. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein displaying an electronic mail account selector comprises:
 displaying a mail box identifier that receives user inputs identifying individual mailboxes and a group identifier that receives user inputs identifying distribution groups. 
 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  and further comprising:
 after receiving the condition user inputs and the binding user inputs, displaying an enable user interface display with an enable user input mechanism that receives an enable user input that enables the compliance policy to be deployed at the given workload. 
 
     
     
         17 . A compliance policy management system, comprising:
 a user interface component that generates a common set of compliance policy definition user interface displays with a common set of compliance policy definition user input mechanisms, the common set of compliance policy definition user interface displays and the common set of compliance policy definition user input mechanisms being common for defining a plurality of different types of compliance policies and for defining compliance policies that are deployed at a plurality of different types of workloads; and   a compliance policy definition system that generates a given compliance policy based on the compliance policy definition user inputs received through the compliance policy definition user input mechanisms.   
     
     
         18 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 17  and further comprising:
 a common policy distribution system that distributes the given compliance policy to a given workload, the common policy distribution system distributing the given compliance policy regardless of which of the plurality of types of compliance policies corresponds to the given compliance policy and regardless of which of the plurality of different workloads corresponds to the given workload. 
 
     
     
         19 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 18  wherein the user interface component displays a deployment status indicator indicative of deployment status of the given compliance policy, the deployment status indicator being displayed regardless of which of the plurality of types of compliance policies corresponds to the given compliance policy and regardless of which of the plurality of different workloads corresponds to the given workload. 
     
     
         20 . The compliance policy management system of  claim 18  and further comprising:
 a common policy status processing system that receives status indicators indicative of a status of deployment of the given compliance policy at the given workload, and a status of deployment of any other compliance policies being deployed at any of the plurality of different types of workloads, the user interface component displaying a status display based on the status indicators.