Network resource control sytem

• US 20030051038A1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• 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: Martin, Christopher, Onishcke, Mark, Pidduck, Patrick, Lehan, Tim, Spicer, Steven, Coutts, Steven, Grassick, Clayton, Hatten, Philip Von, Kuhl, Larry, Hollander, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,007,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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 control system allows network terminals to communicate with network resources, and includes a resource registry, an authorization server and an administration server. The resource registry includes resource records which are associated with the network resources and define at least a user access level for each network resource. The authorization server is in communication with the resource registry and controls network access to the network resources in accordance with the resource records. The administration server is in communication with the resource registry and provides controlled access to the resource records. The administration server receives user access control data from administrators of the network resources for incorporation into the resource records. Depending upon the user access control data received, the authorization server configures the network terminals for communication with the network resources.

Claims

1. A network resource control system for facilitating communication between network terminals and network resources over a network, the network resource control system comprising:

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

an authorization server in communication with the resource registry for controlling network access to the network resources by the network terminals in accordance with the resource records; and

an administration server in communication with the resource registry for providing controlled access to the resource records.

2. The network resource control system according to claim 1, wherein the resource records define at least resource configuration data for each said network resource, and each said network terminal has an associated terminal configuration, and the authorization server is configured to receive from one of the network terminals a request for access to one of the network resources, and to configure the one terminal for communication with the one network resource in accordance with a correspondence between the terminal configuration of the one network terminal and the resource configuration data and the user access control data associated with the one network resource.

3. The network resource control system according to claim 2, wherein the authorization server is configured to provide the one terminal with a network resource driver for communication with the one network resource in accordance with the correspondence.

4. The network resource control system according to claim 1, wherein the resource records are configured for access by respective administrators of the network resources, and the administration server is configured to receive from one of the network administrators a request for access to one of the resource records with user access control data, to verify authorization for the access from the access configuration associated with the one resource record, and to update the one resource record with the user access control data in accordance with the verification.

5. A method for facilitating communication between network terminals and network resources over a network, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a resource registry including resource records associated with the network resources;

receiving user access control data from administrators of the network resources for incorporation into the resource records; and

in accordance with the user access control data, configuring the network terminals for communication with the network resources.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the resource records define at least resource configuration data for each said network resource, and each said network terminal has an associated terminal configuration, and the terminal configuring step comprises the steps of receiving from one of the network terminals a request for access to one of the network resources, and configuring the one terminal for communication with the one network resource in accordance with a correspondence between the terminal configuration of the one network terminal and the resource configuration data and the user access control data associated with the one network resource.

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

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein each said resource record is configured for access by one of the network administrators, and the control data receiving step comprises the steps of receiving from one of the network administrators a request for access to one of the resource records, verifying authorization for the access from the access configuration associated with the one resource record, and updating the one resource record in accordance with the verification.