System and method for determining desktop functionality based on workstation and user roles

• US 20040113949A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, Michael Richard, Kersten, Jason Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,117,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

A system and method that selects applications that are allowed to be performed by a particular user using a particular workstation is provided. The system identifies one or more roles that have been assigned to the user and matches the identified roles with one or more roles that have been assigned to the workstation. Roles that are allowed for both the workstation and the user are enabled to be used by the user using the workstation. In one embodiment, a user may be allowed to perform multiple roles from the user'"'"'s workstation. The available roles are selected using an interface, such as a pop-up menu. In one embodiment, the desktop packages and components are received by, displayed on, and launched from a operating system platform-neutral shell application, such as a Java software application running on a Java virtual machine. In this manner, the packages and components are platform-independent.

Claims

1. A method of selecting applications that are allowed to be executed by a user of a computer system, said method comprising:

receiving a user identifier corresponding to the user;

receiving a computer system identifier corresponding to the computer system;

matching one or more applications that are allowed to be executed by both the user identifier and the computer system identifier; and

enabling the matched applications to be invoked from the computer system.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

matching one or more roles corresponding to the user identifier with one or more roles corresponding to the computer system, wherein each of the roles is associated with one or more applications.

3. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the roles corresponding to the computer system are based upon one or more capabilities of the computer system.

4. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

displaying the matched roles to the user;

receiving a selection from the user corresponding to one of the matched roles;

retrieving the applications associated with the selected role; and

displaying graphical images corresponding to the associated applications on a display device accessible from the computer system.

5. The method as described in claim 2 wherein each of the roles corresponds to at least one self-contained desktop that includes one or more applications.

6. The method as described in claim 5 further comprising:

receiving the user identifier and a password from the user;

authenticating the user based upon the user identifier and password; and

receiving, over a computer network, the self-contained desktops from a server computer.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the applications is selected from the group consisting of an application extension, an application program, an icon, a background, a menu item, a toolbar, and a window control.

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the applications are adapted to be displayed and executed on a plurality of operating system platforms, and wherein the displaying and executing are consistent across the plurality of operating system platforms.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the computer system identifier includes a MAC address corresponding to the computer system.

10. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

booting an operating system on the computer system;

loading a virtual machine middleware application on the operating system, wherein the virtual machine middleware application is adapted to run platform-neutral applications;

prompting the user for the user identifier and a password;

retrieving a MAC address corresponding to the computer system;

invoking a desktop shell application in the virtual machine middleware application, the desktop shell including a desktop window that includes one or more container windows;

receiving one or more self-contained desktops, each of which includes one or more applications, from a server connected to the computer system over a computer network; and

displaying the applications corresponding to at least one of the self-contained desktops in the desktop window.

11. The method as described in claim 10 wherein the virtual machine middleware application is a Java virtual machine and wherein the applications and the desktop shell application are Java applications.

12. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory area accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage device accessible by the processors;

an operating system executed by the processors for managing the information handling system;

an application selecting tool for selecting applications allowed to be executed on a user'"'"'s computer system, the application selecting tool including;

means for receiving a user identifier corresponding to the user;

means for receiving a computer system identifier corresponding to the user'"'"'s computer system;

means for matching one or more applications that are allowed to be executed by both the user identifier and the computer system identifier; and

means for enabling the matched applications to be invoked from the user'"'"'s computer system.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12 further comprising:

means for matching one or more roles corresponding to the user identifier with one or more roles corresponding to the user'"'"'s computer system, wherein each of the roles is associated with one or more applications.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 13 wherein the roles corresponding to the user'"'"'s computer system are based upon one or more capabilities of the user'"'"'s computer system.

15. The information handling system as described in claim 13 further comprising:

a display device accessible from the user'"'"'s computer system;

means for displaying the matched roles to the user on the display device;

means for receiving a selection from the user corresponding to one of the matched roles;

means for retrieving the applications associated with the selected role; and

means for displaying graphical images corresponding to the associated applications on the display device.

16. The information handling system as described in claim 13 wherein each of the roles corresponds to at least one self-contained desktop that includes one or more applications.

17. The information handling system as described in claim 16 further comprising:

means for receiving the user identifier and a password from the user;

means for authenticating the user based upon the user identifier and password; and

means for receiving, over a computer network, the self-contained desktops from a server computer.

18. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein at least one of the applications is selected from the group consisting of an application extension, an application program, an icon, a background, a menu item, a toolbar, and a window control.

19. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein the applications are adapted to be displayed and executed on a plurality of operating system platforms, and wherein the displaying and executing are consistent across the plurality of operating system platforms.

20. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein the user'"'"'s computer system identifier includes a MAC address corresponding to the user'"'"'s computer system.

21. The information handling system as described in claim 12 further comprising:

means for booting an operating system on the user'"'"'s computer system;

means for loading a virtual machine middleware application on the operating system, wherein the virtual machine middleware application is adapted to run platform-neutral applications;

means for prompting the user for the user identifier and a password;

means for retrieving a MAC address corresponding to the user'"'"'s computer system;

means for invoking a desktop shell application in the virtual machine middleware application, the desktop shell including a desktop window that includes one or more container windows;

means for receiving one or more self-contained desktops, each of which includes one or more applications, from a server connected to the user'"'"'s computer system over a computer network; and

means for displaying the applications corresponding to at least one of the self-contained desktops in the desktop window.

22. The information handling system as described in claim 21 wherein the virtual machine middleware application is a Java virtual machine and wherein the applications and the desktop shell application are Java applications.

23. A computer program product stored on a computer operable media for selecting applications that are allowed to be executed by user of the computer system, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving a user identifier corresponding to the user;

means for receiving a computer system identifier corresponding to the computer system;

means for matching one or more applications that are allowed to be executed by both the user identifier and the computer system identifier; and

means for enabling the matched applications to be invoked from the computer system.

24. The computer program product as described in claim 23 further comprising:

means for matching one or more roles corresponding to the user identifier with one or more roles corresponding to the computer system, wherein each of the roles is associated with one or more applications.

25. The computer program product as described in claim 24 wherein the roles corresponding to the computer system are based upon one or more capabilities of the computer system.

26. The computer program product as described in claim 24 further comprising:

means for displaying the matched roles to the user;

means for receiving a selection from the user corresponding to one of the matched roles;

means for retrieving the applications associated with the selected role; and

means for displaying graphical images corresponding to the associated applications on a display device accessible from the computer system.

27. The computer program product as described in claim 24 wherein each of the roles corresponds to at least one self-contained desktop that includes one or more applications.

28. The computer program product as described in claim 27 further comprising:

means for receiving the user identifier and a password from the user;

means for authenticating the user based upon the user identifier and password; and

means for receiving, over a computer network, the self-contained desktops from a server computer.

29. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein at least one of the applications is selected from the group consisting of an application extension, an application program, an icon, a background, a menu item, a toolbar, and a window control.

30. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein the applications are adapted to be displayed and executed on a plurality of operating system platforms, and wherein the displaying and executing are consistent across the plurality of operating system platforms.

31. The computer program product as described in claim 23 wherein the computer system identifier includes a MAC address corresponding to the computer system.

32. The computer program product as described in claim 23 further comprising:

means for booting an operating system on the computer system;

means for loading a virtual machine middleware application on the operating system, wherein the virtual machine middleware application is adapted to run platform-neutral applications;

means for prompting the user for the user identifier and a password;

means for retrieving a MAC address corresponding to the computer system;

means for invoking a desktop shell application in the virtual machine middleware application, the desktop shell including a desktop window that includes one or more container windows;

means for receiving one or more self-contained desktops, each of which includes one or more applications, from a server connected to the computer system over a computer network; and

means for displaying the applications corresponding to at least one of the self-contained desktops in the desktop window.

33. The computer program product as described in claim 32 wherein the virtual machine middleware application is a Java virtual machine and wherein the applications and the desktop shell application are Java applications.