Network resource access system

• US 20030037126A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 02/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Spicer Corporation (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Pidduck, Patrick, Lehan, Tim, Spicer, Steven, Onischke, Mark, Coutts, Steven, Grassick, Clayton, Hatten, Philip Von, Kuhl, Larry, Hollander, Brian, Martin, Christoper
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level

Abstract

A network resource access system provides network terminals with access to network resources over a network, and includes a resource registry, a driver database, and an authorization server. The resource registry includes resource records associated with the network resources and define at least a resource type for each network resource. The driver database includes resource driver applications for the network resources. The authorization server receives a request from one of the network terminals for communication with one of the network resources, obtains resource configuration data associated with the network resource, and then facilitates communication between the network terminal and the network resource in accordance with a correspondence between the resource configuration data and user configuration data associated with the network terminal.

Claims

1. A network resource access system for providing network terminals with access to network resources over a network, the network resource access system comprising:

a resource registry including resource records associated with the network resources, the resource records defining at least a resource type for each said network resource;

a driver database including resource driver applications for the network resources; and

an authorization server for facilitating communication between the network terminals and the network resources, the authorization server being in communication with the resource registry and the driver database for providing the driver applications to the network terminals in accordance with the resource records.

2. The network resource access system according to claim 1, wherein each said network terminal has an associated terminal configuration, and the resource records include a user access level, and the authorization server is configured to receive from one of the network terminals a request to communicate with one of the network resources, to provide the one network terminal with the network driver application associated with the one network resource in accordance with a correspondence between the terminal configuration of the one network terminal and the user access level associated with the one network resource.

3. The network resource access system according to claim 2, wherein the resource records define a network address associated with each said network resource, and the authorization server is configured to configure the associated driver application with the respective network address.

4. The network resource access system according to claim 3, wherein the authorization server is configured to establish a secure communications channel with the one network terminal, and to provide the associated driver application with the respective network address over the secure communications channel.

5. A method for providing network terminals with access to network resources over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from one of the network terminals for communication with one of the network resources;

obtaining resource configuration data associated with the one network resource; and

facilitating communication between the one network terminal and the one network resource in accordance with a correspondence between the resource configuration data and user configuration data associated with the one network terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the communication facilitating step comprises providing the one network terminal with a network driver application for communication with the one network resource in accordance with the correspondence.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the resource configuration data includes a network address associated with the one network resource, and the communication facilitating step comprises configuring the network driver application with the network address.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the communication facilitating step comprises the steps of establishing a secure communications channel with the one network terminal, and providing the driver application with the network address over the secure communications channel.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein each said network terminal has an associated terminal configuration, and the resource configuration data includes a user access level, and the communication facilitating step comprises providing the network driver application in accordance with a correspondence between the terminal configuration of the one network terminal and the user access level associated with the one network resource.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of obtaining resource configuration data comprises the steps of receiving from a network administrator of the one network resource the resource configuration data together with a request to provide the resource configuration data, verifying authorization to provide the configuration data, and storing the received configuration data in accordance with the verification.