Provisioning bridge server

• US 20030217101A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sinn, Richard P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,216,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4523 using lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

The present invention is directed to technology for interacting with provisioning systems. An entity has an associated job code attribute that corresponds to a set of external resources. In one embodiment, an Identity System assigns the job code attribute to the entity. The external resources may be supported by different provisioning systems. A Provisioning Bridge Server determines whether a set of provisioning systems supports the resources corresponding to the job code attribute. The Provisioning Bridge Server also provisions the tasks required to make the external resources available to the entity. The tasks may be provisioned across multiple provisioning systems.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for provisioning tasks, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether a job code attribute for an entity is supported by a set of provisioning systems, wherein said job code attribute corresponds to a set of external resources for said entity and said set of provisioning systems includes multiple provisioning systems; and

(b) provisioning a set of tasks related to said set of external resources to said set of provisioning systems in response to said job code attribute.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said set of external resources includes multiple resources.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein said step (b) includes the steps of:

(1) submitting a first request for a first task from said set of tasks to a first provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said first request calls for said first provisioning system to affect a first resource in said set of external resources; and

(2) submitting a second request for a second task from said set of tasks to a second provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said second request calls for said second provisioning system to affect a second resource in said set of external resources.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) determining whether each resource in said set of external resources is supported by at least one provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) comparing said job code attribute to an entry in a set of control information.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein said entry in said set of control information includes a first field identifying a job code and second field identifying a resource.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 5 further including the step of:

(c) maintaining said set of control information.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein said step (c) includes the steps of:

(1) retrieving information from said set of provisioning systems; and

(2) storing said information from said set of provisioning systems in said set of control information.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein said steps (c)(1) and (c)(2) are repeated after a predetermined period of time.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein said information from said set of provisioning systems identifies external resources supported by said set of provisioning systems.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(1) submitting requests for said set of tasks to said set of provisioning systems.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein said step (b)(1) includes the steps of:

(i) submitting a first request for a first task from said set of tasks to a first provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said first request calls for said first provisioning system to affect a first external resource in said set of external resources; and

(ii) submitting a second request for a second task from said set of tasks to a second provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said second request calls for said second provisioning system to affect a second resource in said set of external resources.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(2) determining whether any tasks in said set of tasks failed.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 13, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(3) determining whether to complete provisioning for said set of tasks, if one or more tasks in said set of tasks are determined to have failed in said step (b)(2).

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further including the step of:

(d) obtaining approval for provisioning said set of tasks.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) requesting approval for provisioning said set of tasks; and

(2) determining whether any requests in said step (d)(1) have been rejected.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein said step (d) further includes the step of:

(3) determining whether to proceed with provisioning if any requests in said step (d)(1) have been rejected.

18. One or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied on said processor readable storage devices, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for provisioning tasks, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining whether a job code attribute for an entity is supported by a set of provisioning systems, wherein said job code attribute corresponds to a set of external resources for said entity and said set of provisioning systems includes multiple provisioning systems; and

(b) provisioning a set of tasks related to said set of external resources to said set of provisioning systems in response to said job code attribute.

19. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said set of external resources includes multiple resources.

20. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 19, wherein said step (b) includes the steps of:

(1) submitting a first request for a first task from said set of tasks to a first provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said first request calls for said first provisioning system to affect a first resource in said set of external resources; and

(2) submitting a second request for a second task from said set of tasks to a second provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said second request calls for said second provisioning system to affect a second resource in said set of external resources.

21. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) determining whether each resource in said set of external resources is supported by at least one provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems.

22. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) comparing said job code attribute to an entry in a set of control information.

23. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 22, wherein said entry in said set of control information includes a first field identifying a job code and second field identifying a resource.

24. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 21, wherein said method further includes the step of:

(c) maintaining said set of control information.

25. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 24, wherein said step (c) includes the steps of:

(1) retrieving information from said set of provisioning systems; and

(2) storing said information from said set of provisioning systems in said set of control information.

26. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 25, wherein said information from said set of provisioning systems identifies external resources supported by said set of provisioning systems.

27. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(1) submitting requests for said set of tasks to said set of provisioning systems.

28. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 27, wherein said step (b)(1) includes the steps of:

(i) submitting a first request for a first task from said set of tasks to a first provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said first request calls for said first provisioning system to affect a first external resource in said set of resources; and

(ii) submitting a second request for a second task from said set of tasks to a second provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said second request calls for said second provisioning system to affect a second resource in said set of external resources.

29. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 27, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(2) determining whether any tasks in said set of tasks failed.

30. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 29, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(3) determining whether to complete provisioning for said set of tasks, if one or more tasks in said set of tasks are determined to have failed in said step (b)(2).

31. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 18, wherein said method further includes the step of:

(d) obtaining approval for provisioning said set of tasks.

32. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 31, wherein said step (d) includes the steps of:

(1) requesting approval for provisioning said set of tasks; and

(2) determining whether any requests in said step (d)(1) have been rejected.

33. One or more processor readable storage devices according to claim 32, wherein said step (d) further includes the step of:

(3) determining whether to proceed with provisioning if any requests in said step (d)(1) have been rejected.

34. An apparatus comprising:

one or more communications interfaces;

one or more storage devices; and

one or more processors in communication with said one or more storage devices and said one or more communication interfaces, said one or more processors perform a method for provisioning tasks, said method comprising the steps of;

(a) determining whether a job code attribute for an entity is supported by a set of provisioning systems, wherein said job code attribute corresponds to a set of external resources for said entity and said set—

of provisioning systems includes multiple provisioning systems; and

(b) provisioning a set of tasks related to said set of external resources to said set of provisioning systems in response to said job code attribute.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said set of external resources includes multiple resources.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said step (b) includes the steps of:

(1) submitting a first request for a first task from said set of tasks to a first provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said first request calls for said first provisioning system to affect a first resource in said set of external resources; and

(2) submitting a second request for a second task from said set of tasks to a second provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said second request calls for said second provisioning system to affect a second resource in said set of external resources.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) determining whether each resource in said set of external resources is supported by at least one provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems.

38. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said step (a) includes the step of:

(1) comparing said job code attribute to an entry in a set of control information, wherein said entry in said set of control information includes a first field identifying a job code and second field identifying a resource.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said method further includes the step of:

(c) maintaining said set of control information.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said step (c) includes the steps of:

(1) retrieving information from said set of provisioning systems, wherein said information from said set of provisioning system identifies external resources supported by said set of provisioning systems; and

(2) storing said information from said set of provisioning systems in said set of control information.

41. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said step (b) includes the step of:

(1) submitting requests for said set of tasks to said set of provisioning systems.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said step (b)(1) includes the steps of:

(i) submitting a first request for a first task from said set of tasks to a first provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said first request calls for said first provisioning system to affect a first external resource in said set of resources; and

(ii) submitting a second request for a second task from said set of tasks to a second provisioning system in said set of provisioning systems, wherein said second request calls for said second provisioning system to affect a second resource in said set of external resources.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(2) determining whether any tasks in said set of tasks failed.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said step (b) further includes the step of:

(3) determining whether to complete provisioning for said set of tasks, if one or more tasks in said set of tasks are determined to have failed in said step (b)(2).

45. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said method further includes the step of:

(d) obtaining approval for provisioning said set of tasks.

46. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said apparatus includes a Provisioning Bridge Server.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said Provisioning Bridge Server performs said steps (a) and (b).

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said apparatus includes an Identity Server in communication with said Provisioning Bridge Server and a set of control information in communication with said Provisioning Bridge Server.

49. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said apparatus includes an Identity System.